Christian Peregin
Police probe ‘racist’ advert
The contentious advert that was shared on Facebook last month.
Police have started investigating the case of a real estate agency which advertised a Qawra flat for rent but barred ‘Arabs or blacks’.
The Times published a story about the advert last month after it was shared on Facebook by outraged readers who deemed the advert to be racist.
Simon Estates, which was responsible for the advert, never made any comment on the matter but amended the advert before the story was published.
People guilty of such discrimination can be fined up to €2,300 and face a six-month jail sentence. Though a complaint was filed, the agency seemed to be getting off with a slap on the wrist since the equality watchdog has no power to enforce penalties.
The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality simply “drew the company’s attention to avoid the use of discriminatory language in its adverts”. The police finally contacted The Times seeking help in their investigations, indicating the real estate agency may not be let off lightly after all. The matter divided people in the industry, some of whom justified the advert by saying Arabs, black and students were regularly problematic when it came to rent.
Federation of Estate Agents president Trafford Busuttil had said such generalisations were puerile because all sorts of people could be problematic for landlords. He said discriminatory advertising was illegal and all agents should be responsible enough not to break the law.
The Ministry for Family, which is responsible for equality, had described such adverts as “unacceptable”, and said accommodation should never be refused on the basis of race or colour.
Since a law was enacted in 2007 outlawing discrimination, the NCPE said there have been three complaints by members of ethnic minorities in relation to housing, even though studies have shown discrimination is rampant.
If you have witnessed discrimination, call the NCPE on 2590 3850 or e-mail equality@gov.mt.
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12 Comments
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Nizar Hingari
Jan 1st, 23:51
so these people are going to lose business. I can picture a rich African man or Arab man or the youngsters of some billionaire saying Malta no good, we are not going to invest here - we will take our money elsewhere.. and what if President Obama is flipping through our newspapers or Will Smith say what the hell ?!
Keith D'Amato
Jan 1st, 17:14
I don't believe there is a case here. Everyone has the right to decide to whom he rents his place out.
Francis Sammut
Jan 1st, 19:51
Didn't you read! It's against the law to discriminate. If one puts a place for rent, anyone has a right to apply, period.
Tonio Bone
Jan 1st, 21:16
Against the law to discriminate? Are we sure? ARRIVA discriminates between maltese and foreigners, and we are not even touching racism here...!
Charles Cremona
Jan 1st, 16:35
This advert must bar at least half the Maltese population, as most are of Arab decent and that includes the language.
Stefano Borg Olivier
Jan 1st, 23:42
Maybe be you are but I am definately not !!
matthew tanti
Jan 3rd, 10:56
dan borg olivier donnu xi genealogu biex jaf li mhux ta dixxendenxa gharbija. apparti li ma hu ta' ebda misthija li tkun ta dixxendenza gharbija.
M Mealclaff
Jan 1st, 13:32
I think :
Rather than ' Shut People up ' through Laws etc.
One needs to ask why this Landlord Does not want certain people to rent the flat .
Is it through bad experience ? Something he heard ?
Would he even be allowed to Say the Reason ?
Jurgen Farrugia
Jan 1st, 12:56
Dear Times,
Were you the landlord of this apartment? NO Then the landlord can rent his place to whoever or whatever he/she wants. That's common sense, which some people lack of so much.
Geoff Gibson
Jan 2nd, 10:15
yes of course he can rent his property to whoever he likes and refuse whoever he likes, but what he can't do is ADVERTISE that is he not going to rent it to certain races or creeds. The case being brought up is against the discrimination in the ADVERT not in the mind of the landlord.
Peter Murray
Jan 1st, 11:50
Discrimination is endemic in Malta and it takes many insidious and not readily apparent forms(such as the bus fare structure and water/electricty tariiffs to name but two).In this case it is clearly a violation of the law and all those people ,and there are many-are you reading Mr James Tyrell-who advocate that it is a landlords "right" to rent to whomsoever he/she chooses are clearly not aware of the law and are evidently neither socially nor morally responsible citizens to support and endorse the denial to anyone anything on the grounds of race ,colour,creed or religion or merely to do so in a capricious manner or simply because they think they can and with impunity.
James McIntosh
Jan 1st, 12:33
Discrimination is a subjective thing but to take it to the exact letter of law, it must be some form of discrimination just to deny anyone anything. No matter what is ones reason it simply becomes a "discrimination" through reasoning and choice of outcome.
Governments are guilty of it where they aportion some peoples taxes for "the social good ". the more wealthy are "discriminated" against.
All laws are a form of "discrimination" against freedom of choice. The accusation of "racism" is used as a blanket charge in many cases for what was merely a verbal insult, warranted or not, whether or not the words were even indeed "politically correct".
We strive for the greater and common good through laws but every law deprives some individuals of freedoms that were previously allowed. Is this not a "discrimination"
There are myriad instances of laws where "discrimination" could be accused but people in power do not wish to debate the finer point of law because of the can of worms that would be revealed.
Just observe the directives that are now emerging from the European courts that are overturning National Law and you will start to get a little of what I mean.
Freedom of thought IS supposed to be a Human Right. and there will always be someone "offended" somewhere by speech and deed of individuals, but do we need to haul every instance into the spotlight of "discrimination" , I think not