Front Against Censorship asks MEPs to take Malta's case to the EP
The assistance of Malta’s MEPs for the removal of censorship is being sought by the Front Against Censorship which in a letter to the country’s representatives in the EU said it was very worrying that the Maltese were still not enjoying some of the most fundamental European freedoms.
The Front said that 2009 would be remembered as the year when the supposedly modern and European Maltese State escalated its actions against freedom of speech through draconian actions such as the punishment of carnival revellers for dressing up as Christ, the ban of the play Stitching, the threat of a prison sentence to a newspaper editor for publishing an erotic story and the suspended prison sentence to an artist for a visual which criticised the Catholic religion.
The Front was set up in reaction to these events and now had more than 3,800 members.
The Front said censorship on arts and entertainment went against the core European principles of liberty and freedom of expression.
“This, however, does not mean that we believe in a lawless state. On the contrary, we wholeheartedly believe that laws should be there to protect citizens, and not to be used as a force that restricts criticism and/or punishes innovative artists.
“We are humbly urging you to present this case of affairs to the European Parliament in order to raise the alarm on a European level regarding Malta's repressive and outdated censorship laws.
The Front said it was not in favour of any form of discrimination, exploitation or hate speech as defined by law and neither did it believe that the removal of censorship would allow such acts to increase unregulated.
It believed that punishing artists for being critical of the Catholic Church or banning plays for what moralists may perceive to be 'bad taste' were totally unacceptable in a European country in 2010.
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Norman Lowell
Mar 31st 2010, 10:28
Hypocrites!
m cauchi
Mar 31st 2010, 02:13
Does anyone know if the film AGORA, shot entirely in Malta has been censored???
Andrew Farrugia
Mar 30th 2010, 23:42
"Innovative literature", "erotic story", "being critical of the Catholic Church": what utter rubbish by these pseudo writers. Let me provide you with a few examples of innovative art and literature in Europe: a. the Christ figure immersed in a jar full of urine by well known Christophobics; b. best-selling author launching his latest perversion "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ". I have said it previously and will repeat it: the ONLY thing which hurts these delusional worms is ridicule and disdain, not the law. They seek publicity through shock tactics and playing the role of martyrs. In my profession i make use of every opportunity i have to lambast these scum. It is called freedom of expression - in my book they are free to scribble and portray whatever they wish and i am free to put them and their puerile efforts in the public dustbin where they belong.
Franco Farrugia
Mar 30th 2010, 23:13
@ Gaffarena: In other words, you don't want to be the victim of censorship but you don't mind others being victim of it. Not in my back yard!
gaffarena joseph
Mar 30th 2010, 18:34
About censorship we have to be more specific of what we want.
For example,I, do not want to read all that rubbish printed on that famous news letter that was distributed in our university.For rubbish like that, yes I, want it to be censored.
What I, do not want is censorship,when writing letters especially in this newspaper.
What I, want is there will be no censorship on plays being attended by adults, for me this is really a step backwards.
Yes, in a civilised country like ours, there should be someone to guard our culture, especially on our young ones
M Agius
Mar 30th 2010, 20:26
But that 'rubbish' was going to be read by adults, or university students don't classify as adults? Do they need parenting?
D Phillips
Mar 30th 2010, 22:40
No need for it to be censored. As an adult, you are free to choose to read what you want to read and not to read what you don't want. Simple.
Franco Farrugia
Mar 30th 2010, 18:10
U x''hear, hear'! Mela c-censura qedha biss fuq affarijiet ta' religjon u ta' letteratura?! Hemm membri tal-Front li jkunu huma stess, qed jiccensuraw lil min jesprimi l-opinjoni tieghu! Ipokrisija grassa, nghidilha jien.
David Caruana
Mar 31st 2010, 09:18
Tista' jekk jogħoġbok iġġibilna eżempju? Din li titfgħu t-tajn mingħajr ma tkunu speċifiċi hija viljakkata grassa. Mela jekk int daqshekk ċert ta' dak li qed tgħid, nitolbok tkun raġel biżżejjed u tatina l-ismijiet ta' min iċċensura, min ġie iċċensurat u l-okkażjoni fejn twettqet ċensura nġusta.
Joseph Brincat
Mar 30th 2010, 17:49
Fundamental European Freedoms, ommi ma!!!
Thanks God we still do not have most of them.
We are better off without many of them.
Do you prefer having a Guantanamo prison here like the Americans had in Cuba?
Do wish to have a play like Hair running for months on end just to be able to see some nudity?
Or the nudist camps just to feel cool by the sea?
Do you want divorce?
Do you approve of grown ups abusing of minors?
These and, many similar fundamental freedoms are bringing about the fall of European Civilization.
Robert Agius
Mar 30th 2010, 18:52
No Joe, lack of responsibility and lack of tolerance are bringing about the fall European civilization.
I mean is it only who feels that the whole Muslims Vs Christians just shows a lack of tolerance by the...erm...lack of tolerant (that includes many, fortunately not all, Christians and Muslims).
'Do you want divorce?' What do you mean by that? - Who are you to judge people (tolerance) who do want a divorce and have sensible reasons for doing so (this is the responsibility part)
'Do you approve of grown ups abusing of minors?' - Now that is just plain stupid. Not to be able to read a text such as the recent one which created such controversy, i repeat reading, without being able to restrict oneself to actually acting it out is IRRESPONSIBLE. I can carry on forever but will stop here...
Is that such a hard thing to agree with Joe? Responsibility for your actions, and being tolerant. They see simple enough to grasp, and to see the beauty of what people have gained through reason, and bloodshed, - Freedom
God rid us of conservatives...ooops, perhaps they are not :P
wally vella-zarb
Mar 30th 2010, 19:25
"Do wish to have a play like Hair running for months on end just to be able to see some nudity? "
Evidently, sir, you have never been to the theatre to experience Hair. Only a boor would say that it was about nudity. Only a boor would fail to appreciate that it epitomised the anti-war movement that was the hallmark of the sixties!
M Grima
Mar 30th 2010, 17:38
Hear hear.