The Refugee Crisis -- Il-Kriżi tar-Rifuġjati

 

A few days ago, between the 11th and 12th November, a conference was held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, where European and African leaders discussed the refugee crisis, mostly about Africans who go to Europe for economic reasons.  As we know, many, too many of these tragically end up at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

 

The Conference concluded with the establishment of a fund of two billion dollars, intended for development in the origin countries, so that those considering emigrating might consider looking for opportunities closer to home,  the increase of opportunities for temporary education visas in Europe and increase cooperation between Europe and the origin countries.1  This will surely take time, and remains to be seen whether this initiative is only a drop in the ocean.

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At the same time, the other big migration from the Middle East to western countries continues briskly unabated, with people from Iraq and Siria fleeting in their hundreds of thousands the hell therein.  Apart from the civil war where many Sirians want to get rid of the dictator Assad, the organisation at the top of everyone's lips is Islamic State.

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In the recent few days, this group has launched attacks in Beirut, Lebanon, on the Shiite Muslim group Hesbollah (40 people dead), in Egypt they have been accused of exploding a bomb on an airplane returning Russian tourists to their homeland from a visit to Sharm el-Sheikh (200), and the latest atrocities are the suicide attacks in Paris in France (130) and the killings in a Mali hotel (20).  There are suspicions that at least one of those who attacked people in Paris had inserted himself with refugees entering Europe from Greece a few months back.

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This is leading unfortunately to pressure from several countries to halt the flow of refugees.  We've seen this in Australia, where this request was made even by an MP of the governing coalition,2 in Europe and now also the United States, where even presidential candidates in that country, including Donald Trump, are adding their voice to this call.

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Instead of making stricter controls on being accepted as a refugee, let's stop everyone.  If a group of drivers break traffic rules, we ban driving.  Logical, is it not?

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And from whom are refugees fleeing, if not the same terrorists?

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It's a tragedy that refugees are painted as being all, or mostly, Muslim and terrorists.  It's being said that they can't be good citizens as for them God comes first, they aren't allowed to be friends with Christians and Jews, their spiritual leaders want the destruction of Israel and America, that (a man, presumably) has to have four wives and whip them if they disobej, that democracy and Islam don't go together etc etc.

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I have no doubt that some Muslims believe so, however can they be considered representative?  Does the Klu Klux Klan represent Christians?  Are there not Christians who believe that God's law trumps state law?3  Doesn't the Catholic church say that citizens should not obey laws considered immoral or against Scripture?4

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Speaking for myself, in my life I've had several Muslim friends, some close.  At the same time I also know Christians who wouldn't dream of having a Muslim friend.  Is this representative of all Christians?  Didn't Abraham, the patriarch of Jews, Christians and Muslims, have two women?  I haven't heard any priest condemning him at church.  And is it possible not to have heard of Indonesia and Turkey, democratic countries where society is predominantly Muslim?

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In my life I've seen too much prejudice, and people rushing to judge and condemn.  In these difficult times we're living in, I often ask myself, what would Jesus do?  What attitude would he have taken?

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Perhaps a better question is, what did he do in his time?

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The answer is quickly found in the Christian Bible, and is surprising.  Jesus cast his gaze to many of those categories of people considered outcast by his society: Samaritans, prostitutes, tax collectors, Romans, the sick (lepers and the blind, whose sickness was taken as evidence of sin in the family); he talked to them, loved them and embraced them!

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In a parable he praised a Samaritan (who would have been a Muslim Palestinian today) for help provided to a beaten person in the middle of the road, told a prostitute he would not condemn her, told his followers that he had never seen faith bigger than that of a Roman centurian, removed from the sick the cause of their society's disdain, and we could go on.

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There is a clear message: we should open our hearts to those of good faith even from outside our society and not allow prejudice to cloud our eyes.  Our fight should be had with the small yet loud and murderous minority - the terrorists whose sole interest is to use Islam - and not with the quiet and meek majority, who look to Islam having the same root as the Arabic word for peace (SALAAM).

