As promoters of stand-up comedy in Malta, we consider ourselves champions of freedom of speech but we never thought we would live to see the day where a comedian in this country was being sued because of a joke.
We have been organising stand-up comedy shows here for years. During this time, we have seen the scene grow from a small group of enthusiasts to semi-professional comedians who only want to make people laugh.
In the beginning, most of the comedians were expats living in Malta. But, over the years, we have seen young local comedians join and flourish because of the platforms we created.
So, when our friend and Maltese comedian, Daniel Xuereb was charged with insulting the pastor of River of Love, Gordon Manché, simply because he took offence to a joke, we knew that it is our duty to defend, not only our friend but the art form we love and promote and freedom of speech.
This court case will set a precedent in this country. We know that Malta is a very religious nation but this has nothing to do with it. I urge everyone on this island to pay very close attention because the verdict here will determine what kind of country Malta wants to be.
We sincerely hope that the judge presiding will have the courage to throw this case out no matter what the public opinion will be. There is more at stake here than the hurt feelings of a public pastor.
One day you might wake up in a country where disagreeing with, and mocking someone, is a crime. Is that the kind of Orwellian state you want to live in?
If we are not allowed to openly mock opinions we disagree with, then we are living in a state of fascism. Any public thought, belief, opinion or topic must be up for scrutiny. Comedians have a duty to shine a spotlight on current events and point out reasons for why it is actually fine to laugh at what’s going on in society.
A comedian must be allowed to joke about anything
Stand-up comedy is an art and used to be accepted as a refuge where performers could shine a light on contemporary issues in society. Today, it seems as if people spend more time on finding reasons to be offended than simply enjoying a bit of fun.
There are several topics comedians will not go anywhere near today. Mainly because those topics are considered too controversial in the current climate. In our opinion, nothing is too controversial. A comedian must be allowed to joke about anything.
However, every comedian knows that if a joke fails, they will pay the price immediately in the form of thunderous silence from the audience. It is the fear of every comedian – to tell a joke and no one laughs. Which is why every comedian aims to entertain. Just like Xuereb did when he joked about Manché. Believe us, it is a great joke and the audience laughed.
June is LGBT Pride Month across western countries. Yet, Manché is allowed to preach against a form of love he doesn’t condone because of religious dogma. He gets to sue people who joke about it in a country that has allowed same-sex marriage since 2017.
If Manché wants to gag people, and not in a good way, for disagreeing with his public statements against a form of relationship he will never understand, then we think it’s safe to say (we hope) that he is the only one who might benefit from the conversion therapy he so loudly promotes.
Xuereb’s right to call Manché an asshole should be equal to Manché’s right to say that gay men deserve to burn in hell. It has nothing to do with agreeing or disagreeing with what has been said. This is simply freedom of speech.
To us, it sounds like Manché needs more of Jesus in him. The pastor should take a lesson from his Lord and saviour and learn to turn the other cheek. Maybe he will grow to like it.
Gareth Merriman is the owner of the Clueless Comedy Collective. Niti Dhingra is the owner of 2 Black Cats Comedy.