Il-kotba u l-qari huma mogħtija post lura fil-ħajja ta’ pajjiżna

Aktar ma nqabbel x’jiġri Malta ma’ x’jiġri f’pajjiżi oħra tal-Unjoni Ewropea u barra minnha, aktar nifhem kemm il-kotba u l-qari huma mogħtija post “lura” fil-ħajja ta’pajjiżna.

Barra xtutna, gazzetti ewlenin regolarment jippreżentaw sezzjonijiet b’rapporti, diskussjonijiet u kritika dwar kotba ġodda u qodma. Hekk ukoll f’stazzjonijiet televiżivi u tar-radjo. Ma jonqsux siti soċjali li jwettqu l-istess rwol b’entużjażmu u talent.

Ma nistgħux ngħidu l-istess ħaġa għal Malta. (Dan mhux punt li qed naqilgħu għall-ewwel darba.) Forsi bl-eċċezzjoni ta’ “It-Torċa” fl-aħħar xhur, l-ebda ġurnal ma għandu servizz regolari dedikat għall-kotba bil-Malti jew għal kotba pubblikati f’Malta. L-aqwa artikli ssibhom magħmula mill-kittieba nfushom jew mill-edituri tagħhom, fuq stil publiċitarju.

Dwar attivitajiet kulturali oħra – bħal kunċerti mużikali popolari u klassiċi – ġieli jsiru aktar rapportaġġi, għalkemm ftit li xejn jinbnew b’koerenza editorjali.

Imbagħad, nitbikkew fuq in-nuqqas ta’ impenn kulturali f’pajjiżna, sakemm ma nkunux qed nehdew filli nxewxu lil din jew lil dik l-għaqda kulturali Ewropea kontra xi parti jew oħra mill-istabbiliment kulturali f’Malta.

“FAST TRACK”

Hu tajjeb li għal ċerti proġetti mitqiesa bħala ekonomikament vantaġġjużi għall-pajjiż isiru sforzi ġenwini biex dawn jingħataw priorità ħalli jitwettqu bla tnikkir.

Proċeduri “fast track” ta’ dat-tip huma aċċettabbli sakemm ikunu trasparenti u jagħtu attenzjoni lejn il-ħtieġa biex ċerti kondizzjonijiet – bħal dwar l-ambjent u l-ħarsien tal-wirt storiku – jibqgħu jiġu osservati. Kien hemm mhux ma kienx hemm kritika, anke qawwija, f’dar-rigward f’numru ta’ każi.

Biss li ma tantx jidher ċar hu jekk l-istess proċedura “fast track” teżistix u tintużax ukoll għal proġetti ta’ natura soċjali. Bħal per eżempju l-bini ta’ skola jew ta’ faċilitajiet għal persuni b’diżabbiltà. Jekk le, għandna bżonnha.

ANTI-SEMITIŻMU

L-antisemitiżmu qed jerġa’ jgħolli rasu fl-Ewropa kif ftit tal-ġimgħat ilu, wera l-qtil barbaru ta’ anzjana f’Pariġi. Il-mezzi kollha għandhom jintużaw biex das-sentiment moqżież jixxejjen.

Fl-istess ħin, ma rridux nerġgħu naqgħu fi żball li ta’ spiss kien isir fl-imgħoddi: dik li nuqqas ta’ qbil mal-politka ta’ Iżrael u kundanna ta’ ċerti aspetti tal-politika immexxija minn dan l-istat, jiġu ttimbrati bħala turija ta’ antisemitiżmu.

Il-kontroversja li qamet dan l-aħħar fl-Università Ħielsa ta’ Brussell meta ġie biex jingħata dottorat onorarju d-direttur tal-films magħruf Kenneth Loach tat xhieda ta’ dit-taħwida inaċċettabbli. Tqajmu protesti kontra l-ġieħ mogħti lil Loach, inkluż mill-Prim Ministru Belġjan Michel, għax intqal li hu antisemita. Filfatt l-istqarrijiet iebsa li Loach għamel matul is-snin kienu jikkundannaw lil Iżrael meta dan addotta miżuri li jmorru kontra d-dritt internazzjonali.

English Version – Not Books

The more one compares Malta to other countries in the EU and outside it, the better one discovers how books and reading are well down in this country’s list of interests.

Elsewhere, leading papers regularly present sections that carry reports, discussions and reviews of books, new and old. The same happens with TV and radio stations. Sites on social media carry out similar tasks with enthusiasm and talent.

The same cannot be said for Malta (and this is not the first time I’m making the point). Perhaps with the exception of It-Torċa in recent months, no paper carries a regular input dedicated to Maltese books or books published here. In the main, what gets printed has been written by the writers themselves or their publishers, operating in public relations mode.

Sometimes other cultural events do get better coverage, like concerts of popular and classical music, although such coverage too rarely reflects some editorial cohesion.

And so we go on bewailing the lack of cultural commitment in Malta, when that is, we are not busy trying to lobby this or that European cultural entity for it to criticise this part or some other part of the local cultural establishment.

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Fast track

It is a good thing that for certain economic projects which are considered to be of national benefit, priority is given to getting them implemented without delay.

Fast track procedures on this basis are commendable so long as they are transparent and still remain careful about the need to follow certain conditions, like concerning protection of the environment and preserving the historical heritage. Of course strong criticism has arisen about them on numerous occasions.

However, it is not so clear that the same fast track system exists and is used in the case of projects having a social purpose — as for instance for the construction of a school or of facilities for disabled citizens. If it does not exist yet, we need to introduce such a procedure.

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Anti-semitism

Anti-semitism is again on the rise in Europe as was shown some weeks ago with the barbaric murder of an old woman in Paris. All available means should be used, no holds barred, to snuff out this disgusting development.

At the same time, care should be taken not to commit the same mistake as in the past: that of considering disagreement with Israeli policies or the condemnation of certain policy directions followed by the state of Israel as antisemitic positions.

The controversy that erupted recently at the Free University of Brussels where the wellknown film director Ken Loach was to be awarded an honorary doctorate, provided an instance of this unacceptable equivalence. People — including Belgian Prime Minister Michel — protested against the honour being given to Loach on the grounds that he is antisemitic. In fact, the harsh statements Loach made over the years were incondemnation of Israel when it adopted measures that were in flagrant breach of international law.