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Ftit ġranet ilu, bejn il-ħdax u t-tnax ta' Novembru, saret konferenza fis-Sala tal-Mediterran għall-Konferenzi fil-Belt Valletta, fejn mexejja Ewropej u Afrikani ddiskutew il-kriżi tar-rifuġjati, l-iktar dik ta' Afrikani li jmorru l-Ewropa għal raġunijiet ekonomiċi.  Bħal ma nafu, ħafna, wisq, minn dawn traġikament jispiċċaw f'qiegħ il-baħar fil-Mediterran.

 

Il-Konferenza kkonkludiet bl-istabbilment ta' fond ta' żewġ biljun dollaru, bl-intenzjoni li jsir żvilupp fil-pajjiżi tat-tluq, ħalli min ikun imħajjar jemigra forsi jitħajjar ifittex opportunitajiet qrib ta' daru, jiżdiedu opportunitajiet ta' viżas temporanji għal edukazzjoni fl-Ewropa, u ssir kooperazzjoni bejn l-Ewropa u l-pajjiżi tat-tluq.1  Dan kollu żgur jieħu ż-żmien, u wieħed irid jara jekk din l-inizjattiva hijiex biss qatra fl-oċean.

 

Fl-istess ħin, il-migrazzjoni l-kbira l-oħra lejn il-pajjiżi tal-Punent mill-Lvant Nofsani, għadha għaddejja b'ritmu mgħaġġel, b'nies mill-Iraq u s-Sirja jaħarbu l-infern li jeżisti hemmhekk bil-mijiet tal-eluf.  Apparti l-gwerra ċivili fejn ħafna Sirjani jridu jeħilsu mid-dittatur Assad, l-organizzazzjoni fuq fomm kulħadd hija l-Istat Islamiku.

 

Dan l-aħħar, fi ftit ġranet, dan il-grupp wettaq attakki f'Bejrut, il-Libanu, fuq il-grupp Musulman Xijta il-Ħeżbollaħ (40 ruħ mejta), fl-Eġittu ġew akkużati li splodew bomba fuq ajruplan li kien qed jieħu turisti Russi lura pajjiżhom minn żjara f'Sharm el-Sheikh (200), u l-aħħar atroċitàjiet kienu l-attakki suwiċida f'Pariġi ġewwa Franza (fejn mietu 120) u l-qtil ġewwa lukanda fil-Mali.  Qed jiġi ssuspettat li mill-inqas wieħed minn dawk li attakkaw lin-nies f'Pariġi kien infilza ruħu mar-rifuġjati li daħlu l-Ewropa mill-Greċja ftit tax-xhur ilu.

 

Dan qiegħed iwassal sfortunatament għal pressjoni f'diversi pajjiżi sabiex jinżammu minnufih id-dħul tar-rifuġjati.  Dan rajnieh hawnhekk fl-Awstralja, fejn it-talba saret anke minn membru tal-parlament tal-koalizzjoni fil-gvern,2 fl-Ewropa stess u issa anke fl-Istati Uniti, fejn anke kandidati għall-presidenza ta' dak il-pajjiż, inkluż Donald Trump, qed isemmgħu l-vuċi tagħhom għal dan il-pass.

 

Minflok ma jsiru kontrolli iktar stretti fuq min jiġi aċċettat bħala rifuġjat, inwaqqfu l-kulħadd.  Jekk grupp ta' sewwieqa jiksru r-regolamenti tat-traffiku, inwaqqfu s-sewqan.  Loġika, le?

 

U minn min qed jaħarbu r-rifuġjati?  Mhux mill-istess terroristi?

 

It-traġedja hi li r-rifuġjati qed jiġu mpinġija li huma kollha, jew ħafna minnhom huma, Musulmani u  terroristi.  Qed jingħad li ma jistgħux ikunu ċittadini tajba għax għalihom Alla jiġi l-ewwel, ma jistgħux jagħmlu ħbieb mal-Insara u l-Lhud, li l-mexxejja spritwali tagħhom iridu l-qerda tal-Iżrael u l-Amerika, li (preżumibbilment raġel) irid jiżżewweġ erba' nisa u jsawwat lill-mara meta ma tobdix, li d-demokrazija u l-Islam ma jistgħux jeżistu flimkien eċċ eċċ.

