Eid Mubarak or l-Għid it-tajjeb?

Over the next few weeks, most of the population will be celebrating Holy Week and Easter. Depending on the degree of one’s practice, this will be a time for Lenten talks, personal sacrifices and reflections and attendance at religious ceremonies.

While, in most cases, these religious rituals are celebrated privately, the nature of our culture leads to some level of public expression of the faith. Flags, lit crosses and statues related to the passion of Christ adorn a conspicuous number of households.

During Holy Week, most of the religiously practising and the culturally religious will be displaying their faith and/or culture by attending processions, visiting exhibitions, pageants and street theatres as well as meeting family and friends during the traditional festive procession of the risen Christ on Easter Sunday.

However, today, a large minority is celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

For a little more than three weeks, Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox communities and Muslims have been sharing a period of fasting. Those speaking Maltese and Arabic have also been sharing the same word and some similar practices.

Yet, while Maltese Catholics may feel that their practices are attuned to their culture (even though we live in a largely secular society), many Muslims feel that they live in an alien culture. This has nothing to do with whether one is Maltese or not.

Contrary to what some may believe, religion is never a private issue. Beyond faith, doctrine and practices, religion is always tied to personal and community identity, which many a time entail public expression, either through a dress code, interaction with the opposite sex, daily routines and/or other visible rituals, attitudes and demeanour.

Over the past six years, I have been privileged to be in touch with and to conduct research among members of the many religious communities present in Malta. Given the size of our nation, the kaleidoscope of differences is surprising. Some communities prefer to remain under the radar in order not attract undue hate comments or discrimination.

Even though, at face value, ours is a secular country that guarantees the right to freedom of conscience, expression and worship, as well as protection from discrimination, there are subtle ways in which members of religious minorities may feel marginalised and discriminated against. Our form of marginalisation is mostly subtle, ingrained in our mindset.

Many have shared with me and my research associates the difficulties that they encounter. We have heard stories of women who were ignored by colleagues because they wear a veil, others who were treated with disrespect, and others still who, even though qualified, found that their professional assessments were disregarded by colleagues and/or service users.

Many Muslims feel that they live in an alien culture- Adrian-Mario Gellel

Truth be told, these marginalisations were augmented by other elements, including the colour of their skin and language. It was not rare for us to encounter people who felt unwelcome.

Among people of different creeds, it is Muslims who are mostly ‘othered’ by the Maltese. This is, to some extent, understandable given that, for hundreds of years, we listened to narratives depicting the Muslim as the par excellence enemy, even though this is not wholly true. History and social interactions are never black or white but are largely composed of penumbras.

Beyond the vociferous minority who amplify their hate through media, the majority are ambivalent. The recent history of other European countries that have admitted migrants for economic reasons should serve as a lesson for Malta. Not acknowledging the different identities and the reality of globalisation may easily lead to members of religious minorities becoming ghettoised.

Consequently, the younger generations will find it difficult to integrate in the hosting society. They will find themselves suspended between two cultures without any secure footing in any one of them, leading to insecurities and anger.

Respect for dignity and identity of each person residing on these islands is key, just as religious literacy is key to reducing social anxiety and fears. My research and the Special Eurobarometer of 2023 shows that the Maltese are supportive of having more education on religions both in professional development contexts and in schools.

Such education should push for reciprocity, where all members strive to become more aware of both Catholic, non-Catholic and non-religious practices and worldviews present on the islands.

Beyond well-meaning rhetoric, all those residing in Malta should be put in a position that allows them to belong to the community, irrelevant of their beliefs. This means moving beyond tolerance and pushing for acceptance of those who are different from oneself.

With regard to the Muslim community, we are fortunate enough to share much mutually understandable vocabulary in our languages and, to a lesser extent, some cultural rituals. I truly hope that there will be a time when we will not use a foreign language to greet each other, as this reinforces the idea that we still consider each other foreigners.

L-Għid it-tajjeb to all culturally and practising Muslims living on these islands.

Adrian-Mario Gellel is a professor of pedagogy and a member of the Department of Early Childhood and Primary Education of the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta.