A war for words

People participating in a white march in honour of Samuel Paty, on October 16. Photo: AFP

The lily-livered statement issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs about the murder of a French school teacher should cause dismay among freedom-loving people everywhere (‘Malta calls for an end to war of words after France brutality’, October 27).

While it condemned the murder of Samuel Paty, it had nothing to say about the causes Paty died for: freedom of expression and children’s right to an open-minded education unhindered by taboos. Instead of calling for an end to the “war of words”, Malta should be waging a war for words, so that they can be expressed freely by everyone without fear. 

With its statement, the ministry is equating the French president – the leader of a fellow EU member state who is actively fighting to uphold European values – with the autocratic leaders of Turkey and Pakistan, who would like to see Europe become as repressive as their own countries so that Muslims supposedly never feel offended.

While other European leaders rallied behind Emmanuel Macron, Malta chose a neutral stance because neutrality apparently means that we cannot tell right from wrong and we never stand up for anything.

Or maybe it was not about neutrality at all and Malta really would not mind seeing curbs on free expression being introduced. After all, three years since the assassination of Malta’s finest journalist, the government still has not moved to introduce laws barring strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP), commonly used to financially cripple journalists trying to expose wrongdoing.

Nor has it done anything to commemorate Daphne Caruana Galizia’s legacy, choosing instead to denigrate it at every turn, even as she continues to win international awards for her bravery and talent. 

The last time the government invoked free speech was to shield public officials who were abusing their perch to malign NGOs calling for justice.

Liberal and progressive this is not, no matter how many pink, rainbow or marijuana-emblazoned flags it waves every time it’s in a fix. The bedrocks of liberalism are the rights to free speech and government opposition. If Malta wants to be a serious EU country, it should protect them. 

Patrick Zammit – Żabbar

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