Mario Farrugia-Borg, Qormi
Mixed reactions to Muslims' outdoor praying
I refer to the report Muslims Gather In Prayer Along Sliema Front (May 2).
While I must state that I was not one of the Muslims praying on the Sliema front on the day in question (I have always performed Friday prayers at the Mosque in Paola), I cannot but help feeling sad at some comments reportedly made by "a group of Maltese onlookers who warned that if this happened again there will be trouble".
One family seems to have been so scandalised by this event to the extent of commenting "...not here where I get my children to eat and have a good time. I would have no problem if they were Catholics...in Malta we are all Catholics..."
It is amazing how in this country we are scandalised by a group of people worshipping God who, after all, is the same God worshipped in Christianity, the God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them) and then no one raises a finger at the fast decay of values and morals taking place all around us. Maybe those who made such comments should visit Paceville on a Saturday night and then ask themselves where the safest and most decent place for their "children to eat and have a good time" would be.
Besides, "...in Malta we are all Catholics" is an offence to the Muslims of Malta. Islam is the second largest religion in Malta, there is a community of Maltese Muslims many of whom, like myself, were born and bred (and pay taxes) in Malta. Others have been naturalised and are also, at least for all legal purposes, Maltese citizens. Talk about minority rights!
Another onlooker reportedly said: "If you were to do the same in their country, they would stone you."
Personally, I strongly believe that non-Muslims living in Muslim countries should be allowed freedom of worship, as indeed already happens in many Muslims countries, we Maltese Muslims refuse to be held accountable and will not be made to pay for policies adopted by foreign governments in foreign countries.
Having said all the above, I cannot leave unmentioned other (positive) comments made by some onlookers who described these worshippers as "friends and clients" and one particular remark which attracted my attention: "Why shouldn't they be allowed to pray quietly outdoors if we can have noisy feasts and drunken brawls?" Indeed! Thank God that common sense still prevails in (I believe) most of the Maltese people.
Crusades and religious conflicts are out of fashion. Let tolerance, peaceful coexistence and mutual respect and understanding characterise our times.
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Kenneth Cassar
May 7th 2009, 20:22
@ malcolm azzopardi:
I've seen the Corriere Della Sera article and the picture accompanying it. I've also seen the picture of the Muslim prayer meeting in Sliema. I fail to see the fires and riot police in the Sliema picture.
@ the rest:
I either agree with what you say, have already given replies that apply to you as well, or your post is not worth bothering with. You know who you are.
Kenneth Cassar
May 7th 2009, 20:18
@ Anthony Mercieca:
You are correct. Activities in Malta are regulated by law especially if involves a gathering of 10 persons or more. That is why the Muslim prayer group at Sliema obtained a permit.
@ Emmanuel Vella & Steven Camilleri:
Mr Farrugia-Borg is as much accountable to what other Muslims are doing abroad exactly as much as you are accountable for what the Westboro Baptist Church (Christians) are doing in the USA (look them up, and cringe) - that is, not at all.
I agree with you that you should be permitted freedom of religion in all Muslim countries. However, you are barking at the wrong tree. Mr Farrugia-Borg is not a ruler of any nation.
@ Marvin Mizzi:
Yes, they had the permits. You should have checked before commenting.
@ Franco Farrugia:
Mr Mario Farrugia-Borg already said that he is against any violence. So your question is unfair.
@ Isobel Mcgonigle:
When the police remove chairs of food establishments, it is because these are profit-making, and would not have paid for a permit to extend their shop. This prayer group applied for a permit the kind of which is normally always granted to any NGO.
Kenneth Cassar
May 7th 2009, 20:04
@ Steven Brockwell:
The removal of crosses and "baby Jesus" from cribs is not Mario Farrugia's fault. It is the fault of "political correctness" gone mad. I am an atheist, but I have no problem with the crucifix hung at my office which I share with two Christians. A cross and other religious symbols should offend just as much as peaceful Muslim public prayer - none at all.
So your argument that "you can pray in public but you cant have a cross in a court room or a crib showing our faith" is addressed to the "wrong guys".
Kenneth Cassar
May 7th 2009, 17:38
M Scicluna must have missed the fact that they had a permit to conduct their prayer meeting at the Sliema front.
Joe Xuereb
May 6th 2009, 16:25
It is intriguing how some define intolerance when tolerance is not coming their way. But they cannot define tolerance when it is expectef OF them.
