Personalment l-istorja ta’ kif tneħħew l-umbrelel żejda fil-bajja ta’ Kemmuna qabbditni d-daħk. X’aktarx hi storja li forsi tista’ tiġri biss f’Malta, jew Kemmuna jekk trid.
Bl-aktar mod lampanti, ir-regolamenti kienu qed jinkisru b’dannu taċ-ċittadini Maltin, tat-turisti u tal-ambjent kollu kemm hu. Mhix xi ħaġa li ġrat għal jum jew tnejn. B’mod sistematiku u magħruf baqgħet tiġri u taggrava għal żmien twil. U l-azzjoni kontra l-abbuż baqgħet ma tteħditx sakemm għal ħafna, l-abbuż sar mod naturali kif jitmexxew l-affarijiet.
Imbagħad, f’sitwazzjoni kompetittiva, min ma jabbużax ikollu jabbuża biex jibqa’ fil-wiċċ. Fl-aħħar, meta tasal biex tittieħed l-azzjoni kontra l-abbuż, din tidher qisha xi ħidma erojka, li timmerita titoli kbar u ritratti fil-midja.
Mentri ħaġa ovvja: l-abbuż għandu jiġi kontrollat malli jispunta. F’pajjiżna dil-ħaġa tidher diffiċli li ssir u kulħadd jaf b’każi oħra barra minn din ta’ Kemmuna li għadhom iseħħu sal-lum. Mhux biss għal raġunijiet ta’ “politika”, imma wkoll għax kulħadd jiġi minn kulħadd; kulħadd jaf lil kulħadd.
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Patrick Holland
Salvu Fenech, fl-orizzont tal-ġimgħa l-oħra, kiteb artiklu tassew tajjeb dwar Patrick Holland fit-tletin anniversarju minn mewtu. Ta rendikont preċiż, intimu, tal-ħidma politika tiegħu li osserva mill-qrib, u ħa hu nnifsu sehem dirett fiha.
Kontroversjali kemm kien minn ċerti lati, ma hemm l-ebda dubju li Patrick Holland ta kontribut kbir lill-iżvilupp tal-Partit Laburista, kif ukoll tal-ħelsien u tad-demokrazija f’Malta. Kien xempju tajjeb tal-ħidma li ssir fi ħdan il-partiti politiċi b’mod li jagħmilhom element essenzjali tad-demokrazija parlamentari – jiġifieri, xirka ta’ nies magħqudin b’ideali u interessi soċjali simili, li jaqblu dwar proġett ta’ tmexxija għall-pajjiż u jipprovaw iġibu maġġoranza favur tiegħu.
Kont naf lil Holland lejn l-aħħar ta’ ħajtu. Impressjonani ħafna b’kif kien jaf jorbot kull aspett tal-politika u tal-ekonomija, mal-ħajja reali ta’ kuljum li n-nies qed tgħix.
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Burkini
Il-projbizzjoni tal-għawn bil-burkini f’xi bajjiet ta’ Franza hi problematika, mhux mhijiex. Wieħed jifhem li f’pajjiż li qala’ daqstant daqqiet terroristiċi f’isem l-Iżlam “fondamentalista” se jkollhom jiżdiedu l-isforzi biex jitrażżnu prattiċi li jistgħu jidhru bħala appoġġ lill-fondamentaliżmu. Min-naħa l-oħra, Franza hu l-pajjiż Ewropew li dejjem kien minn ta’ quddiem nett fil-ħarsien tad-drittijiet ċivili tal-bniedem.
Ma tantx nifhem kif l-ilbies tal-burkini minn nisa li jixtiequ (u mhux għax ikunu mġiegħla) jgħumu b’dal-mod minflok ikunu aktar mikxufa, jista’ jitqies bħala xi ħaġa li tkabbar ir-riskji tat-terroriżmu jew li tħeġġeġ lejn il-fanatiżmu.
Bl-istess mod lanqas nifhem kif l-għawm jibqa’ pjaċevoli minn ġo burkini.
English Version – Comino laughter
I found the media stories about how the “extra” umbrellas came to be removed from the beach at Comino quite hilarious. Probably such incidents can only happen in Malta, or Comino if you prefer.
Regulations were being breached most blatantly, to the detriment of local citizens, tourists and the overall environment. This had been going on for more than a day or two. It happened systematically, was widely known and continued to become progressively more widespread. No action was taken against the abuse, so that it ended up getting considered as a natural state of affairs.
Moreover in a competitive situation, those who do not commit abuses find they must start doing so in order to stay ahead. In the end, when action is taken to put an end to the abuse, this is projected like some heroic exploit, which justifies media headlines and photos.
But it should be obvious that all abuse needs to be checked as soon as it emerges. In this country, such an approach seems to be impossible. We all know about cases other than that at Comino which as of now, still feature omngoing abuse. Beyond “political” reasons, it also happens this way because everybody here is related to and knows everybody else.
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Patrick Holland
In last week’s orizzont newspaper, Salvu Fenech wrote an excellent article about Patrick Holland, on the thirtieth anniversary of his death. He gave a precise, intimate account of Holland’s political endeavours which he observed closely, having indeed participated directly in some of them.
Even if in certain respects he was a controversial figure, there can be no doubt that Patrick Holland made a significant contribution to the Labour Party, as well as to Malta’s freedom and democracy. He provided a good model for the work that is carried out within our political parties, making them an essential element of parliamentary democracy – constituting as they do, a union among citizens with similar ideals and interests, who agree about a project by which to set out the country’s policies, and then try to assemble a popular majority to back their project.
I got to know Patrick Holland towards the end of his life. What was really impressive about him was his ability to connect all aspects of political action and of the economy, to the real life concerns of ordinary people.
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Burkini
The prohibition of burkinis on some of France’s beaches is indeed problematic. One understands that in a country which has suffered so many terrorist attacks, all in the name of “fundamentalist” Islam, new measures need to be taken to control practices which might appear to afford support to fundamentalism. On the other hand, France is the European country which has always been in the forefront to defend civil rights.
I fail to understand how women who wish – and are not forced – to wear a burkini and swim in it in order not to expose their body, can be considered to be enhancing the danger of terrorism or promoting fanatism.
Similarly I fail to understand how swimming can remain pleasurable from inside a burkini.
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