Christian Peregin
PN backbencher seeks 'unprejudiced' debate
Nationalist backbencher Charlò Bonnici has called for an "unprejudiced" debate on censorship, soon after the Justice Minister proclaimed himself against its total removal in the arts.
Mr Bonnici said he was prepared to stick his neck out for people like student editor Mark Camilleri who could end up in prison for using their artistic freedom. Mr Camilleri is facing charges for publishing an "obscene" story in his newspaper that was banned from the University.
Education Minister Dolores Cristina declared Cabinet had approved a draft National Cultural Policy, which called for a revamp of laws related to freedom of expression.
The policy recommends such laws to be "updated to reflect 21st century reality" - something the anti-censorship front welcomed as a step in the right direction.
In Parliament, Mr Bonnici stressed that artistic works must be considered within their contexts and said he was against censorship in the fields of culture and literature.
"I believe with all my heart that if we give the state or some other institution the right to start interfering with literary or cultural work, there will be no limit to such interference. Then what will be left of our freedom of expression?
"I am anxious for us to have the opportunity to discuss this subject in Parliament.
"We should all contribute without any exaggerated passion or prejudice." Contacted for his reaction to the Justice Minister's declaration, he said it was important to have a debate on such issues to find a way to remove censorship in the arts while protecting minors and making sure no one abuses of their freedom.
The authorities, including the police and the University rector, could not be blamed for following the law but the government could not sit idly and should work quickly to revamp the laws, Mr Bonnici said.
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Alan Bonnici
Jan 20th 2010, 17:11
I feel that deciding what is OK and what is not constitutes the wrong approach to the solution. Aside from the fact that these decisions are arbitrary at best and that people have different guages as to what is acceptable and what is not, we must realise that we are no longer an isolated.
Every Sunday US TV airs The Cleveland Show, American Dad, Family Guy and similar adult cartoons. In all probabilty many of these programs would fail our censorship, yet those who want to watch them can and still do so.
Educating people that they have the right not to support a show by not watching is the best approach in today's global village.
R. Zammit
Jan 20th 2010, 08:56
How typical of some to portray an issue in a category where it does not belong! I hate censorship myself, as its imposition I consider as an insult to my intelligence; and I am also no kind of artist, but to consider this story as a work of art is beyond my comprehension.
I have read this page and it did not kill my morality, but for heaven’s sake, put it were it belongs! If the censorship law should change where art is concerned, fine, but this particular story does not fit as a work of art unless twisted around as is the norm with everything.
And how can the University rector be criticised for abiding by the current laws of the day? How uneducated it is for many here to expect the rector to ignore an exiting law? When and if it is removed I am sure the rector will spare the bother and ignore more of such crap.
As to the author – his scope has been definitely reached!! All he wanted is publicity irrespective how he gets it. That’s another norm in our modern society – a latent weakness mixed with crave to make a ‘noise’!
L. Dimech
Jan 19th 2010, 16:27
I'm all for freedom of expression in arts and agree wholeheartedly with Joseph Briffa's depiction of some of the Picasso's.
But for anyone who managed to read through this piece of crap and find it in him to call it an artistic expression makes me think of how intelligent was Anderson (?) who wrote the tale of the Emperor's clothes. How can all you guys out there be singing the praises of this page of rubbish just because one or two sheep started bleating "How artistic " !!!
I challenge you all to print this work of art and give it to your children and parents to read. Also stating that prominent bookshops have shelves full of suchlike artistry, hold no water because that being the case, one would have gone to look for that genre of 'art'.
Has noone got a backbone any more? Are you shy of your peers to flush this pile of crap down the loo where it belongs? The author should just write these short obscenities in the form of a book and turn it into a bestseller since it's been recognised as artistic.
You're just not cool at all.
Joseph E Briffa
Jan 19th 2010, 13:42
Would lots of Picasso's so-called works of art that portray genitals on people's faces, and bizarre-shaped breasts in place of female external genitalia, and glutei on the ventral part of torsos end up being censored if, for argument's sake, they were to be displayed in Malta? Such works are displayed in art galleries all over Europe which as far as I know do not prohibit the entrance of children. To my mind these works are not only vulgar and ugly - indeed revolting and far from erotic - as well as in bad taste but also suggest a sick mind of the author. I wouldn't say that the archaic censorship in Malta can be solely blamed on the church authorities as a visit to the Musei Vaticani is ample proof that the Vatican does not censor the multitude of nude sculptures and paintings which are very specific and quite erotic; quite a number border on pornography. But still there they are and priests and nuns as well as children visit these museums. Could it be that this is due to the fact that the age of consent in the Vatican is 12?
Joe Azzopardi
Jan 19th 2010, 13:29
What Charlò Bonnici seems to fail to understand is that prejudice and censorship are one and the same thing. And they are both manifestation of narrow mindedness. Certainly the declaration of the Justice Minister does not augur for an objective debate.
A big well done to Charlò Bonnici for making his views know and for the promises of a modern political environment in parliament that he, and others like him, embody.
Karl Abela
Jan 19th 2010, 12:49
@ Charlo Bonnici
I am not with you on this one.
Have you ever considered that completely removing censorship from arts could possibly open a loophole for even more obscenities and vulgarities? As if in Malta we dont know how to make use of loopholes. The next thing would be to classify all publications as art and let all hell loose.
Where are we going to draw a line between art and everything else? Can we give decency and morality a chance here?
A Gatt
Jan 19th 2010, 12:31
Thank you Mr Bonnici for speaking out for freedom of expression in the arts. I still am of the opinion that the action taken by none other than Malta's University rector reflects badly on the state of our higher education and Professor Juanito Camilleri's suitability.