Let's respect leaders -- Ejja nirrespettaw lill-mexxejja

- no title specified

Why?

To tell you the truth, I've been finding it increasingly difficult answering this question.

Now from when I was a kid, I was raised and used to respect my elders and people in authority, whether parents, teachers, political leaders (messianic aura and all), clergy and religious leaders (those that are next to God), renowned people in the social sphere etc. The idea was, I imagine, that there was much to learn from their wisdom, judgement, choices and philosophy.

With time, I realised there was much to learn, true, not all of which was honourable or acceptable. Sometimes what I learnt was disgusting and abhorrent. Is this the example we want kids to take?

Consider a case I learnt about today in Australia. This comes from NSW, where a past president of the charity for retired services personnel RSL, Dan Rowe who retired from his position in 2014, today admitted using the organisation's funds to, amongst others, purchase mobile phones for his family, take them on holidays and even pay the mortage of his personal property. An investigation alleges that the amount of money involved is almost half a million dollars.1

A similar case was that of Eman Sharobeem, who headed the NGOs Immigrant Women's Health Services and Non-Enlgish Speaking Housing Women's Scheme. She was renowned for her work against forced marriages of minors (which she said had happened to her), female genital mutilation and violence against women. This year we heard allegations that she had misappropriated two thirds of a million dollars from the NGOs, including purchase of jewellery and beauty treatments; that there were doubts about the story of her own forced marriage; even doubts about the academic title of Dr. that she used.2

In the political arena, we had the director of the Victorian Liberal party, Damien Mantach, accused of misappopropriating $1.5 million over a number of years, allegedly including payments to non-existent companies for non-existent works, funds that ended up with his family.3

On the other side of the political spectrum, we had Michael Williamson, ex-head of the Health Services Union and ex-President of the Australian Labor party, condemned to 5 years in jail for fraud of almost a million dollars which included mortgage payment on properties and payment of private school fees, and attempts to hinder the police investigations.4

In NSW, we had the ex-Labor ministers Ian McDonald5 and Eddie Obeid6 found guilty of criminal conduct and sentenced to jail.

And what should we say about religious organisations in Australia of various persuasions in whose embrace so many of us grew, ones that moulded our thoughts and characters all our lives, which we're finding out just how many ordered members and their leaders were involved directly, or indirectly, in the sexual abuse of minors, sometimes for years on end. With unbelievable tragedy, the church I'm associated with, the Roman Catholic church, there are allegations against 7% of clergy.

I could keep on going.

Are you surprised that confidence in clergy has dropped from 59% to 34% in 20 years, and that faith in politicians, both state and federal, is at less than 20%?7

What would you expect, when those very people who are supposed to inspire trust seem to be eagerly awaiting the opportunity to dip their fingers (or perhaps fill the bucket), to abuse of their position?

I'm usually quick to point out that one cannot paint everybody with the same brush. Nevertheless, when one sees all this, how can you explain parties being against there being a federal commission against corruption? Why don't all states have laws against political donations by property developers, by donations from outside the country, I say even for every donation bigger than $1000, to candidates ad political parties?

What consequences will accrue to religious institutions for the bad behaviour of those acting in their name, and to those who were supposed to be directing them and failed to do so?

Trust is easy to lose and hard to gain. When lost, there will be implications.

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Għalfejn?

Ngħidilkom id-dritt, iktar ma jgħaddi ż-żmien iktar qed insibha diffiċli biex nirrispondi għall-mistoqsija.

Issa jien minn meta kont tifel kont imdorri u mgħallem li nirrispetta lis-superjuri tiegħi u nies fl-awtorità, kemm jekk huma ġenituri, għalliema, kapijiet politiċi (bl-awra messjanika tagħhom), il-kleru u l-mexxejja tal-knisja (dawk li huma flokjiġu wara Alla), persunaġġi magħrufa fix-xena soċjali eċċ. L-ideja kienet, nimmaġina, li kelli wisq x'nitgħallem mill-għaqal, il-ġudizzju, l-għażliet u l-filosofija tagħhom.

U maż-żmien, sibt li kelli wisq x'nitgħallem, veru, imma mhux kollu kien onorevoli jew aċċettabbli. Kultant dak li tgħallimt kien diżgustanti u aborrenti. Dan l-eżempju li rridu li jieħdu t-tfal?

Ikkunsidraw każ li smajt bih illum hawn fl-Awstralja. Ġej minn NSW, fejn president passat tal-organizzazzjoni tal-karità ta' nies irtirati tas-servizzi RSL, Dan Rowe li rtira mill-pożizzjoni fl-2014, illum ammetta li uża l-flus tal-organizzazzjoni biex fost l-oħrajn jixtri mobajls lill-familja, isifirhom u anke jħallas id-dejn tad-dar tiegħu. Investigazzjoni tallega li l-ammont ta' flus involuti huwa ta' kważi nofs miljun dollaru.8

Każ simili kien ta' Eman Sharobeem, li kienet il-kap ta' żewġ NGOs Immigrant Women's Health Services u Non-English Speaking Housing Women's Scheme. Hi kienet magħrufa għax-xogħol tagħha kontra ż-żwiġijiet sfurzati tal-minorenni (li qalet kienet ġrat lilha), il-mutilazzjoni ġenitali tan-nisa u l-vjolenza kontra n-nisa. Din is-sena ħarġu allegazzjonijiet li kienet barmet żewġ terzi ta' miljun dollaru mill-NGOs, inkluż xiri ta' ġojjelli u trattamenti ta' sbuħija għaliha; li hemm dubju fuq l-istorja ta' żwieġ sfurzat tagħha; u anke fuq it-titlu akkademiku ta' Dr. li kienet tuża.9

