Today (Sunday August 4) is another sunny and hot day. Most Maltese will spend it swimming and/or sunbathing. Fortunately there are no demonstrations to deviate people’s bee line to the beeches.

The supposedly pro-Government or anti-immigration demonstration that had been planned has now been cancelled. Prime Minister Muscat on more than one occasion clearly stated that he does not need or want this kind of ‘support’. The organisers shrouded their retreat in a barrage of insults and inanities that defy belief.

The immigration problem will not be solved by the crazy rhetoric of the gentleman who planned and scrapped the demonstration.

The concern shown by many sincere people is genuine. The issues and objections raised are objectively serious. The way forward is extremely difficult. Calm and clear thinking should be the guiding lights. Panic, generalisations and stereotyping generate fear not solutions. Solutions have eluded us for a long time – and will continue to do so – thus generating frustration. But, I repeat, panic and xenophobia will get us nowhere.

One of the fears expressed by some is fuelled by a certain kind of Islamophobia. The immigrants are here, they say, to make us Muslims. This ignores the fact that many of the immigrants, for example the Eritreans, are Christians. Besides they look at Muslims as if they are the ‘enemy’ and they project their position as one defending our Christian heritage.

Nothing is further from the truth. This attitude is not an attitude shared by the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis, for example, has just chosen to personally sign the Vatican's message to Muslims for the end of Ramadan. In the past, the president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue has been the one to sign the message. This is another clear sign by Pope Francis that genuine Christians and genuine Muslims can work together in an atmosphere of mutual kindness and respect.

There are problems in the relationship between Christians and Muslims in several countries. In Egypt the Copts are harassed. In Saudi Arabia Christians risk persecution. In Pakistan the blasphemy laws are abused to incarcerate Christians. In the Muslim parts of Nigeria there is a move in favour of the Sharia law. Need I add more examples to this list of shame? This intolerance is masked as a service to Islam but in actual fact it is a sign of intolerance and ignorance. At other times and in other countries some persons calling themselves Christians showed the same level of ignorance and intolerance. Fortunately Christianity has, by and large, moved forward. Several Muslims in several countries have not made this step forward. And for political more than for religious reasons the move towards more fundamentalism and intolerance is on the rise. This movement makes cooperation between Christians and Muslims difficult. The only way forward, though, is dialogue not conflict.

Back to the message of the Pope in which he proposes as a theme of common reflection the promotion of mutual respect.

Pope Francis views respect as a mutual “process” of kindness and consequently invites Muslims and Christians to respect each person in all his/her dimensions: life, physical integrity, dignity and the rights deriving from that dignity, reputation, property, ethnic and cultural identity, ideas and political choices.

“We are therefore called to think, speak and write respectfully of the other, not only in his presence, but always and everywhere, avoiding unfair criticism or defamation. Families, schools, religious teaching and all forms of media have a role to play in achieving this goal.”

He then addresses the relations between Christians and Muslims,” saying that “ we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values. Particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these!”

Education, for Pope Francis is the way forward. “we have to bring up our young people (Muslims and Christians) to think and speak respectfully of other religions and their followers, and to avoid ridiculing or denigrating their convictions and practices.”

Together with Pope Francis I express the hope that people of both faiths “may be true promoters of mutual respect and friendship, in particular through education.”

Panic gets us nowhere.