Gallery of Maltese facial characteristics

M.P. Meli

Mar 18th 2009, 03:35

EBEJER
Arabic - personal name or occupational name; < Ar. kunyah name (Bū)'l-'Abā'ir; second element is the pl. form of 'abūra meaning "a one-year old goat or sheep" [Preca, De Simone, Aquilina: 1964]; a metonym for a goatherd. Cp. Mal. għabura/għebejjer.[1]

1. Cassar, Mario (2003). "The Surnames of the Maltese Islands: An Etymological Dictionary" pp.139

I hope I have not been too politically correct for your liking!

M.P. Meli

M.P. Meli

Mar 18th 2009, 03:31

To Mr. Chris Ebejer,
Firstly, to consider the possibility of an artist being brainwashed by pop culture is simply sideroxylonic.
Secondly, I have to say that I find your comment: 'i [sic] can see no Maltese European identity in those African looking portraits ! [sic]' to be rather confusing. What is an 'African looking portrait'? Do you mean a portrait of an individual with certain facial characteristics? If so, which characteristics are you referring to? To those of the inhabitants of the countries in West Africa, in East Africa, in the Maghreb? Please illuminate me.
It may come to someone like you as a surprise, but I know Africans who are much fairer than I am (and I am Maltese). I also know countless Europeans (Maltese, French, Dutch, Swedish etc.) with black skin. Yes, it is true!
I must admit that your preoccupations with physiognomy bring the infamous Philipp Rupprecht's (Fips') 'Der Stürmer' caricatures to mind. So now I will tell you a true story: a friend of mine is married to a Nigerian man and yes, he is Maltese now; so are their two beautiful children.

Just one last thing: how 'Maltese' would 'Ebejer' be according to you?

M. Buhagiar

Sep 26th 2008, 10:01

This exhibition focuses mainly on exceptional characters in Malta rather than the typical Maltese people. Having a Maltese passport does not make one ethnically Maltese. If this exhibition was intended as a showcase of interesting portraits, I would have said well done, because it is a very interesting exhibition in that sense. But to claim the diversity of the Maltese people, I believe that this exhibition fails totally.

Charles Sammut

Sep 25th 2008, 20:32

These charades only serve to harden people's attitude towards the dubious benefits of multiculturalism. This social experiment has not been successful anywhere, on the contrary it has only resulted in strife and tension among the different races, ethnicities and religions.

These futile exercises are nothing but pathetic attempts by the EU to dilute and eventually destroy national identities as Guzi Xerri said. To confirm this just visit the Euro Parl TV website. If you have a sick bag handy that is.

Chris Ebejer

Sep 25th 2008, 18:26

........ And can u guess where the money came from?!

The event is an initiative of the European Parliament Office in Malta!

This is where our money is being invested in installations projecting false image of our ethnicity and culture. Instead facing all this, the ruins of the Royal opera House remained in a dilapidated state. A Truly national disgrace that can be seen only in an African country!

Chris Ebejer

Sep 25th 2008, 17:48

How could it be that this artist is so brainwashed with today’s pop culture. i can see no Maltese European identity in those African looking portraits !
Have we reached the point to say an African is a Maltese now! Come on let’s talk straight and get rid of all this political correctness!

Guze Xerri

Sep 25th 2008, 17:15

@ erica borg,

Multiculturalism is a farce that is orchestrated from the top down on mainly homogeneous societies to break them down into small easy to handle packets.
It is always sold to the public as a good thing, but in reality it is a way for the elite and their tribe to stay in power, while the public is caught in the turmoil of different destructive hostile alien cultures.
Political Correctness is used to stifle any opposition to this, so no one can state the obvious, that the emperor has no clothes.
From personal experience, Toronto has now" no go zones", streets that were safe less than thirty years ago, because multiculuralism has brought LEGAL immigrants from a certain caribbean island that a percentage of its people have a way of life and culture that does not fit with the host country.

The same will happen in Malta, I can absolutely guarantee it.

Not all cultures are created equal.

erica borg

Sep 25th 2008, 16:15

This looks really great , Im quite curios to seeing it. I believe that we do not need to damage anywhere to affix some posters, come on !!! And Mr Xerri what SO wrong about multiculturalism its high time people started to change their mentality and learn to live with everyone !!!!

Guze Xerri

Sep 25th 2008, 15:07

A less than subtle exercise promoted by the powers that be to makes us swallow the idea of multiculturalism.
There is more to being Maltese than looking slightly physically different than our next door neighbour.

How come multiculturalism is never forced on countries like Japan and China?

Andrew Azzopardi

Sep 25th 2008, 10:31

Was it necessary to damage permanently the fabric of the 'arcade' round the square by drilling the travertine cladding, for something so emphemeral?