Are Maltese terrorists? -- Il-Maltin terroristi?

 

With my Maltese background, I'm saddened during some prison visit as an Official Visitor to meet with someone whose name is indicative of a Maltese heritage.  Naturally, from a human perspective, it is always good to find common ground between two strangers, however that environment is certainly not a happy one.

 

I feel a similar displeasure hearing about someone of Maltese descent in the Australian media in the context of an alleged illegal activity, sometimes with a story practically on everyone's lips in Australia.  The first person I remember being mentioned in this way was Godwin Grech, who had falsified an email to allege favouritism for the boys by the then Labor government.1  This story was so big in this country that it was mentioned as one of the reasons for Malcolm Turnbull, the current Prime Minister and then Leader of the Opposition, had lost his job.

 

Someone else frequently mentioned is Alex Vella, who in Australia is the national President of the Rebels motorcycle club, who had his visa cancelled by the Australian government during a holiday in Malta, and is thus unable to return to Australia.  The allegation is that this group is outlaw and involved in criminal activity.2

 

The most recent case is very new, occurring just a few days ago.  Phillip Galea is a Melbourne resident reported to have extreme right wing views and member of like-minded groups against Muslims and Asian immigrants.  Galea has just been accused in court of planning a terrorist attack.3  It is being also reported that this is the first case in which anti-terror laws are being used against someone with extreme right tendencies.

 

I have no intention here of speculating whether this is true or not.  Firstly, very little is known on this case, secondly the court case has just begun and thirdly all persons need to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

 

Nevertheless I'd like to take the opportunity to comment about the tendency of some, even of many, to jump to conclusions prematurely and/or generalise what is applicable to one is also applicable to those associated with him.  A Maltese saying, loosely translated as 'you are similar to the company you seek', gives the idea.

 

The most common example in our time is the various extremist groups and terrorists in the Middle East, with their abhorrent attacks, who call themselves Muslim.  Many people around the world who are not Muslim, associate all Muslims with terrorism.

 

So far, in the case of Galea, his Maltese heritage has not come up, and frankly I don't think it is of any relevance, however let's leave this aside for a moment.

 

Let's imagine that the story was headlined 'Maltese-Australian accused of terrorism', or 'Maltese-Australian found guilty of terrorism' or even 'Group of Maltese-Australians found guilty of terrorism'.  For those that are not Maltese, does this prove that generally Maltese people are terrorists?  Or sympathise with them?

 

Those that are Maltese, or know the Maltese people well, naturally know that this is not the case.  But those who are not Maltese, nor know the Maltese people well, might go 'hmmm'.

 

In Europe, in recent history it's common for right wing extremist groups, generally white and anti-immigrant, to attack immigrants especially Muslims and Jews, so much so that countries such as Germany are taking action.4

 

Does the fact that these groups exist in Europe mean that Europeans generally, or substantially, are anti-immigrant?

 

The answer is no, even if clearly the sentiment of European voters is shifting in favour of right-wing groups.

 

Right wing extremist groups in Europe don't represent Europeans, and their sympathisers in Australia don't represent Australians.  Extremist Muslims in the Middle East and their sympathisers elsewhere don't represent Muslims.

 

And the Maltese against whom allegations of criminal acts and/or terrorism are laid, don't represent the Maltese, whether they are found guilty or otherwise.

 

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Bħala Malti, huwa ta' dispjaċir għalija meta waqt xi żjara f'xi ħabs bħala Viżitatur Uffiċjali, niltaqa' ma' xi ħadd li minn ismu ninduna li għandu dixxendenza Maltija.  Naturalment, fuq livell uman, huwa tajjeb li jkun hemm xi ħaġa komuni bejn żewġ stranġieri, imma dak l-ambjent ċertament mhux wieħed feliċi.

 

Inħoss dispjaċir simili meta jissemma xi ħadd ta' dixxendenza Maltija fil-midja Awstraljana f'kuntest ta' allegat attività illegali, xi kultant fuq storja li tkun tista' tgħid fuq fomm kulħadd fl-Awstralja.  L-ewwel persuna li niftakar jissemma b'dan il-mod kien Godwin Grech, li kien iffalsifika imejl biex jallega favuri lill-ħbieb mill-gvern Laburista ta' dakinhar.1  Din l-istorja tant kienet kbira fil-pajjiż li kienet issemmiet bħala waħda mir-raġunijiet għalfejn Malcolm Turnbull, il-Prim Ministru Awstraljan tal-lum li dakinhar kien Kap tal-Oppożizzjoni, kien tilef postu.

 

Bniedem ieħor li spiss jissemma huwa Alex Vella, li fl-Awstralja huwa l-President nazzjonali tal-klabb tal-muturi Rebels, kellu l-visa Awstraljana tiegħu mħassra mill-gvern Awstraljan waqt li kien għal btala f'Malta, u għalhekk ma setax jerġa lura l-Awstralja.  L-allegazzjoni hi li dan il-grupp huwa kontra l-liġi u nvolut f'attività kriminali.2

 

L-iktar każ riċenti huwa frisk ħafna, seħħ ftit tal-jiem ilu.  Phillip Galea hu residenti f'Melbourne u rrappurtat li għandu veduti estremisti tal-lemin u li hu membru ta' gruppi tal-istess ħsieb li huma kontra l-Musulmani u l-immigranti Asjatiċi.  Galea għadu kif ġie akkużat fil-qorti li kien qed jippjana attakk terroristiku.3  Qed jiġi rrappurtat ukoll li dan hu l-ewwel każ fejn il-liġijiet kontra t-terroriżmu qed jintużaw kontra xi ħadd b'tendenzi tal-lemin estrem.

