Public good order

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines Rabbi as: Jewish doctor of the law, especially one authorised by ordination to deal with law and perform certain functions.

David Pollina presents himself as a Rabbi in the letters pages of this paper as he peregrinates between St Paul's Bay and Msida.

The gentleman possesses, it must be admitted, an adroitness in placing his word building blocks to achieve his end. He tries to leave the reader breathless in keeping at bay any person who confronts his kind of argument.

The verbal convolutions may want to leave the reader in awe as Mr Pollina assembles and lines up: idols, Jesus, Y'shua, YHWH, God, Christian, Jew, Eklesia, Church, Tanakh, Bible, Torah, Saul, Paul, Old and New Testaments, Judaism, Messiah, Peter, and all the rest in going through all the ins and outs of his line of thought.

No wonder that his letter (The Sunday Times, July 29) carried the heading: "Confusion, churches and Christianity". I dare add that the whole exercise is neither fish, flesh nor good red herring.

It is not my intention to cross swords with this gentleman, who prides himself with the distinction of Rabbi. Yet, I cannot help noticing that in presenting himself as one worthy of representing the Law of peace, tolerance and justice, he is not above carefully hitting out at a Roman Catholic minister by associating "virulence" with the latter's attempt at apologetics, as also at believers or not by inserting the notions of "intolerance and hatred".

It seems to me that the gentleman strategically desires to paint himself as an aggrieved minister of religion battling against a hostile and intolerant human, social and religious environment in an island state that to him should have welcomed him with open arms!

The crux of the whole matter lies above all foregoing considerations. As yet, Rabbi Pollina studiously avoided stating publicly whether he is a self-appointed rabbi or which religious institutions ordained him and asked that he exercise his ministry in this island state.

This knowledge is all important for good public order that entail constitutional aspects resulting from his presence in Malta, especially so since the Jewish community in Malta has already stated unequivocally that the person identifying himself publicly as "Rabbi David Pollina" does not form an integral part of the brethren known to them in Malta.