GT Garratt argues that England has had ample opportunity to affect basic colonial attitudes toward England and increase Anglophilia. This crossed my mind when reading Martin Scicluna’s contribution ‘George Cross Island’ (March 27).

[attach id=709475 size="medium" align="right"]Possibly the earliest evidence of Malta’s national colours as depicted on St Paul’s pala at the Cathedral circa 1380-1410. The red and white appear to reinforce the saint as national patron.[/attach]

While I reciprocate his kind compliments, may I assure readers I am not obsessed with anything in particular. My arguments to remove the George Cross from the Maltese flag are based on theory and research on colonialism.

This country proudly boasts of one of the oldest national colours worldwide: this nation adopted the red and white from its ancient noble city of Mdina. By the 14th century, the colours were already on iconic works of art (view picture). The medal is valued; the objection is for a foreign head of state to decide to invade the sacred colours of our identity because imperial might was right.

Unfortunately, for convenient political reasons and lethargy the Independence Constitution perpetuated the war medal on the flag.

An eyewitness report of what happened in 1974 (the Republic Constitution) reveals that, for a second time, political expediency won the day. However, MPs made sure that any future Parliament would find it easy to remove the medal with a simple majority while the old colours were entrenched. On the other hand, excessive colonial legacy in Valletta could be recontext-ualised to better balance the cultural hybridity reflecting its chequered history.

“In general and on balance, the Empire was a force for good.” These words in Scicluna’s article echo Niall Ferguson’s “Empire benefits the colonised”. Indian MP, Shashi Tharoor gives another picture about the Empire in his 2017 publication Inglorious Empire, what the British did to India.

Afua Hirsch (The Guardian, November 22, 2017) has some advice on educating the British about the Empire: “Our nation must confront the inconvenient facts of its history rather than glorious versions of an imperial past.” I admit that the use of the English language has given Malta many advantages but I trust Scicluna and readers realise that the fact that we are debating Maltese identity in English in this paper is not so innocent.

One would also do well to remember that the Maltese are known polyglots: over the last millennium they shared their destiny with foreigners who spoke Arabic, French, Spanish and Italian, not to mention the trade they managed with the Greeks, the Turks and also speaking the lingua franca.