Yes, we know all about the Pope and his approval of Islamic Banking. I believe the proper phrase was Sharia Compliant Islamic Banking. To be set up in Malta where Saudi money is already printed it seems. Introduce anything Sharia compliant to Malta and before you know it investments, conglomerates, powerful (and power-hungry) individuals will be running the joint. The influx of cash into the local economy would be enormous and run by Sharia practitioners. Need I go on? Centuries ago, arguably the world's greatest building, the Parthenon in Athens was turned into a mosque. Of course none of Malta's temples have anything near the gravitas that is the main featture of the Greek temple. So converting our temples, sacred and profane to the equivalent of the Sliema pavement is not unfathomable.
M Scicluna
May 5th 2009, 21:14
Lets all agree that Islam is another religion and should be respected at that, but who practice Islam should also respect those who practice other religions. Besides if they are living in a 98% religious country they should tolerate that and accept to abide by the laws of that country where ever it may be. If they want a place where to gather to worship like everyone else they should find an adequate place were they do not disturb others, further more apply to the proper Authority for a permit. Not take the liberty and do as they please. If Muslims or any other people expect tolerance they should also be prudent and accept the Laws of the Country that is hosting them, and respect the values and culture of the majority of the citizens of that Country, unless they have other ulterior motives. An example of this we had refugees from India for donkey’s years, but they have never tried to dominate us, they have integrated well, they have flourished and helped in our economy, but still respect our values and culture.
Joe Xuereb
May 5th 2009, 19:04
Christianity may be on a slippery slope. If nothing else, because nothing remains static. But is this good enough reason to defect? And what happens if the religion newly embraced proves to be a nine-day-wonder? Does one come back, with egg on one's face? Or does one go searching for yet a third religion, then a fourth. And so on until one runs out of religions I guess. No. Not guess. I know. World religions are numerous and varied, some 'sublime', many plainly ridiculous. But their number is not infinite. What happens when the last one is used up? Does one start all over again? Does one return to the primary? The secondary? Presumably the primary, represented by Paceville, would be out of the question.
It is intriguing how some put forward an argument but do so VERY selectively and choose to home in on emotive language according to taste. To impress and gain credence presumably. Of course they do no such thing. Not with those who are informed, those who watch, listen, undersatnd, and anaylyse.
A. Muscat
May 5th 2009, 18:38
@ Steven Camilleri
We never sent our youngsters to Mecca so we could not predict. However, we do send our youngsters to paceville and over there they are:
Subject to alcohol. Do u know how serious this problem is?
Subject to reckless-sexual relations that end up with a miserable 35% of our born babies are either out of wedlock babies or with fathers unknown. This is bad for any society in terms of cohesion, morality and money just to mention few. All these illness exist in Muslim countries, however Muslims are to be baled not Islam.
I think, it will not be long before many EU Laws will drastically change thanks to the financial crunch. This change is not meant to accommodate Muslims living in Europe but to remedy highly-spreading financial illness. This was suggest by the Pope to consider using Islamic Banking a safe bail out after many failure of bail-out plans.
What I mean is that, most if not all terms of Islam’s law will be here but in different envelope. You may not hear the most hated words ‘Islamic’s shraia” but you may hear Kalabizo instead, however the contents are the same.
A. Muscat
May 5th 2009, 17:00
We had men of wisdom from the east. What about dark skinned Jesus? Was he born in Palestine or Paris?
Do we opine out of ‘supremacist’ or out of hypocrisy?
We (EU) have been lecturing others ((less developed, less democratic Muslim countries) about human right, gender equality, tolerance, minorities rights … etc. Well, the fact that others never boosted themselves as democracy and human rights guardians but we still do.
Do we have gender-equality in terms of religion? Till we have a female heading the RCC we should observe what we say or keep mum.
Are we observing Muslims minority’s rights in terms of politics? Till we have a Muslim foreign affairs European minister or a Muslim HEAD of a state we should observe what we say or better keep mum. By the way Christens in Muslims countries have been enjoying political rights decades before France decided to have a Muslim minister!
J Callus
May 5th 2009, 16:35
"We Maltese Muslims refuse to be held accountable and will not be made to pay for policies adopted by foreign governments in foreign countries."
Why do you never protest?
