The Maltese government has asked to intervene in the hearings of the European Court of Human Rights which is considering an appeal filed by Italy against a decision to remove crucifixes from public places.

In its first decision, the Strasbourg-based court of the Council of Europe had upheld a request by a Finnish woman, Soile Lautsi, for the removal of crucifixes in a school attended by her children in Italy. The court found that the display of crucifixes in Italian schools breached the rights of non-Catholic families.

Dr Gonzi said Malta has already made it clear that it disagreed with this decision.

"On a point of principle, we insist that a country which has upheld particular values and traditions for centuries should not be obliged to change them just because an individual objects to them. Indeed, the social and cultural characteristics of society should be respected for as long as the people of such a society so decide. A court which decides otherwise will not be showing sensitivity to such aspects and will be taking a wrong path," Dr Gonzi said.

Malta was not ashamed of its identity and felt that a society which lost the values on which it was built, lost itself.

He was certain, Dr Gonzi said, that the people of Malta in its absolute majority did not want crucifixes to be removed from classrooms and other public areas.

Therefore, now that the appeal filed by Italy was being heard, the government felt it should ask the court to intervene in order to lend its support and also present legal arguments in order to help overturn the decision of the first court.

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat said the Opposition shared the government's views.