Blame or Shame
A man has died in unusual circumstances. He was nothing less than a human being like you and me, and yet he no longer speaks, breathes, lives. His mother is heartbroken, his siblings are devastated and his friends are inconsolable. Whether he was murdered and whether he was mentally ill remains a mystery, but whatever the outcome of the investigations and our courts, the fact will remain that Malta has failed this man big time.
Malian migrant Mamadou Kamara was not the first and neither will he be the last man to suffer such a fate at the hands of this Catholic country. On an island where partisan politics splits us up even about the colour of the sky, lo and behold the two parties are in agreement on this one huge and horrific infringement of fundamental human rights and dignity.
Whilst we cannot agree on the thickness of sliced bread, our whole parliament feels that there's not much wrong with our compulsory detention policy, and that it's only fair to keep irregular immigrants in such appalling conditions given that they've entered the country illegally. Bless 'em.
Whilst the Government thinks it's sickeningly immoral not to rescue sinking dinghies as suggested by the PL, at the same time we deemed it fit to send immigrants back to Libya even during the crisis.
And, for the cherry on the cake, it had to take the death of yet another innocent man (innocent because even if it turns out that he wasn't a genuine asylum seeker, he never ever deserved to die), for The almighty Church to finally say something about this!
And now the people are also raising their voices. Today I kept getting messages asking me whether I knew that I had been added to a Facebook group called Justice For Sergeant Mark Dimech & Colleagues which was created soon after the death of Kamara.
Considering that I'm usually the one rooting for the underdog (in this case the immigrant), I guess many were surprised that I would accept being part of this group, so let me set the records straight - whilst I did not ask to join the group and was added automatically without my consent, I did not bother to remove myself because I DO want justice for Sergeant Mark Dimech and his colleagues. To my mind if they get justice, Mamadou Kamara would automatically get his.
Ever since this case broke, I tried to stay absolutely mum about the matter because as much as I was tempted to shout out bloody murder I didn't find enough factual information for me to base an informed opinion.
And I still haven't, so as usual, I will reserve comments for when I read the court's final judgement, but until then, one thing's for sure, whatever the verdict, the migrant and the soldiers were not solely responsible for whatever happened out there. In fact they are probably the least responsible for the ultimate outcome.
It's our policy makers who have failed them both - by insisting on such a long detention period, by maintaining such disgusting conditions in detention centres, not only have they made the migrants' lives a living hell, but also the lives of the detention guards who have to face frustrated and angry men and women day in day out.
The guards have been left to their own devices and seeing such desperate frustration, as well as emotional and psychological pain on a daily basis, cannot but make you immune to such suffering – it's self preservation after all – the ability to feel less and less every day, until you get to a point where you're convinced that your detainees are less than human, thus making it all that easier to go home to your air-conditioned room, soft mattress, wife and kids and sleep peacefully.
And now, while we wait for the outcome of the investigations and the courts, whilst we wait for our politicians to enjoy yet another long recess and possibly a general election, I am going to do the unthinkable, I am going to beg The Church to do something about this because besides the two political parties which are both comfortably sitting on their behinds, it is the only entity in Malta with enough social and political clout that could possible get people to see the light here.
The Church, rightly, issued a statement last week expressing its concern over this case and about racism. But please, dear Church - get out there, get your message on to the pulpit; let us see some of your action, put your money where your mouth is, do what you did during the Divorce campaign. This time your actions will quite literally save lives!
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Roger Tirazona
Jul 11th 2012, 20:58
This time, Humanists and Secularists applauded the church's statement regarding the need for a change in detention policy. This is an argument of reconciliation and consensus between the church and humanists in Malta, in the true spirit of the court of the gentiles. Yet some fanatics below are talking of pet hates and implying that the clergy is given carte blanche to say whatever it likes without expecting criticism. A shame and a pity!
P. Vincenti
Aug 7th 2012, 12:37
The only reconciliation needed is that which the radicals who call themselves a humanists need to make with themselves. The humanists are in an imaginary war with the church. The church is hardly even aware ofnthisnodd group
Raymond Bezzina
Jul 11th 2012, 11:53
@ Alison Bezzina
In your blog of 20 May 2012 there is your version about what you defined as SUPER families; something which I firmly disagree with.
Regarding your blog of 10 July 2012. In the last two sentences of your last paragraph you tried to dictate what the Church should do.
When I read your blog of 20 May 2012, and then read the last two sentences of your blog of 10 July 2012, two questions were raised in my mind. 1. Are you considering yourself of being some SUPER Church official, by saying such things ? 2. With what authority did you say these things, compared to the authority of what the Bishops of Malta and Gozo preach publicly about the Church?
If we all do our best to listen and follow what both Bishops preach, many souls would be saved.
Andy Farrugia
Jul 11th 2012, 15:57
This blogger cannot be taken seriously, particularly and especially where her pet hates are concerned, the Church and the Bishops.
Marco Cremona
Jul 11th 2012, 09:53
Excellent article.... but you spoilt it with your prejudice against the church.
Lest anybody forgets the only people who were attacked for standing up for the migrants (except for the migrants themselves that is) were people involved with the Jusuit Refugee Service.
Alison Bezzina
Jul 11th 2012, 12:24
Marco, what I'm referring to is a question of morality, ethics, and humanity - the Church's specialities. The JRS are doing a brilliant job no doubt and unlike what usually happens, this time The Church is all hands on deck, helping the best it can. I contacted Fr. Vella myself to offer some help and he's up to his ears with work.