C.Sammut
May 5th 2009, 14:43
Mr Farrugia Borg
one cannot deny the fact that some Maltese people still need to get used to a culture and tolerance of mixed religions. I myself as a woman would be more than interested to know more about this practice, specifically since I am usually gender discriminated against in such gatherings. This being said, one has to wonder why this group decided to hold their prayers at Sliema front instead of creating a proper place of worship? I will not condone anyone complaining against a praying centre being suddenly set up in the apartment above.. the public impact of such licensing (whether it be a place of worship or shopping) will definitely affect one's home quality of life. Let's be sensible about all this before creating a Maltese religious war!
JJ MELI
May 5th 2009, 14:34
The Holy Bible teaches us that God cannot be tempted by evil and neither tempts anyone with evil; evil being understood as referring to immorality and sin. James 1:13 (c.f. Psalm 5:4-5; Habakkuk 1:13)
Yet, the Quran teaches that Allah is the author of evil: Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah hut little. S.4:142 Hilali - Khan.
Not only does Allah guide people astray, but also has created men specifically for ...... To make matters worse, he even ordains the evil one commits as we have already seen in S. 17:16 and further clarified by this Muslim tradition: In Abu Huraira it is reported as Allah's Apostleas saying “Verify Allah has fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in, and which he of necessity must commit (or there would be no escape from it). Sahih Muslim. #6421,6422. So to imagine that Allah causes adultery is not only horrendous but disqualifies him from being the God of Moses.2/2
http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/god.htm
JJ MELI
May 5th 2009, 14:31
If one studies, or examine the crucial question that needs to be addressed whether God presented in the Quran is the same God revealed in the Holy Bible. The Quran alleges that the God of Islam, Allah, is indeed the God of Abraham and hence the God of Scripture, Yahweh. But is this the case?
In examining this it's essential since our objective is to discover the true nature of God, a process whose outcome entails eternal consequences as regards to man's future destiny in the afterlife. After all, if Allah is the God of Abraham then Jews and Christians are wrong for not embracing Islam. But if Allah is not Yahweh, then Muslims are not worshiping the same God only with a different name.
The reason why we have to compare Allah to Yahweh as opposed to contrasting Yahweh to the quranic portrait of Allah, using the Quran as the standard, is due to the fact that it is Islam that claims to worship the same God of the Holy Bible. Thus, the burden of proof rests upon the Muslims to defend this contention since they believe Allah is Yahweh. (1/2).
s.leonard
May 5th 2009, 14:15
Ms McGonigle
Oh come on - don't over-react! This was an orderly group on a very wide pavement, hardly, as you suggest a mob "blocking the streets of Malta". If I was a tourist my reaction would be of one of admiration that Malta, whilst a predominantly Catholic country, respects the right of other believers to practise their religion.
malcolm azzopardi
May 5th 2009, 14:15
To all those bloggers who call us racists... Please go into the link below and read this report on corriere della sera. I am no racist and have no problem with muslims,buddhist,hindus etc but I am afraid that what is happening in sweden will happen here. Please go in the link below
http://www.corriere.it/esteri/09_maggio_05/salom_malmo_ghetto_ribelle_6798593c-3938-11de-ab3d-00144f02aabc.shtml
louise vella
May 5th 2009, 14:14
Mr Mario Farrugia-Borg has failed to comment on the following veiled threat by Mr Bader Zina, one of the leaders of the Muslim prayer group:
“Although he condemned any type of violence or revenge, he said that if people were discriminated against and hurt, it would become impossible to control a backlash.”
If Mr Farrugia-Borg does not regard this statement as a veiled threat, can he please tell us what his understanding is of the “backlash” referred to by Mr Zina?
Isobel Mcgonigle
May 5th 2009, 13:29
The powers that be remove tables and chairs out side bars and cafes ,because they say, they are blocking the right of way for pedestrians.
Yet a group of Muslims are granted a permit to block Sliema waterfront to gather in prayer
Nice message to send out to the tourist industry
Im sure the last thing tourists want to see, are large groups of Muslim men,on prayer mats blocking the streets of Malta
Steven Brockwell
May 5th 2009, 13:07
its no mystery mr sammut. just wait in the coming years. and they will do what they can to ban public feast. this is just the beginning.it happened every where in Europe so why not here.? lucky we have a strong pope just wait for his cry and it will happen all over again.
Franco Farrugia
May 5th 2009, 13:07
I happen to agree with most of what Mr Farrugia-Borg said in his letter.
