It is the second time that Allan Gatt (Degradation Of Immigrants, October 30) has written trying to ridicule my writing about the illegal immigration problem. I left his first letter unanswered as not worthy of a reply. However, since he persists in his aggressive stance towards me, I would like to answer some of his points.
I see that he obviously watches Kung Fu films (he quoted from one of them). This immediately places him on a different planet to mine. However, that is democracy, the same democracy that I hope we will still be able to enjoy in the future.
In his first letter (October 21) he quoted a serious of incidents which involved mainly the American forces in far-off lands, most of which happened some time ago. However, I have written about what is happening on our own doorstep, Malta and the EU, right now.
Besides, irrespective of what happened in other countries, Malta has had nothing but help and cooperation from the United States.
This country, thanks to that great Ambassador Molly Bordonaro, took more of our immigrants to America than all our EU brethren managed to take under a voluntary burden sharing agreement.
In spite of this, I condemn all forms of terrorism irrespective of who perpetrates it.
Then Mr Gatt mentions that the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi Arabian. Yes, but they were also Muslims.
He then urges me to go read a book. I read books but I also read British newspapers and I am shocked to see where Britain is going.
The Muslim community is continually asking for more rights, and now even want Sharia laws to be embodied in the British legal system. Parts of Sharia law, for the information of this correspondent, go against human rights. In his second letter he instructs me to stop writing (quit spewing them). Do I take it that he has embraced the Muslim religion, since that is what the Muslim community in England is trying to do - muzzle the press and free expression. Judging by the way he writes I also believe that he still has a lot to learn about civility.
He states that Somalia has its fair share of religious fanatics. Could not some of these Muslim religious fanatics be present in Malta?
Furthermore, he states that I deal with immigrants in the same way that housewives deal with mice in the pantry. He obviously has not read my letters. I had insisted that, as long as they are on our islands, these people should be treated with the utmost respect and kindness, a far cry from how a housewife treats a mouse.
I respect all religions provided that they do not dictate what we hang on our classroom walls, what women should wear or take off (bras), what our school curriculum should contain and what new laws should be promulgated.
On the other hand, Malta is in a bad way, with a huge national debt and more budget deficits looming on the horizon. Can we afford a sum which I calculate to be in excess of €30 million annually spent on free board and lodging, free medical care, free electricity and water for these immigrants when we have 50,000 Maltese living below the poverty line and who have to pay all the above?
I am a firm believer that charity should begin at home.
At the same time it also must be pointed out that in a few years' time the increasing number of Muslims will make them a force to be reckoned with and they could start telling us what to do, just as they are doing in the UK.