Joe Morana, Għajnsielem
Immigrants' harassment of tourists
Those who advocate the acceptance and assimilation for the sake of cultural diversity, the hundreds of illegal immigrants who arrive here by whatever means year in and year out should re-think their position. They only delude themselves if they believe that this influx will not have an adverse effect on Maltese life as we know it, and tourism in particular. One needs only to visit some of the more popular tourist spots to our north. The Piazza del Duomo in Pisa, the Piazza di Trevi, or the area around Castel Sant' Angelo in Rome are daily overrun by groups of individuals who constantly harass tourists. Indeed, because of its relatively small size, in the Piazza di Trevi on a sunny day last April, hapless tourists appeared to be outnumbered three to one. Curiously enough, tourist harassment was non-existent in St Peter's Square. One has to wonder what the Vatican Police know that Rome's Carabinieri do not.
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Jas Grech
Jul 9th 2008, 21:04
I think that we need to separate apples from oranges when talking about the Muslim countries and we cannot put everything in one basket.
We must not forget about the kindness of Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani who has been a leader in providing for the impoverished in times of need across the world, and in peace negotiations between opposing parties across the Middle East.
He donated $100 mil to Katrina plus other charities on behalf of Qatar nation, besides, in 2004, the State of Qatar was extremely generous in providing humanitarian aid to the victims of the Asian Tsunami.
His kindness reminds me of the parable of the Good Samaritan.
There are a few multi-cultural & muti-racial Muslim countries in other continents where their nations live in harmony. The list can go on.
M. Mercieca
Jul 9th 2008, 15:38
@pgrima
Modern, Liberty, secularism, sexu-lism whatever its called. If we are careless about our Christianity. And we choose to trade our Christians values with liberty, sex-based and values-free culture, and still we are happy with the disastrous development in own societies we are: either idiots or ignorant. In case we are any of the latter we must not presume other confessions are the same, if we do this mean we are arrogant.
M. Mercieca
Jul 9th 2008, 15:22
Jas Grech
Before independence some of us used to shun every thing English. After independence, ‘until now’ we fight with each others over many thing, but politics is still on top of the list.
During the past 2, 3 decades, we wanted to join the modern world. Now, we are stalemated. We have traded our Christians values with liberty, sex-based and values-free culture. The latter, produced unsolved social dilemmas, such as out of wed-lock kids, single parents, just to mention few...
To self-please, we must have a scapegoat to hang all our evils and vices on. Here, Africans are the scapegoat. We can demonize them, yet to add more spicy sound-good talks. The irregular Africans are even better. Who says our problem is the irregular immigrants? Will we accept 10,000 of African LEGAL immigrants? If we answer yes, this is hypocrisy, if we answer no, this is racism.
Easterners blonds are okay. With westerners, we can even go a step further and ingratiate. The Nordics? This is a big WOW. No problem with them at all. They all are fine to mingle with, as long as they fit into our sex- based culture, and value-free society!
pgrima
Jul 9th 2008, 00:27
I believe that the problem is that these newcomers (legal or otherwise) expect US to adapt and assimilate to THEIR beliefs and traditions. It is not so much our Islamophobia, but rather, it is their Christophobia that worries me. Do you think our fellow Christians have the same freedom in any Muslim states? Why not read The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam?
Jas Grech
Jul 8th 2008, 23:30
The harassment of tourists in Italy are mostly by the beggars who are found in the busy areas. I even encountered one inside a church in Taormina, Sicily who was pulling my blouse and wouldn't let me free unless I gave her some money.
As for wolf-whistling and teasing women with some comments, it is a "common habit" over there, although I don't condone such attitude.
Over here in Malta, I have seen some locals who do the same when beautiful women walked pass them. Some even calling the Asians and the illegal migrants "hanzir" or "hanzira", not knowing that some of these migrants understood their language but chose to ignore them for not wanting unforeseen trouble.
On another note, my foreigner friends and I even encountered a middle-aged Maltese woman bothering the tourists as well for some money at Mdina, although it is a rare case. She was waiting at a jewellery shop, waiting for her prey. She was well dressed and looked healthy.
Re illegal immigrants "may" end up harassing tourists in Malta, I think we need to address the complaints by the tourists which are frequently published on the local newspapers.
Michael Scicluna
Jul 8th 2008, 21:53
Take a look at this in Milano,
http://www.corriere.it/vivimilano/cronache/articoli/2008/07_Luglio/08/moschea_vigorelli.shtml
We have something similar in St Paul's Bay. When is anyone going to take notice and dosomething about it before it gets out of hand.
Joseph Sammut
Jul 8th 2008, 18:29
@ M. Mercieca:
If I like Meryle Streep, can I have her near me?!!!!!!!
You do have a silly argument. Why do you have to buy the cow if you only want a glass of milk??!!
M. Mercieca
Jul 8th 2008, 16:41
The next door neighbor is black, African, Jew or Muslim (just to say them all). Does his/her legal-status make a difference in terms of culture?. If it does, please please explain to me how!
If I like Turkish Kebabs, I must accept a Turk lives next to me.
If my eras enjoy songs of black singers, I must accept a black lives next to me.
If I like a black footballer, I must accept a black lives next to me.
If I am suffering from racism, xenophobia or Islam phobia, this has no remedy.
A note on how to become popular: If anybody wants to get noticed, talk about any of the above four categories.
@ a.m. cardona
Do you read local papers? I don’t think so
@ Jas Grech
You brought up to mind the harassment of tourist by (BLONDY) English Languages students.
Hadrian Agius
Jul 8th 2008, 13:13
I agree 100% with Mr.Morana. I was at the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa last month and the place was full of africans harrassing us to buy something cheap, obviously illegal. Our italian guide told us that they phone up the police everyday, but when they see them coming they hide, then come out again after 30 minutes.
a.m. cardona
Jul 8th 2008, 12:51
why not try and walk along the strand in gzira or wait for the bus in the area? at the risk of sounding racist, any Maltese girl who tries to walk there at any time of the day is welcomed with wolf-whistles and vulgar comments by libyan men and other middle-eastern nationalities. Starting work at valletta, i prefered to take the bus to and from work, but these days i think twice before waiting on a bus-stop along gzira part of the front. Even dressed in a conservative trouser suit at 7.30hrs in the morning, you still get comments and a few spur of the moment marriage proposals! I wonder if these persons are all in Malta legally! It is about time that police start asking these persons for documents like done in Milan for example.
Jas Grech
Jul 8th 2008, 12:17
With reference to the harassment of tourists - the ones who really have been harassing our tourists are the timeshare touts who caused the damage to the island's economy.
Despite the legislation has been passed, they are still "creeping" around.