Protect Malta's shores (2)

I refer to Lenie Reedijk's letter Immigrants Are Not 'Illegal' (August 5).

Regardless of the terminology or classification that the international humanitarian and European law want to use for people arriving in Malta, when these people arrive uninvited, without documentation and unwilling to cooperate with the police and Customs officials about their origin which, in effect, is illegal, then what else can you call these people but illegal immigrants?

Mr Reedijk says he is a faithful reader of The Times through the internet. I too read The Times online from Sydney, so we have something in common and like me he should realise the dilemma and pressure on the resources of the Maltese people, especially when the European Union is doing very little, if anything, to help.

It is my understanding that these illegal immigrants are mostly north Africans and of the Muslim faith. So the real issue is that the Maltese people cannot afford people of such a different culture and religious belief given the size of the island and population especially at a time when extreme Muslim fundamentalism is on the rise.

As a migrant myself from Malta over 46 years ago, I have seen many migrants and refugees coming to settle in Australia from all over the world - from post-war Europe, Vietnam, southeast Asia and the Middle East. It is true that the majority of all these people live together as one nation along with the Anglo Saxon mainstream Australians but there are those who do not. These are people from the Muslim faith. In Australia they are growing in number, their clerics preach hate and refuse to tolerate other religions and cultures. These people are free to practise their custom and culture in our free society but yet they want to impose their views on everyone else.

There may be those who might accuse me of being a racist but I am far from it. I am a Maltese-born Australian citizen. I feel it is my duty to write this letter about what we are experiencing in Australia. Only a few days ago the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, announced that he will be considering measures to deal with extreme Muslim fundamentalists. In the time it took me to write this letter Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced the same measures, so the writing is on the wall.

Maltese people are a very kind and hospitable people. I saw this on two of my visits to Malta. They say charity begins at home. So we have to look after our own if our small nation is to survive our faith, culture and tradition.