Except for one thing: it is true that Catholics would not be as free in Muslim countries as Muslims are in 'Catholic countries'. (I put the last in inverted commas because, unlike Muslims, Catholics do not, at least officially, run States). So, is that fair, Mr Farrugia-Borg? Are you indeed sure that 'Crusades and religious conflicts are out of fashion.'? In Muslim countries, that is?
Deo Catania
May 5th 2009, 11:30
"...in Malta we are all Catholics" is an offence to the Muslims of Malta..........really? Forget about US changing to accomodate YOU. The Mosque in Paola is more than enough.
Marvin Mizzi
May 5th 2009, 10:53
A group of more than 10 people holding a minfestation in public and obstructing and public --- did they have the necessary permits? If yes no one can argue but if not why did the responsible authorities not intervene -- to organise a feast one needs the necessary permits -- were these granted ????
Steven Camilleri
May 5th 2009, 10:52
How funny ! A muslim teaching about tolerance ! LIKE IT OR NOT MALTA IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC country and yes we still are ! Why don't you speak to your fellow muslims about peace and coexsistance? Bombing around every country because we are INFIDELs !
Our teenagers should not go to paceville but go to mecca right!
Wake up Malta are you hearing it from their mouth!
Emmanuel Vella
May 5th 2009, 10:33
Though I am a Maltese practising Catholic, I cannot agree more with Mr. Mario Farrugia Borg, on what he said: "Why shouldn't they be allowed to pray quietly outdoors if we can have noisy feasts and drunken brawls?" That is very true! But on the other hand as a Muslim, yes he must consider himself accountable for what his fellow believers in Moslem countries are doing to Christian minorities. If they expect freedom in Catholic Countries, and allow me to remind you that the Catholic Faith is the official Religion of Malta, so on the other hand I should be permited to do the same in Libya, Afghanistan, etc.
Anthony Mercieca
May 5th 2009, 10:23
Activities in Malta are regulated by law especially if involves a gathering of 10 persons or more. The right to worship and belief would be denied if persons are imprisoned and perseuted as done in a number of Muslin countries. If the Muslin community involved would have been sincere, they have a place to worship. The issue is very similar to what happened recently in Milan where Muslims gathered in front of the Duomo for their prayers. It is my opinion, that such externations are more of a "political" nature than a real belief in God the Almight
Helen Caruana GAlizia
May 5th 2009, 10:04
Thank you for this letter. You have said it perfectly and this message needs to be widely read. On the same note readers please be aware of a vile email being circulated on the internet "warning to the Western World" or some such words. May I remind readers that this is the stuff of the Nazis and Apartheid South Africa. Remember Remember...
Steven Brockwell
May 5th 2009, 09:52
mr mario i did comment on that letter. and i have nothing against any form of religion. you say that the days off the holy wars are over? however, today's wars are fought with a pen and not a sword. take a look at Europe. you can not place a cross in a public place because it offends. baby jeuses now became a teddy bear. just as not to offend. well how do you think we Christians feel mocking our believes by a teddy bear in a crib? now that offends my religion and also mocks our values as Christians. so you can pray in public but you cant have a cross in a court room or a crib showing our faith. and our believes. now that is what i call one sided and eventually we Christians in malta will have to bow our heads to the Muslim community that are on the rise in our country? and that is how wars start.
Frans Sammut
May 5th 2009, 09:52
There is not the least doubt that Mr Farrugia-Borg is a serious, decent Maltese Muslim. An exemplary follower of Islam, if there ever was one. In my mind, I always associate him and Imam al-Sadi with the best among the local Muslim congregation. I also agree with him that there was nothing wrong with Muslims praying in the open on the Sliema front. I personally prefer seeing people engaged in such activities to others indulging in dubious ones in other, well known surroundings and on equally well known occasions. What puzzles me, however, is why Mr Zina should prefer such ‘unholy’ ground as Sliema for worshipping purposes to the Paola Mosque where Imam al-Sadi (and Mr Farrugia-Borg) are always in attendance. Why I, born and brought up as a Christian, should find myself very comfortable in the company of those two gentlemen, while Mr Zina opts to stay away is, at least to me, something of a mystery.
J.Azzopardi
May 5th 2009, 09:39
Since by this letter you are gladly acting as the mouthpiece for the Maltese Muslim community, can you please enlighten us by what Mr Bader Zina possibly meant when he stated that he condemned any type of violence or revenge, but that if people were discriminated against and hurt, it would become impossible to control a backlash !
A very mixed reaction indeed .............. however coming from the Muslim community.