Mario Philip Azzopardi. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

A V-18 board member is not comfortable with artistic director Mario Philip Azzopardi’s anti-Islamic comments but the government has approved his appointment nonetheless, Times of Malta has learnt.

Mr Azzopardi raised eyebrows last month with online comments comparing Muslims to Nazis, slave traders and members of the Ku Klux Klan.

In one comment he made a “call to cultural arms”, threatening violence against any of the “idiots” (Muslims) who would attempt to attain any form of political power on the island.

Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli, who sits on the V-18 board of governors – which has a say in the appointment of directors – said yesterday he had not yet met with Mr Azzopardi but insisted he did not feel comfortable with his comments.

Prof. Dingli said he would only tolerate such sentiments if they were aired in a one-time error of judgement.

Given the public apology and retraction of the comments, the case is now closed for the ministry.

“If this was something that was said once, that is one thing. But if these are his actual views then it’s a problem,” he said.

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici had immediately distanced himself from the comments describing them as “unwarranted” and noting that “they in no way reflect the government’s position”.

However, when later asked what action would be taken, a ministry spokeswoman said: “Given the public apology and retraction of the comments, the case is now closed for the ministry.”

When the story first surfaced, the V-18 Foundation had issued what it termed an apology on behalf of Mr Azzopardi, saying he was sorry if what he wrote had “in some way offended anyone’s sentiments”.

Prof. Dingli feels an apology is “not good enough” and he would not tolerate views that did not tally with the cultural capital ethos of inclusion.

Valletta will be European Capital of Culture in 2018 and promoting multiculturalism is among the main requirements for any city bestowed with this honour.

Times of Malta also contacted other members of the board who, however, either declined to comment or had not replied at the time of writing.

Local artists had taken to social media to express dismay at Mr Azzopardi’s comments. Among them were festivities’ organisers who insisted they would not work with him and others said they were “downright offended” by what he had said.

Yet, despite their strongly worded comments, several of them declined to comment on the record when contacted.

The board may not have the final say on Mr Azzopardi’s future, as a Brussels-based monitoring committee has the authority to rescind Malta’s title of capital of culture.

The V-18 board recently met with the committee but Steve Green, who chairs the Brussels group, would not comment on Mr Azzopardi’s outbursts.

A report drafted by the monitoring committee back in 2012 had highlighted the V-18 project’s lack of multicultural integration as a major shortcoming.