Last Sunday around 200 self-styled Patri­jotti Maltin shamed us by airing their xenophobia on the streets of Valletta.

They looked like a motley crew of angry, (mostly) old men and women. They shouted that Malta is for the Maltese and not for foreigners. What foreigners were they referring to? Perhaps the 14,000 who were granted resi­dency permits last year partly thanks to rampant corruption? This figure is higher than the number of black people who came to Malta over the past decade.

In all probability, the Patrijotti are only irked by the latter. Those who eat babies and rape women, the Patrijotti’s collective IQ makes them believe. But these boat people hardly ever come to our island nowadays. A quid pro quo (ħokkli dari u nħokklok tieghek, in common parlance) agreement with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi took care of that.

But this is not enough for these Patrijotti. They still hollered their indignation at the top of their voices at the sheer audacity of this ‘invasion’ by dark ‘barbarians’ who want to take us away; as those horrible Turkish Muslims did to the Gozitans centuries ago. Some things never change, the Patrijotti believe.

Other Maltese, however, preferred to go to Mass, listening to the voice of Jesus telling them that “whoever receives one child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the One who sent me”. Jesus’s words are not in a time warp but must be transposed to every epoch and culture in the here and now.

During my homily I projected a number of slides of Syrian, Ukrainian, Iraqi, Afghan and Ivorian refugee children, saying that the words of Jesus apply also to these children who are begging us to welcome them and their parents. Pope Francis told us to welcome them. Several parishes, ours included, have committed them­selves to hosting a refugee family.

I am certain that the parish priest will be accosted by enthu­siastic do-gooders and Bible thumpers objecting to hosting a Muslim family. The Islamo­phobia among some of these is incredible. It is true that Christ himself would not tolerate the shunning of a Muslim family in need but Bible thumpers pro­bably believe it is high time that someone puts some sense into Jesus’s mind so he would stop making a fool of himself by telling us to welcome and love all foreigners.

That such fundamentalists believe that Syrian refugees are Islamic State terrorists in camouflage is bad enough. But that a member of the Maltese diplomatic corps posts racist propaganda on his Facebook page stating the same thing is the pits.

A member of the Maltese diplomatic corps posting racist propaganda on his Facebook page is the pits

This gentleman, who because of his rank expects people to call him ‘Excellency’, posted a photo alleged­ly showing refugees, recently welcomed in Germany, bran­dishing the IS flag and fighting police. This is a lie. The three-year-old picture just shows a small group of Muslims making a counter-protest to a hate-demonstration by Germany’s neo Nazis.

How could a diplomat post such rubbish on his Facebook page? Why do political appointees con­tinuously embarrass our country because of their lack of dignity and gravitas? No decent government minister should allow such venom on Facebook by senior officials. Our civil service is being dragged to new lows thanks to these political appointees.

The political xenophobic right have embarked on a campaign of lies and misinformation on Facebook. The ultimate ‘proof’ of IS infiltration of the refugees fleeing Syria was the posting of a before-and-after photo of a refugee in Europe who is allegedly a member of Islamic State. The BBC showed that this man was not an IS militant but a former com­mander in the Free Syrian Army who had fought against Islamic State. Last month he was the subject of a profile by the Associated Press news agency.

The xenophobic right can only base its campaign on fear and lies as they have no argument of sub­stance. I am not saying we are not witnessing a very serious humanitarian crisis. My point is that this crisis can be alleviated only through courageous decisions, not fear. It is positive that European leaders took concrete steps last Wednesday. A continent with a population of 500 million boasting to be the crème de la crème of civilisation can handle this crisis.

Christian politicians of vision such as Angela Merkel showed the way. Besides opening borders to refugees, the German Chancellor also said that instead of fearing that taking in Muslim refugees would lead to the Islamisation, German Christians should confess and practise their faith.

On Wednesday, Pope Francis encouraged American bishops to recognise that migrants “also possess resources meant to be shared. So do not be afraid to welcome them”.

“Offer them the warmth of the love of Christ and you will unlock the mystery of their heart,” he said. “I am certain that, as so often in the past, these people will enrich America and its Church.”

On Thursday, Francis told the US Congress that “we must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as people, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal”.

The same applies to Europe. This is good counsel to Maltese Christians as well.

Our actions should not be based on fear. Since there is no substance in the irrational fear that Malta or Europe is being invaded or that ‘they’ – whoever this ‘they’ are – are coming to take us away, I don’t feel threatened or under siege. This is why the title of this commentary is a spoof of They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!, the 1966 hit by Jerry Samuels, but recorded under the name Napoleon XIV.

But to the Patrijotti Maltin I would spoof the title of the sequel recorded by a female performer billed as Josephine XV, the name of a spouse of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: “I’m happy if they take you away, ha-haaa!”

joseph.borg@um.edu.mt

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