Rebuilding an illegal structure

I refer to parliamentary question 16,698 tabled by Jason Azzopardi and its reply by minister Ian Borg concerning an application by Infrastructure Malta to rebuild an illegal structure in an ODZ area that had to be pulled down for the widening of Santa Lucia Avenue, in Paola.

One cannot help but notice the self-righteous attitude in Borg’s reply and his attempt to snuff out Azzopardi’s question.

Borg began his reply by stating that the title of the application was not what Azzopardi has indicated. Azzopardi did not refer to the official title of the application but described in his own words what the application was all about.

The reply gave the impression that the small dwelling, or ‘pigeon loft’ (ignoring the fact that it was illegal), was made to give an abode to the land occupants. The minister may not have known that the occupants (who are not the landowners) have been living in a street dwelling in the vicinity for ages. He should not have given the impression that the occupants do not have a roof over their heads.

The reply failed to justify how Infrastructure Malta submitted an application to rebuild the illegal structure. This application’s approval is the first step to develop the last green belt in Paola.

Peter Falzon – Luqa

Pro-abortion campaign: a denial of the truth

I wish to express my opinion about the discussion regarding abortion that was recently presented on TVM programme L-Erbgha fost il-Gimgha.

The pro-life representatives made their views very clear. They insisted that life begins at conception and that no one can be allowed to terminate life, whatever the stage of pregnancy. The pro-choice representatives insisted, throughout the whole programme, about their stand in favour of the mother’s rights and that she is the only person who should decide.

In no instance did they refer to a living creature growing in the woman’s womb. Their arguments were a plea for women to obtain the legal right to abortion. At the same time, one of them said that women know what they ought to do and that she is doubtful whether abortion could be called killing. It appears that while they mentioned the need for sexual education, for them a woman’s right to abortion is first and foremost.

Abortion means killing, destroying a life in a woman’s womb. May I ask why a woman would want to terminate this life if it weren’t alive? Abortion is carried out when there is pregnancy; no one kills something that is lifeless.

My perception is that the pro-abortion lobby is promoting the idea of the autonomy of the woman’s body regardless of her pregnancy. They falsely empathise with women in these difficult circumstances to promote their agenda, while completely ignoring the sacredness of pregnancy and the noble mission of motherhood.

Many women have voiced their regret and confessed their pain after having had an abortion. I hope that the promoters of this cruelty will one day see things differently too and regret their mistakes.

Carmel Vella – Mellieha

We need an economy with a social heart

One of the realities brought to the fore by this pandemic is the urgent need for an economic model that works for the people while focusing on sustainability. This is basically Bernard Grech’s vision for Malta.

While the country experienc­ed high GDP growth and low unemployment, close to 20 per cent of Malta’s population was at risk of poverty. This is not the economy we aspire to have.

Grech’s vision incorporates an economy that is built on values and places human dignity before human greed.

It is imperative – as Grech has emphasised – for the country to come together at this juncture to evaluate our economic policy, strategy and model.

In one of his general audiences a couple of months ago,  Pope Francis referred to social inequality as the fruit of an unjust global economy creating boundless wealth for a relative few and greater impoverishment for the rest of our human family.

This pandemic has exposed and aggravated other social problems – including those affecting the environment – but, most of all, that of inequality. Social inequality and environmental degradation go together. We cannot stand by and watch, hoping to gene­rate something different and better. We must act.

In order to inspire such urgent action we need dynamic leaders of integrity and values and Grech undoubtedly is one who qualifies for this role. Pope Francis invites everyone to welcome the gift of hope that comes from Christ – who shares creation with us – to cure this social illness so that, after this crisis, we can live in a better world.

People must be lifted out of the risk of poverty. We need an economy with a social heart.

Josephine Vella – Birkirkara

The politicisation of masks

When, last March, I realised  how serious the coronavirus pandemic was, I said to myself: “There is no way I’ll ever go to the pharmacy or to the supermarket without wearing a mask!”

In President Donald Trump’s reactionary America, the simple act of wearing a mask to protect oneself from a deadly virus has been politicised, with tragic results for the nation and for the president, his wife and several high-level officials.

At a crowded ceremony at the White House to nominate a new Supreme Court judge, guests sat next to each other, with no social distancing whatsoever  and only a few of them wore masks, as if there were no pandemic in the world. After the ceremony, many of the guests hugged each other.

It was after this event that Trump, his wife and several guests at the ceremony tested positive for the coronavirus.

Among the many guests not wearing a mask was Fr John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame University. He later tested positive for COVID-19. It is incredible that the president of a prestigious Catholic university would openly support the vicious, mean-spirited and vindictive demagogue Trump. Trump was described by his sister as a man “with no principles, a phoney, a liar and cruel”.

It is indeed tragic that the president of a nation that is supposed to lead the Western world during a global pandemic set such a bad example by ignoring or belittling the suggested precautions against the virus. The American people are now paying the price for Trump’s lack of leadership during the pandemic.

John Guillaumier – St Julian’s

Birth of the Gozo diocese

The article ‘It happened in October – Birth of the Gozo diocese in 1864’ (October 25) by Joseph F. Grima made interesting reading indeed.

However, I was shocked that the author did not acknowledge the source of his write-up. The contribution, from beginning to end, is lifted entirely from my book Religion and Politics in a Crown Colony, published in 1985, and from a résumé of the same story reproduced in a book that I edited, The Gozo Cathedral – Its History and Treasures, pages 213-217.

As reproduced, the research and write-up was all passed off as his own. It is definitely not.

Rev. Dr Joseph Bezzina – Victoria

Joseph F. Grima writes:

I would like to clarify that the main sources of my article ‘Birth of the Gozo diocese in 1864’ were the following writings of Rev. Dr Joseph Bezzina: Religion and Poli­tics in a Crown Colony (Malta, 1985) and ‘The Cathedral of Gozo 1689-2016’ in J. Bezzina (ed.) The Gozo Cathedral – Its History and Treasures (Malta, 2017).

This was inadvertently omitted when I submitted the article for publication.

Sincere apologies to Rev. Dr Bezzina for the omission and for any inconvenience caused.

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