Lino Farrugia, secretary, FKNK, Msida
Finger pointing over vandal acts
In his Talking Point (June 10) Tolga Temuge wrote about the Culture Of Terror, with special reference to our small island nation, and in particular about acts of vandalism directed at BirdLife Malta's members and their properties. It is incredible to see that whenever a Birdlife Malta member happens to be the "victim" of any "terrible" incident, you will find society in general immediately pointing fingers at hunters!
Why is it then, that despite having over 10,000 adult members, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation - Malta (FKNK) never accused BirdLife of having themselves been the offenders whenever some ugly incident befell one of its members. And rest assured that unfortunately several such incidents are reported every week. The FKNK did not even hint at BirdLife when its secretary's car was vandalised just last January.
The FKNK again did not point any fingers at BirdLife when just last month part of the Victoria Lines was sprayed with a foul written message about ridding the Maltese countryside of Maltese hunters, even if this message is in perfect harmony with BirdLife's latest campaign.
Mr Temuge, hailing from Turkey, mentions that it was "over the last two years" that attacks and threats have escalated. If Mr Temuge really believes this, perhaps he should ask himself why that is so. Does this two-year period coincide with his tenure of the executive directorship of BirdLife Malta? Could this be due in some measure to the tactics he has been adopting since the commencement of his employment?
If the executive director of BirdLife Malta is really worried about what he calls the "culture of terror", he and his organisation should refrain from launching such general and vague accusations that tend to do more harm than good. Otherwise, in line with the wise saying, BirdLife Malta and Mr Temuge are to expect the inevitable: "They who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind".
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Franco Farrugia
Jun 21st 2008, 00:07
I am disgusted by Lino Farrugia's comments and the way he threatens Birdlife and those who speak out and work in favour of the living environment. No wonder Tolga Temuge writes like that.
Mark Grima
Jun 20th 2008, 15:54
I want to register my strong objection at Lino Farrugia's comments. His last sentence can easily be interpreted as a veiled threat, or an incitement to violence. Mr Farrugia should urgently clarify exactly what message he is trying to convey. I also want to object to the constant xenophobic bent of all his letters to the press. The fact that Tolga Temuge is Turkish is totally irrelevant to this debate. By constantly bringing the issue of race into the equation, he simply demonstrates that his arguments are without substance.
Michael Fitzgibbons
Jun 20th 2008, 15:21
I for one find it amazing that once again Mr Farrugia accuses the author of an article of naming and shaming hunters, even when the hunting fraternity are not mentioned.
So why should Mr Farrugia feel the need to defend his position in this instance? I will only remind him of his own words "They who sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind". The FKNK have sown and they will forever reap the harvest of bad publicity.
No matter how hard you try and defend you position - Hunters in Malta are seen as hunters are seen in all parts of the World. Oscar Wilde described this best as "The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable". Wilde's insight and wit debunks all the posturing and prose that Mr Farrugia espouses.
I am reminded of the dazed boxer who when laid on the floor, blindly keeps throwing wild punches, because he does not know when he his beaten. The FKNK have lost and there is nothing Mr Farrugia can do but throw the feeble blows whilst staring defeat in the face.
J. Borg
Jun 20th 2008, 10:57
Yeah sure, BirdLife was behind, the scratches on the FKNK secretary’s car and the benevolent graffiti at Dwejra – it’s so obvious…
The car was scratched when the assurances FKNK had itself given its members were resulting flawed, and the Dwejra spray was Green!
Very obvious, indeed as much obvious as BirdLife itself shooting at one of its member’s face!
Mr. Farrugia would do well to read through the public pronouncements he himself came out with, and compare them with Mr. Temunge’s objective ones.
David Wain
Jun 20th 2008, 09:58
What is the problem with Mr. Temuge hailing from Turkey? FKNK always go out of their way to drum in that he is Turkish.... kindly make your point?
Regarding the issue of escalation of threats and attacks and his comment that all this has coincided with Mr. Temuge's tenure, I do not agree that this is directly due to the fact that Mr. Temuge is heading Birdlife Malta. Threats and attacks would have taken place irrespective of who was in his position, simply because what they call interference (and what most would call legitimate pressure and lobbying) is something they will not tolerate.
Lino Farrugia's last sentence is proof of all this, being an unconcealed and direct threat to anyone who dares step on the hunters' shoes. Does he really expect to garner support and rehabilitate the dreadful (but many times mistaken) image hunters have with the non-hunting public as violent and lawless by trying to intimidate? With this sort of language, no wonder hunters are blamed for these acts of retribution and vandalism!!!
Richard Cachia Zammit
Jun 20th 2008, 09:56
After reading this letter, I had to have another look at Tolga Temuge article and I was right. Nowhere in his article did he mention hunters He refers to the perpetrators as criminals, and I’m sure that everyone agrees that people who vandalise public and private property deserve this title. Lino Farrugia has all the right to express his annoyance at the fact that when acts of vandalism is directed to Birdlife Malta members, the society in general points their fingers at hunters. But at the same time,. Tolga Temuge also has all the right to speak out against the criminals who are targeting his society. Since in his article, Tolga never mentioned hunters, Lino should have kept to the point about society pointing fingers to hunters and not attack Tolga and Birdlife Malta. By doing so, Lino himself pointed with his own finger at who the perpetrators could be.
Kenneth Cassar
Jun 20th 2008, 09:51
What I find incredible, regardless of whoever was the terrorist or vandal, is that someone would put the words terrible and victim in quotation marks, as if the shooting in the face of someone, and the burning of one's property is not terrible, and that such people who suffer such acts are not victims.
It would be wise for the FKNK to stop harming its own reputation with such remarks.