The leader of the Muslim Community in Malta this morning called for a national referendum on civil unions.

In an opinion published in today’s Times of Malta, Imam Mohammed Elsadi refers to the bill that would introduce civil unions for same sex couples, to be presented in Parliament in September.

The bill, he said, would probably get Parliament’s approval because both the Labour and Nationalist parties promised such unions in their electoral manifestos.

“My question is: will this Parliamentary process materialise the desire of the majority of the Maltese people and does the expected law reflect their true will?”

The Imam said he had the feeling that the majority did not agree with this law.

He said that although some may argue that the majority gave the parties a mandate to legalise civil unions, he did not think this was the case because the Maltese voted according to a large package of policies.

Although civil union was part of the package, it was of minor interest for the majority of the Maltese, who were mostly interested mostly in the electricity issue, he said.