 

Jien m'għandix dubju li hemm Musulmani li jemmnu hekk, imma dawn jistgħu jitqiesu rappreżentattivi?  Il-Klu Klux Klan jirrappreżentaw lill-Insara?  M'hemmx ukoll Insara li jemmnu li l-liġi t'Alla tiġi qabel dik tal-istat?3  Il-Knisja Kattolika ma tgħidx lil ċittadini biex ma jobdux liġijiet immorali jew kontra t-tagħlim tal-Evanġelju?4

 

Jien ngħid għalija f'ħajti għamilt diversi ħbieb Musulmani, uħud fil-qrib.  Fl-istess ħin naf ukoll Insara li lanqas joħolmu li jagħmlu ħbieb ma' xi Musulman.  Dan jirrifletti fuq l-Insara kollha?  Abram, il-patrijarka tal-Lhud, Insara u l-Musulmani, mhux żewġ nisa kellu?  Għadni ma smajt lil ebda qassis fil-knisja jikkundannah.  U possibbli ma smajniex bl-Indoneżja u t-Turkija, pajjiżi b'sistema demokratika fejn is-soċjetà hija predominantement Musulmana?

 

F'ħajti rajt wisq preġudizzji, u nies jgħaġġlu biex jiġġudikaw u jikkundannaw.  Jien f'waqtiet diffiċli bħal dawk li qed ngħixu fihom daż-żmien, nistaqsi lili nnifsi, kieku Ġesù x'kien jagħmel?  X'attitudni kien jieħu?

 

Forsi mistoqsija aħjar, x'għamel fi żmienu?

 

It-tweġiba malajr neħduha fil-Bibbja tal-Insara, u hija sorprendenti.  Ġesù xeħet ħarstu fuq ħafna minn dawk il-kategoriji ta' nies mwarrba li kien hemm fis-soċjetà ta' żmienu: is-Samaritani, il-prostituti, il-kolletturi tat-taxxi, ir-Rumani, u l-morda (bħall-lebbrużi u l-għomja, li l-marda tagħhom kienet titqies evidenza tad-dnub fil-familja); tkellem magħhom, ħabbhom u għannaqhom miegħu!

 

Lil Samaritan (kien ikun aktarx Palestinjan Musulman illum) f'parabbola faħħru talli għen lil wieħed imsawwat f'nofs ta' triq, lil prostituta qalilha li ma jikkundannahiex, fuq ċenturjun Ruman qal lil ta' madwaru li ma kienx ra fidi ikbar minn tiegħu, lill-morda neħħielhom il-kawza tal-istmerrija li kienu jħossu għalihom is-soċjetà ta' madwarhom, u nistgħu nibqgħu sejrin.

 

Il-messaġġ hu ċar: niftħu qalbna għal min hu ta' rieda tajba anke minn barra s-soċjetà tagħna, u ma nħallux il-preġudizzji jagħmuna.  Il-ġlieda tagħna għandha tkun mal-minoranza żgħira imma storbjuża u qerrieda - it-terroristi li l-Islam jinqdew biss bih - u mhux mal-maġġoranza kwieta u ġwejda, li l-Islam jaraw fih l-istess għerq tal-kelma SLIEM.

 

1http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2015/11/11-12/, retrieved 17/11/2015

2http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-16/dutton-rejects-internal-call-for-australia-to-close-borders/6943552, retrieved 17/11/2015

3http://www.theocracywatch.org/biblical_law2.htm

4Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 2242

1http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2015/11/11-12/, retrieved 17/11/2015

2http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-16/dutton-rejects-internal-call-for-australia-to-close-borders/6943552, retrieved 17/11/2015

3http://www.theocracywatch.org/biblical_law2.htm

4Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 2242