Compassion for all refugees

So many of us have been shocked to the core by the invasion of Ukraine, disbelieving, horrified and unable to get the suffering people out of our minds. And we feel so helpless.

Why have we been so particularly shocked by this onslaught?

If you look at the news, there are conflicts in Myanmar, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Israel/Palestine, in many parts of Africa and even closer to home, in Libya.

People are displaced, persecuted, starved and killed in many different countries.

It’s not so long since we were receiving refugees from Libya on our own shores. There is even a possibility of that happening again.

So why does Ukraine affect us even more deeply?

Possibly because the power of Russia is so great and, in comparison, Ukraine hasn’t much hope of winning the battle. And it is an invasion by one country into another independent nation, rather than a civil war. The power of authoritarian Russia makes us all fear a deadly conflict.

But if you are escaping persecution in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tigray, or Tunisia, Nigeria, Somalia, Armenia, for political, racial or religious disagreements, the pain you suffer is equal. You still fear for your life and that of your children. You still lose your home, your livelihood, your country and your identity.

We are offering homes and shelter to Ukrainians and work and medical help and this is wonderful. But we have people here who have been waiting to be released from detention for many months, who have to queue for renewed work permits every three months however long they’ve been here and who may live and work here for years (12 that I know of) without having an ID card. No golden passport there.

This is a Christian, compassionate country. The JRS here, for instance, perseveres through thick and thin. Let us not fail to extend our personal compassion and generosity to those who escape here from other lands as well as to the refugees from Ukraine.

Elizabeth Lochhead – Attard

Campaigning in the modern world

Photos: Matthew Mirabelli/jonathan Borg

The article ‘Avoiding gatherings during rallies’ is very interesting (March 16).

I know that, in Malta, technology is very slow at catching up but, even so, I know that political parties have their own TV channel so that they can ‘preach to the converted’. I believe they even have ‘news (sic)’ broadcasts, which I know are watched and believed by those gullible enough to watch them (and they are considerable in number).

So since politicians have all these outlets to pass on what they usually want their followers to believe (and truth and accuracy tend to be sparse) why do they need to have rallies? I remember the old days of mass meetings. I assume these are what the ‘rallies’ refer to.

In countries where the popu­lation is more educated in its understanding of politics, leading political parties are allocated a weekly 10-minute TV slot, usually at 6 or 7pm, in order to address the public with regard to their policies/manifestos. Viewers can then watch, listen and believe what they want, based on their own instincts and experience of life. Alternatively, one can switch over and watch cartoons! Same difference – you’ll have a good laugh either way.

I’m assuming that you have a 24-hour parliamentary channel which shows live debates on issues which bear on the day-to-day life that viewers can use to influence which way they may vote. But that’s too much to expect, simply because that process is irrelevant where tribal politics exist.

There is no place for rallies or mass meetings in the modern world, but then, well, that’s the modern world.

Paul Brincau – Uxbridge, UK

L-Inwadar

The afforestation project of L-Inwadar is to be commended.

Many are hoping that this wooded area will not be given over to FKNK to be managed – for a yearly fee,of course.

Carmel Sciberras – Naxxar