Fl-arena politika, kellna lil direttur tal-partit Liberali f'Victoria, Damien Mantach, akkużat b'miżapproprijazzjoni ta' $1.5 miljun mifruxin fuq diversi snin, allegatament jinkludu ħlasijiet lejn kumpanniji li ma kinux jeżistu għal xogħlijiet li ma sarux, flejjes li spiċċaw fil-familja.10

Fuq in-naħa l-oħra tal-ispettru politiku, kellna lil Michael Williamson, li kien kap tal-Health Services Union u wkoll president tal-partit Laburista Awstraljan, ikkundannat għal ħames snin ħabs għal frodi ta' kważi miljun dollaru li kienu jinkludu ħlas ta' dejn fuq proprjetajiet u ħlas ta' miżati ta' skola privata, u wkoll li pprova jfixkel lill-pulizija fl-investigazzjonijiet tagħhom.11

Kellna lill-ex-ministri Laburisti ta' NSW Ian McDonald12 u Eddie Obeid13 misjuba ħatja ta' aġir kriminali u ssentenzjati għall-ħabs.

U x'ingħidu għall-organizzazzjonijiet reliġjużi Awstraljani ta' diversi tipi li tant minna tlajna mgħannqin magħhom u li ffurmawlna l-ħsieb u l-karattru tagħhna tul ħajjitna kollha, li qed insiru nafu b'kemm membri ordnati u mexxejja tagħhom kienu involuti direttament, jew indirettament, b'abbuż sesswali ta' minorenni, xi kultant għal ħafna snin. B'diżgrazzja liema bħalha, il-knisja li jien assoċjat magħha, dik Kattolika Rumana, hemm allegazzjonijijiet kontra madwar 7% tal-kleru.

Nista' nibqa sejjer hekk.

Tiskanta li l-fiduċja fil-kleru niżel minn 59% għal 34% f'għoxrin sena, u li l-fiduċja fil-politikanti, kemm statali kif ukoll federali, huwa ta' inqas minn 20%?14

X'tistenna, meta tant minn dawn il-persuni li suppost jispiraw fiduċja jidher li jkunu qed jistennew is-siegħa u l-mument biex ibillu subajgħom (jew forsi jimlew l-barmil), jistennew l-opportunità li jabbużaw mill-pożizzjoni tagħhom?

Jien inkun minn tal-ewwel biex ngħid li ma tistax titfa 'l kulħadd f'keffa waħda. Madankollu, meta wieħed jara dan kollu, kif tispjega li hemm partiti li huma kontra li jkun hemm kummissjoni federali għal kontra l-korruzzjoni? Kif mhux kull stat għandu liġi kontra d-donazzjonijiet politiċi ta' zviluppaturi tal-art, ta' donazzjonijiet minn barra l-pajjiż, ngħid jien anke ta' donazzjonijiet ta' iktar minn $1000, lil kandidati u partiti politiċi?

X'konsegwenzi se jkun hemm għall-istituzzjonijiet reliġjużi għall-imġieba ħażina ta' min qed jaġixxi f'isimhom, u ta' min qed imexxihom u naqas li jagħmel dan?

Il-fiduċja, meta titnaqqar, qajla terġa' tintrebaħ, u din xi impatt se jkollha.

1http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-18/former-rsl-nsw-president-admits-to-misuse-of-charitys-money/8957590, retrieved 18/9/2017

2http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/eman-sharobeems-jawdropping-deception-documented-as-her-colleague-prepares-to-give-evidence/news-story/501c02679de4ed88575c4095bcebd51c, retrieved 18/9/2017

3http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/damien-mantach-liberal-party-in-shock-after-15-million-fraud-allegations-20150820-gj442z.html, retrieved 18/9/2017

4http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/former-union-boss-michael-williamson-loses-his-appeal-to-have-jail-sentence-reduced-20150916-gjntf9.html, retrieved 18/9/2017

5http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/ian-macdonald-found-guilty-of-misconduct-in-public-office-20170307-gushfa.html, retrieved 18/9/2017

6http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/eddie-obeid-loses-appeal-over-misconduct-conviction-20170912-gyg9wd.html, retrieved 18/9

7http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7244-roy-morgan-image-of-professions-may-2017-201706051543, retrieved 19/9/2017

8http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-18/former-rsl-nsw-president-admits-to-misuse-of-charitys-money/8957590, retrieved 18/9/2017

9http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/eman-sharobeems-jawdropping-deception-documented-as-her-colleague-prepares-to-give-evidence/news-story/501c02679de4ed88575c4095bcebd51c, retrieved 18/9/2017

10http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/damien-mantach-liberal-party-in-shock-after-15-million-fraud-allegations-20150820-gj442z.html, retrieved 18/9/2017

11http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/former-union-boss-michael-williamson-loses-his-appeal-to-have-jail-sentence-reduced-20150916-gjntf9.html, retrieved 18/9/2017