Open letter to Helena Dalli

Dear Helena, I would have normally addressed you as ‘Dear Hon. Commissioner Dalli’ or even ‘Dear Dr Dalli’ but, judging by what you wrote in your language guide for the European Commission staff, I decided to also remove the title of ‘Hon.’.

I do not want to be disrespectful to you, in the same manner I believe you were disrespectful to all of us Christians, but what you wrote about Christmas is definitely not ‘honourable’, considering that you yourself are Maltese and, supposedly, a Catholic.

I firmly believe that, as a Catholic, one should protect our faith and not succumb to the political wishes of others and end up turning our backs on our faith. I do understand,  however, that, as a politician, as politicians normally do, one is always trying to please others in order to capture votes, even at the expense of one’s own belief.

I am sure you were raised in a family believing in Christmas, being the day celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus, who was made flesh for our salvation and died for our redemption, including yours.

Christmas in Malta has always been celebrated, not just as a normal feast but as a very special feast of the birth of Christ, which is why, for centuries, it has been called Christmas and not ‘Feastmas’ or anything else.

Unfortunately, this most holy feast has been commercialised completely over the years through the granting of presents to family members and close friends. The tradition of giving presents is also a holy tradition as it commemorates the gifts made by the Three Kings to Christ. It is also ironical that, normally, we give birthday gifts to the birthday person on his/her birthday but,  yet, nobody bothers to give a gift to the actual birthday boy, Christ, on His own birthday.

The only present Christ would wish from us is for us to love and respect Him and to love one another in the same way He loved us (Jn 15:17). So,  here you are telling European Commission staff not only not to respect His wish but to even remove any sign that associates this day, December 25, as being the birthday of Christ Himself.

To me and to many others this was indeed shocking news.

May I bring to your attention that, in Dubai, which is predominantly Muslim, one sees posters and signs wishing everybody a “Merry Christmas”.  Furthermore, I just received a photo of the main square of Jericho, in Palestine, a predominantly Muslim city, which shows a huge Christmas tree and underneath it there is a big poster wishing all “A very Merry Christmas”. So, let me once again ask you, as commissioner: who are we offending by saying “Happy Christmas”?

Helena, please note that Europe is predominately Christian and the fact that most MEPs were up in arms during the debate on your memo, shows it. Even Pope Francis was horrified.

Despite my being upset at what you proposed, as a good Catholic and in the spirit of Christmas, I do wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas.

FRANCIS J. VASSALLO – Sliema

To the memory of migrants who perished at sea

I would like to dedicate this poem to the memory of all those souls who perished trying to cross the sea in search of a destination:

“They ride the sea, emaciated bodies, trembling, huddled together, throbbing hearts;

Documents, food, luggage, they have none, a ship without a captain, a journey without a destination;

Faces without names, repudiated by all, accepted by none, they ride the sea;

With money wrenched from the thrones of misery, they pay the merchants of death, the price of their demise;

To the treachery of the waves, to the mockery of the winds, to the blue wilderness, to fathomless depths;

They throw their little dreams, crumbs of bread from the rich tables of the north, a few drops of clean water, a cool shade in a remote island, a clean shirt, a warm hug for a child drowned in tears, a roof  over their heads,  a loving smile on a stranger’s lips;

They ride the sea, treacherous waves toss their dreams around, then swallow them up, as if they never were;

On the blue vastness they resurface, motionless bodies, coastguards see them from afar.

 Dream by dream they pick them up, and in their notebooks perfunctorily write: immigrants.”

SAADUN SUAYEH – Ambassador of Libya, Balzan

Expert guidance needed

In Maltese text we often come across the word tikkumplimenta to imply that an action is being added to or consolidated. In English, we have two words, to complement, which means adding something as above, and the word to compliment, which means acknowledging or praising a good deed done.

So, strictly speaking, tikkumplimenta in Maltese should have the meaning as the English counterpart to compliment while for the other meaning we should write tikkumplementa.

We are told that such a word is a variant in Maltese. That would be the case with the word possibiltà, for example. Irrespective of the different and correct forms it can be written in, it conveys one and only one meaning.

It is not the same with tikkumpl[i/e]menta, if we take into account etymological and semantic considerations.

First, in English and Italian these are two different words each with its respective meaning. Second, in this case, there is a different meaning for each orthographic presentation in

Maltese. Therefore, one has to examine whether this word can indeed be considered as a variant in Maltese.

The issue gets more complicated if this word in Maltese needs to be used in such areas as legal or medical texts where precision is mandatory and arbitrariness is not permitted.

Although, ultimately, it is the population that authors a language, sometimes the opinion of experts may be necessary, so,  perhaps, it is the role of the competent authorities on the Maltese language to set any guideline if needed.

EMANUEL AQUILINA – Birżebbuġa

Escape the post-election noise

In the light of a recent opinion poll  published by this newspaper, which shows that the likely outcome of a general election is a foregone conclusion, would the incumbent prime minister be so kind as to provide the preferred date well in advance of the poll in order that those of us who wish to escape the electoral process may do so?

There are expats such as myself who are willing to forego the cacophony of noise and parade of garish vehicles which, upon declaration of results, gridlock the streets of Sliema in the name of democracy and,  in this COVID-19 era, even the prospect of a mandatory PCR test plus self-isolation upon arrival back in England seems a very attractive alternative.

If the election could also coincide with the commencement of the English cricket season, then I would be eternally grateful.

JONATHAN CHARD DEELEY – Sliema