What makes us Maltese

Among the several points Stéphane Croce (President of Alliance Française de Malte-Méditerranée) makes in favour of retaining the British barracks at Fort Chambray (January 1), I was particularly struck by his view that ‘preservation and restoration also affirm the enduring ties between past and present, underscoring the importance of heritage in shaping national identity. However, Malta’s economic development has led to a growing disregard for many physical markers of its past’.

Besides economic development, a growing disregard for physical markers of our British colonial past has been fomented by historical revisionists insinuating this was Malta’s darkest one and half centuries culminating in the Sette Giugno episode – and “appropriately” given pride of historical place with a public holiday.

The Sette Giugno incident was one of the darkest periods during the British rule. Photo: Shutterstock.com

At the same time, the two and a half centuries of the Knights’ dictatorial rule, when the main commercial activity was piracy and slavery, with the vast portion of the population living in poverty, is lauded to high heavens as our “golden age”.

No one wants to return to Roman or British colonial times, but these past super-powers left positive legacies.

Our economic success is largely due to our official second language, English, and our copy of the UK’s parliamentary democracy and various other UK commercial legislations – which helped us in no small way into EU membership.

Furthermore, the Maltese identity is a unique amalgam of southern European and British cultures – that is why we are Maltese and not Sicilian.

Albert Cilia-Vincenti – Attard

Big cats

Like many of your readers I am somewhat shocked by the news of those large cats in captivity in Naxxar. Is the owner willing to have them sent to a sanctuary overseas?

Or can they be taken care of by someone who is interested in doing so?

I think something urgent must be done for these animals. Maybe setting up a fund to have them relocated?

Madeleine Gera – Valletta

The national anthem

The first verse of the second stanza of the Innu Malti reads ‘Għati kbir Alla d-dehen lil min jaħkimha’. Has anyone suggested that the last two words be changed to ‘min imexxiha’?

Carmel Sciberras – Naxxar