I was outraged by the attack suffered by Jack Daboma, though I was neither surprised nor shocked. I experienced a greater shock a year ago, when, together with others, we took a Maltese friend who lives in Brazil to a restaurant in Mġarr.

The occasion coincided with a football match between Algeria and Belgium. The owner of the restaurant, whom none of us knew, came up to us and told us that, hopefully, Belgium would win, since the Algerians are Africans and “we” hate Africans.

This person, who, I later learned is, in many ways, a very decent person, not merely harboured such thoughts but felt confident enough to think that perfect strangers would share his views and applaud them.

He assumed that, being Maltese, we would consent. Any past experiences he had had must have confirmed this.

Explicit or implicit racism in Malta is rife and accepted, despite many who live in denial regarding this or the myth and outright lies perpetuated by many (from schools to Xarabank) regarding our Christianity, hospitality and generosity.

As Daboma rightly noted, what hurt mostly in his incident was the people’s applause; ordinary people waiting for a bus ticket.

People thought to be Africans, Arabs, immigrants or Muslims (many fail to grasp the difference between these) are frequently classified in ad hoc categories as “they”. Those who fall into this category have a greater onus to prove their respectability than others. Even when individuals belonging to this ad hoc category prove their worth, they are frequently judged to be good or respectable people “despite being...”

In cases involving hated groups it will be the victim who will have to prove her-or himself innocent

Given the widespread prejudices, it is obvious that incidents like the one involving Daboma will occur, that one who feels like committing such a mishap will be emboldened to do so.

It is also obvious that the racist public will be willing to tolerate and excuse any possibly excessive or ill-directed use of force by law enforcement officers or failure by these to defend the rights of individuals belonging to hated groups.

In all such cases it will be the victim who will have to prove her- or himself innocent.

Minister Helena Dalli rightly made a public apology. I am afraid, however, that, despite her genuine intentions, her initiative will end up being just a damage-limitation exercise.

Racism is not eradicated by gestures, beautiful as they may be. Nor is it eliminated by condemning the persons who commit vile acts. (In this regard, if the woman involved in Daboma’s incident is found guilty, a sentence like community service in an open centre would be much more adequate than a fine or imprisonment).

Having independent bodies assessing the modus operandi of the police and the armed forces would help and not merely with regard to possible abuse relating to ethnic and religious minorities. Still, it would not be enough.

Racism needs to be eradicated from the minds and guts of people. We need to debunk the myths, ignorance and assumptions that sustain it.

Some years ago, together with Colin Calleja and Bernard Cauchi, we jotted down some suggestions regarding how to tackle prejudice in formal education (‘Education and ethnic minorities in Malta’, 2007). Still, focusing on schools is not enough.

Myths and assumptions need to be revisited in informal educational sites. (In this regard, old myths like the one about us being fundamentally European or the fable regarding Malta saving Europe twice and the assumption that nothing can come from outside of Europe except threats, have proved highly recalcitrant.

I focus on one key player in this area; the media. Admittedly, there are isolated individuals doing sterling work. I cannot not mention the fantastic work by Mark Micallef and Victor Vella, among others, or refer to reports like the one recently carried in this paper by Kim Dalli (July 7) in which the causes that induce immigrants to flee and the suffering they undergo in their journeys are clearly illustrated. (Daboma was not an immigrant but towards him were directed the spite and anger we have towards these victims.)

More articles of this kind might induce us to see “them” primarily as fellow sisters and brothers who might be victims of injustice, not bums, barranin or law-breakers. Yet, such initiatives are exceptional.

It is still common to come across in the media, particularly in relation to crime, phrases like “dark-skinned individual” (no white person is called “light-skinned individual”) or “a person of African nationality” (as though Africa were a nation, not a continent), if not outright imbalance in the reporting concerning certain categories.

“Official versions” given by sectors that have an interest in the marginalisation of certain groups are still accepted by many journalists without these questioning the consistency of official accounts.

Locations outside Europe are generally presented by most local media as at best exotic. It is always implicitly assumed that the only benchmarks we may have are European and North American, which, in the mind of many locals, means ‘white’. Even programmes aimed at raising awareness on the Third World often appeal to pity and present the parties in question as victims of misfortune rather than injustice.