 

Jien hawnhekk m'iniex se nażżarda nispekula jekk dan hux minnu jew le.  L-ewwelnett, ftit li xejn mhu magħruf fuq il-każ, it-tieninett il-każ fil-qorti għadu bilkemm beda, u t-tieletnett kull persuna għandu jkun preżunt innoċenti sakemm misjub ħati.  

 

Madankollu, xtaqt nieħu l-opportunità biex nikkummenta fuq it-tendenza ta' wħud, anke ta' ħafna, li jaqbżu għall-konklużjonijiet qabel iż-żmien u/jew jiġġeneralizzaw li dak li hu applikabbli għal wieħed huwa applikabbli wkoll għal min huwa assoċjat miegħu.  'Ma min rajtek xebbaħtek' - qed niftiehmu?

 

L-iktar każ komuni fi żmienna ta' dan huma d-diversi gruppi estremisti u terroristi fil-Lvant Nofsani, bl-attakki mwaħħxa tagħhom, li jsejħu lilhom infushom Musulmani.  Ħafna nies madwar id-dinja li mhumiex Musulmani, jassoċjaw lill-Musulmani kollha b'terroriżmu.

 

S'issa f'dan il-każ ta' Galea ma ssemmietx id-dixxendenza Maltija tiegħu, u frankament ma naħsibx li hi ta' rilevanza fil-każ, imma ejja nwarrbu dan fil-ġemb għalissa.

 

Immaġina li l-istorja ħarġet bħala 'Malti-Awstraljan akkużat b'terroriżmu', jew 'Malti-Awstraljan misjub ħati ta' terroriżmu' jew anke 'grupp ta' Maltin-Awstraljani misjuba ħatja ta' terroriżmu'.  Għal min mhux Malti, dan jipprova li l-Maltin ġeneralment huma terroristi?  Jew jissimpatizzaw magħhom?

 

Min huwa Malti, jew li jaf lill-Maltin sew, naturalment jaf li dan mhux minnu.  Imma min la hu Malti u lanqas ma jaf lill-Maltin sew, jista' jitħajjar jgħid 'ħmmm'.

 

Fl-Ewropa, fl-istorja riċenti huwa komuni li gruppi estremisti tal-lemin, ġeneralment magħmula min-nies bojod u kontra l-immigranti, jattakkaw lill-immigranti, speċjalment lill-Musulmani jew lil-Lhud, tant li pajjiżi bħall-Ġermanja qed jieħdu azzjoni kontrihom.4

 

Il-fatt li jeżistu gruppi ta' dan it-tip fl-Ewropa, jfisser li l-Ewropej in ġenerali, jew parti sostanzjali tagħhom, huma kontra l-immigranti?

 

Ir-risposta hi le, anke jekk huwa ċar li s-sentiment tal-votanti fl-Ewropa favur il-gruppi tal-lemin qiegħed jiżdied.

 

L-estremisti tal-lemin tal-Ewropa ma jirrappreżentawx lill-Ewropej, u s-simpatizzanti tagħhom fl-Awstralja ma jirrappreżentawx lill-Awstraljani.  L-estremisti Musulmani fil-Lvant Nofsani u s-simpatizzanti tagħhom ma jirrappreżentawx lill-Musulmani.

 

U l-Maltin li jiġu allegati atti kriminali u/jew terroristici kontrihom, ma jirrappreżentawx lill-Maltin, kemm jekk misjuba ħatja u kemm jekk le.

 

1http://www.news.com.au/national/malcolm-turnbull-lays-blame-for-ozcar-affair-on-godwin-grech/story-e6frfkp9-1225757885383, retrieved 9/8/2016

2http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-13/stranded-rebels-boss-in-court-battle-to-return-to-australia/6607356, retrieved 9/8/2016

3http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160807/local/australian-phillip-galea-charged-with-planning-terror-attack-following.621344, retrieved 9/8/2016

4http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/world/europe/lutz-bachmann-pegida-trial-germany-anti-immigrant-arrests.html?_r=0, retrieved 9/8/2016

1http://www.news.com.au/national/malcolm-turnbull-lays-blame-for-ozcar-affair-on-godwin-grech/story-e6frfkp9-1225757885383, retrieved 9/8/2016

2http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-13/stranded-rebels-boss-in-court-battle-to-return-to-australia/6607356, retrieved 9/8/2016

3http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160807/local/australian-phillip-galea-charged-with-planning-terror-attack-following.621344, retrieved 9/8/2016

4http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/world/europe/lutz-bachmann-pegida-trial-germany-anti-immigrant-arrests.html?_r=0, retrieved 9/8/2016