Babylon and Egypt

In trying to highlight the plight of migrant workers in Malta’s construction industry, the president of the Church’s Justice and Peace Commission, Daniel Darmanin compared it to the biblical story of the Tower of Babel (‘Ejja, ejja attitude in construction favours speed over safety, study finds’, January 17).

'The Tower of Babel' (1563) by Pieter Bruegel at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum), in Vienna, Austria. Photo: Shutterstock.com

His plea must be shared by all people of goodwill, whether Christian or not. But, in his desire to justify it from biblical sources, he has confused two quite different bible stories: the Tower of Babel, set in modern-day Iraq (Genesis 11) and the slavery of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 5). Both are relevant but not the same.

Alan Cooke – Sliema

More reasons to vote Labour

There have been so many stories concerning the Nationalist Party these last few days, I would not like to miss commenting even very briefly on the three stories I liked most. Let’s start.

David Agius, having been appointed by Bernard Grech as the opposition’s spokesperson for sports, made his first parliamentary speech on the sector he was shadowing. He thought of starting his new responsibility with a bang. He alleged, without producing any concrete evidence, that local football “is riddled with corruption”, going as far as to state that “it is already known which team will be winning the Premier League”.

No names of teams, players or committees were mentioned by the opposition’s spokesperson for sport, hence, casting a dark shadow on all teams, all players and all committee members. No wonder the MFA president took Agius to the cleaners for his irresponsible allegations.

Next, Salvu Mallia, the former PN candidate who had been defined by Simon Busuttil as “flowery”, has publicly stated that “Joseph Muscat had destroyed the PN”. No wonder the PN and its apologists in the media went into panic mode as soon as Muscat hinted he is considering the overwhelming response of Labour voters who want him to contest. And the response by the prime minister if Muscat chooses to ask the party to contest the June election on Labour’s ticket.

The latest and perhaps the greatest story, was Grech’s testimony in court on the police case against the former barman of the PN’s Ħamrun club.

Reading Grech’s testimony one could easily conclude that, contrary to what everybody had believed – that the opposition leader had been refused entry into his own party club by the club’s barman and other PN supporters – in fact, he had only been advised not to enter since the PN club’s bar “was full of Labour supporters”. And, yet, the Ħamrun club has remained closed.

Besides the allegation that “Labour have taken over the institutions”, will they also now start accusing Labour of having taken over the PN club of Ħamrun?

The above are three of many more reasons for voting Labour on June 8.

Eddy Privitera – Naxxar