What I'm saying here is that for a mindset to change The Church needs to talk more, it needs to convince the people, it needs to get its message of tolerance and acceptance and integration on to the pulpits. I don't expect The Church to do this when it comes to homosexual people, divorcees etc, because its clearly against its teachings, but in the case of immigrants, there's no contradiction, everything is in line with its teachings, but for some reason, unlike the divorce debate, it's almost silent about the matter, when one word from a priest on a pulpit usually has so many nodding in agreement.... and lives can be saved.
Caroline Said
Jul 11th 2012, 13:07
I dont see any prejudice against the Church being expressed in this article. I see a big fat question being posed by Alison that needs to be addressed: why doesnt the Church put its full weight behind campaigning to promote Christian values in this context as much as it did regarding the divorce issue. Surely if people are pressed by a religious authority to take the matter of protecting and upholding human rights very seriously, the underlying moral principles of compassion for fellow man/woman, love for one another etc can only have a positive knock-on effect with regard to the protecting and upholding the institution of marriage.
Andy Farrugia
Jul 11th 2012, 19:15
"I dont see any prejudice against the Church being expressed in this article." You must either be blind or unable to read. I'd go for the latter.
Carmel Vella
Jul 10th 2012, 17:05
What about all the attacks on our police force and soldiers at the detention center? Very little told of that in the press. How about, Charity starts at home? We should be looking out for our very own first and foremost.
R. Caruana
Jul 10th 2012, 12:35
For once I find myself completely agreeing with you, yes the circumstances in which this Human Being died (arguably) is really sad & something to be frowned on but two wrongs do not make one right. This country has a justice system in place and it is it's obligation to do it's job, to seek the truth. We cannot in the meantime allow society to dehumanize itself with name calling, blaming or shaming. It is more a shame on Malta if this is especially state sanctioned. Let justice take it's course.
Norman E Grech
Jul 10th 2012, 11:44
Whist I am against violence or treating other human beings in an inhumane way, I would say:
*No one asked him or the likes of him to come here. They came here illegally.
* Detention centres not only should stay but we should find a way to send the majority of them back, bearing in mind that most of them DO NOT come from war/oppressive zones
* We should create a deterrent, discouraging others to come too
*A line should be drawn as there are millions of potential illegal immigrants.
*Charity should begin and peak at home
*We are grossly over-populated as we are and our resources are already over-stretched.
*We have not only the right but a duty to protect our space and traditions.
I deplore anyone daring call me a racist just because I believe in the above. I believe in order and law and this should be respected. Charity is a voluntary thing and should not be forced. Likewise People's problems and wants cannot be forced on other people.
The party who is closest to what the majority of the Maltese, including myself wish to see, will have my vote!
Carmel Vella
Jul 10th 2012, 17:03
I agree 100%.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Jul 10th 2012, 11:43
What is shameful and blameworthy is:
1) the rejection of compulsory burden sharing by the large and rich members of the European Union, blackmailing small Malta into shouldering a disproportionately heavy burden.
2) converting our island home into a convenient sea-bound prison for the compulsory detention of unfortunate immigrants who do not want us to confine them here inside or outside detention centres,
3) forcing us to use our forces of law and order into acting as jailers of frustrated, disgruntled and violent immigrants whose only "crime" is that of attempting to seek reguge in mainland Europe, not Malta.
All this is in aid of a selfish "Not In My Back Yard" policy adopted by powerful countries whose "humanitarian agencies", and their local agents,spout nonsense about "respect and dignity" towards immigrants who were on route to mainland Europe, were in danger of drowning but were mercifully rescued by our denigrated Malta armed force.
J Degabriele
Jul 10th 2012, 16:45
Well said, sir!
Joseph Aquilina
Jul 10th 2012, 10:55
"thus making it all that easier to go home to your air-conditioned room, soft mattress, wife and kids and sleep peacefully."
You know the saying ... lead by example; why don't you go and make one of these illegal migrant live with you, while taking FULL responsibility of HIS/HER actions, whilst not knowing from where he or she came from, what they did in their country, if they where a doctor, a soldier, a thief or a murderer... From my understanding you would like every illegal migrant to roam free and let the Maltese people learn at their expenses the real past of some of these illegal migrants.
You know what I believe, it is easy to write an article and blame everyone and everything at the comfort of your air-conditioned room, soft mattress, while there are soldiers who day in day out have to face REALITY that no one knows the past of many of these illegal migrants, and if one of them escapes (something you fail to mention in the article) and someone else gets hurt, you would simple sit in your air-conditioned room and soft mattress and condemn the soldiers for just another reason.
Do I condone the (potentially accidental) killing? No.
Do I agree with an investigation? Yes.
Do I agree with the process (even before an investigation was completed) of calling everyone a racist and forcing everyone to feel ashamed for the death of on illegal migrant who escaped from custody twice and offered resistance when being arrested? NO.
I believe we Maltese have showed over and over again that we are not racists, but I guess a (really unfortunate) "scandal" helps to sell ...
francis ojiakor
Jul 10th 2012, 10:45
This is the most balanced opinion so far.I enjoyed the idea of justice for both the victim and the accused.While at it and while waiting for due judicial process,is it not time permanent solution to this migrants challenges are proffered and debated?
Please choose the reason of your report below: