The long, hot days of summer

Fanatic actions may take many different forms and manifestations. The consequences may also vary but the bottom line is that in every case of fanatic manifestation innocent people are targeted and hurt. Unfortunately, this summer was marred with cruel fanatic incidents.

We have heard of the sad story in Norway where a lunatic gunman killed tens of people with the pathetic excuse that he wanted to rid the world of evil, when, in fact, he was evil incarnated.

The riots in London were another example where a few violent fanatics with little or no excuse decided to destroy a residential area where people lived peacefully together for years. Their actions triggered other violent demonstrations throughout the country, demonstrations that caused millions of pounds in damage and scarred whole communities for life.

These irresponsible acts leave indelible marks and wounds that take long to heal. They must be condemned unreservedly and the persons responsible should be heavily punished.

Luckily, we have never experienced violence of this magnitude in our country but, alas, in the past we have had some feast celebrations that have dangerously veered on the fanatic side. It is with much satisfaction that this year I have heard little or nothing that suggests any demonstrations of the sort in our villages.

Feasts should be an example of unity and tradition, a showcase of what Maltese folklore is about and not an excuse to offend other parties. We should use our feasts to bring people closer and not as an excuse to get drunk and hurt other people’s sentiments. Luckily, it seems, though, that our communities have started to understand this.

With the football season starting soon, I only hope that the rivalry between the teams does not escalate to the vulgar and the absurd. I know for sure that those concerned are trying to make our stadia venues for family recreation and this should be lauded. However, in order to achieve this goal, those who behave in an unsporting manner should be banned from entering such places. Only then can we safely start taking our children to sporting events without fear.

To say the truth, over the past few years, violence in football stadia has been curbed radically but I still believe there is a long way to go to achieve an ideal situation. We have to understand that a sporting event is just that, a sporting event and not, as many people picture it, a matter of life or death. I hope that as time passes we concentrate more on supporting our teams than on hurling insults at the other side.

We Maltese are lucky to have a summer jam-packed with activities of all sorts, such as the Mqabba fireworks display, which is acclaimed the world over, internationally renowned artistes performing almost on a weekly basis and a multitude of other events to keep us occupied throughout the hot months.

Malta has so much more than sun and sea to offer and this is what makes us different from many other Mediterranean holiday destinations. Yet, it seems that tourists make more of our treasures than we do. I urge each and everyone to discover the beautiful sites our islands possess, places that are indeed living history. The government is making huge efforts in maintaining and restoring these places of immense historic value and not visiting them is our huge loss.

We tend to make a big fuss of sites and museums we visit when we are abroad but then do not bother to take a good look around us. It is with immense pleasure to note that many summer schools are breaking with tradition and are making summer lessons not only more interesting but more educational by taking students to visit places of national interest. In this way, students are not only having fun but are learning more about our country’s history and culture in an interactive way.

Many of us take a well-deserved break during this hot season but this does not mean we have to be idle.

In a month’s time, I will start the third year of my second legislature in the European Parliament where I will face several interesting challenges with my reports, mainly the one dealing with VAT. It is a challenge I relish and am looking forward to.

In an extremely delicate period for the European Union and the world in general, the power of unity cannot be stressed enough. I hope that, through dialogue and consultation, we manage to keep moving forward for the good of Europe and, ultimately, for the well-being of all the Maltese people.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.