As expected, the weasel words were not long in following. "My choice of words was unfortunate," he said.
Just when we were asked to support and take care of each other, along comes a minister of government (with responsibility for the economy no less!), to threaten and kick those most vulnerable.
Adding insult to injury, Silvio Schembri described this as charity beginning at home. There was no evidence of charity anywhere.
It is relevant to note that he is an ‘educated’ and privileged member of society, someone who is unlikely to suffer from the economic downturn in any way. And what does he choose to do in parliament, during an important public debate on the coronavirus – he chooses to attack the vulnerable. Unforgivable!
He also runs the risk of undermining the amazing support work currently being done across these islands, much of it by foreigners.
Sadly, it is all too symptomatic of the dishonest and diversionary tactics of very many of our ‘leaders’ over the past decades. Ultimately, the minister must live with his own conscience and with his ‘sense of himself’ when he looks in his many mirrors daily. His choice of words and his framing of them is his responsibility, and one can only hope that others in power let him know in no uncertain terms that he was way out of line. Sowing division while insisting on social solidarity is at best dishonest and at worst devious.
However, the minister’s major sin was to ‘give permission’ for the torrent of abuse, bigotry, prejudice and racism that followed across multiple social media platforms.
No doubt he can claim that he is not responsible for the prejudices of commentators and followers. But I would insist that he knew precisely what he was doing. This was a calculated appeal to a particular gallery and a specific power agenda. One that has and will continue to have consequences for many others, so many of them not remotely as privileged and protected as the good minister.
As we readily know from history, words have consequences and doing a Pontius Pilate on it at a later date is even more dishonest and duplicitous.
The evidence is there in full public view that the search for ‘scapegoats’ for the many failings of our own society (including in the current coronavirus context) is in full swing. It is clear that many firmly believe ‘foreigners’ are responsible for whatever is the focus of our discussion at any given moment.
The internet is currently brim-full of the most fantastical conspiracy theories and ‘understandings’ and ‘facts’ of the state of our broken world (and the planet). Of course, everyone is entitled to their favourite ‘explanation’ but when our words and theories risk damaging others a line must be drawn.
Our words shape the world in so many ways. Just as our words have the power to heal, offer comfort and security, hope and solidarity, they also have the power to wound, frighten, disempower and alienate. Harping on negatively and ad nauseam about foreigners, Muslims, migrants and ‘spongers’ ensures that we routinely avoid taking responsibility for the mess we have made ourselves.
But, most dangerously of all, it encourages others to attack. Not just verbally, which is unforgivable in itself, but also physically. In the past few weeks alone, we have witnessed physical attacks on Chinese people spurred on by the insistence that this is a ‘Chinese virus’.
The words being shared on much of Maltese social media at the moment are as likely to urge action against ‘foreigners’, as they are to simply offer another theory.
It would be most remiss to not acknowledge the immediate responses to the minister’s threats, not least of all from many business interests which have benefitted from these very same foreigners. The responses of many others on social media also give us space and hope that the ‘other’ Malta is alive and well.
For me, for we are all foreigners, it is time to speak up and speak loudly.