L-inċertezzi dwar il-futur tar-Renju Unit barra jew ġewwa l-Unjoni Ewropea baqgħu jikbru. X’aktarx li jibqgħu jagħmlu hekk sakemm tibda l-votazzjoni.
Biss forsi l-ansjetà dwar x’se jiġri qed tkun ftit esaġerata. Veru li hekk kif joħroġ ir-riżultat, u għal xi żmien wara, il-qagħda politika u ekonomika tal-Ewropa se tidher imħarbta, speċjalment jekk jgħaddi l-Brexit. Imma anki f’dal-każ, wara li jkun għadda ż-żmien, il-qagħda tikkalma.
Xejn xejn, l-affarijiet ikunu aktar ċari. Tassew, ikunu jridu jinstabu s-soluzzjonijiet biex il-modus vivendi ġdid ikun aċċettabbli għal kulħadd.
Biss, l-interessi politiċi, ekonomiċi u tas-sigurtà fir-Renju Unit u fil-bqija tal-Ewropa kollha jiġbdu fl-istess direzzjoni. Jinsabu mkaħħla flimkien f’għoqiedi li m’għandhomx għax jinħallu, lanqas bil-Brexit.
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Qtil ta’ deputat
Il-qtil ta’ Jo Cox kexkex għal aktar minn raġuni waħda.
Inqatlet kiesaħ u biered fl-aħjar ta’ ħajjitha, meta kienet qed twettaq dmirijietha bħala membru tal-House of Commons, fejn kienet diġà qed tagħmel isem bħala deputat ta’ ħila u impenn.
Il-qtil tagħha seħħ f’pajjiż fejn b’mod ġenerali, il-vjolenza politika ftit li xejn tqum u ġara fi żmien meta l-kampanja tar-referendum dwar is-sħubija tal-pajjiż fl-Unjoni Ewropea kienet riesqa lejn il-qofol tagħha.
L-ewwel rapporti dwar il-qtil donnhom ikkonfermaw il-fehma li lejn il-lemin estrem jiggravitaw nies li jsofru minn disturbi mentali u li jemmnu fil-vjolenza. Jispiċċaw theddida għas-sigurtà taċ-ċittadini daqs l-attivisti tal-Islam radikali.
Aktar minn xierqa kienu l-messaġġi ta’ kondoljanzi u niket li xandru l-mexxejja politiċi tar-Renju Unit u barra minnu. Ilkoll kemm aħna ningħaqdu magħhom f’turija ta’ sogħba.
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Tiddeċiedi l-mara
Bir-rispett kollu, nara l-furur ta’ ċerti partijiet mis-soċjetà tagħna kontra l-pillola “tal-għodwa ta’ wara” bħala żejjed fuq li żejjed.
Il-kruċjata dwar id-drittijiet riproduttivi baqgħet għaddejja fostna, iċċentrata fuq l-abort: kull ħaġa li tista’ tiġi preżentata bħala li tippromovi jew twassal għall-abort, għandha tkun ikkundannata u mwarrba. L-argument kontra li tiġi awtorizzata għall-bejgħ, il-pillola “tal-għodwa ta’ wara” hu msejjes fuq hekk.
Issa diġà hemm ipokresija f’dil-biċċa, għax il-pillola tintuża fostna b’mod kurrenti minn dawk li jsibu tabib li lest jagħtihom preskrizzjoni.
Min-naħa l-oħra, lil hinn mill-istqarrija ta’ prinċipji dekorużi dwar il-ħajja tal-bniedem, jidhirli li l-akbar mottiv biex il-pillola titqies bħala mhux aċċettabbli jitqanqal minn sindromu qawwi sew f’komunità ċkejkna bħal tagħna: it-tfittxija minn kull wieħed u waħda minna biex kemm jista’ jkun, nikkontrollaw il-ħajja ta’ għajrna.
Mentri f’dil-ħaġa, nemmen li prinċipju wieħed għandu jreġi: kull mara għandu jkollha d-dritt li tiġġudika hi x’għandha tagħmel jew ma tagħmilx b’ġisimha.
English Version – More on Brexit
The uncertainties regarding the UK’s future inside or outside the EU have continued to increase. They will probably remain like so till the referendum vote gets going.
Yet it could be argued that the angst as to what might happen is being overdone. It is true that as soon as the result is known, and for some time after that, the political and economic situation in Europe will be quite messy, especally if Brexit is endorsed. But even if that happens, with the passage of time, the situation is likely to calm down.
In any event, matters will have become clearer. True, solutions will need to be found to create a new modus vivendi that is acceptable to all.
However, the political, economic and security interests of the UK and the rest of Europe all tug in the same direction. They are interweaved so closely that they should not be ripped apart, not even with Brexit.
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Murder of an MP
The murder of Jo Cox has horrified for more than one reason.
She was killed cold bloodedly, in her prime, when she was carrying out her duties as a member of the House of Commons, where she had already made a name for herself as an able and dedicated MP.
Her murder took place in a country where, generally speaking, political violence is rarely in evidence. It happened just when the referendum campaign about the UK’s membership of the EU was reaching its climax.
First reports about the killing seemed to confirm the view that people suffering from mental disturbances and leaning towards violence are gravitating towards the extreme right. They end up a security threat to citizens in the same way as radical Islamic activists.
The messages of condolences and sympathy delivered by political leaders in the UK and outside were more than appropriate. We all of us join them in their expression of sorrow.
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Let women decide
With all due respect, I see the current furore among certain sections of our society against the morning after pill as totally out of place.
The crusade against reproductive rights has continued to flourish around us, with abortion as its central rationale: everything that can be presented as something that could promote or lead to abortion, has to be condemned and prohibited. On this, is premised the argument against authorizing the sale of the morning after pill.
Now, there is already a dash of hypocrisy in such an approach, for currently the pill is being taken here by those who find a doctor willing to give them the right prescription.
Meanwhile, beyond the publication of high minded principles about the sanctity of human life, it seems to me that the strongest motivation to consider the pill and its usage as unacceptable, arises from a syndrome which is quite powerful in a small community like ours: the urge among all of us to control as much as possible the behaviour of our fellows.
Yet in such a matter, I believe only one principle should be considered supreme: women must have the right to decide for themselves what they want to do or not do with their own bodies.
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