Allan Gatt (There's No Choice For Immigrants, November 17) accuses me of using "political rhetoric" while he himself tends to become hysterical and to lose all restraint at times. Nobody is questioning the fact that the "holocaust" should be stopped. This is an urgent problem which has to be tackled at international level.

Nobody is questioning the fact that individual migrants need to be given support and be treated with the dignity they deserve irrespective of their race, origin and belief. There is no feigning about that. A point which Mr Gatt misses is that every effort should be made at understanding our visitors and helping them integrate into our society. This process becomes difficult when migration is massive and unregulated. However, Mr Gatt must be realistic. Malta has for the past few years been bearing too heavy a share of the burden despite its limited resources. Any sensible person must acknowledge that Malta's plea for burden sharing is justified and reasonable.

Secondly, Mr Gatt's depiction of our national culture is entirely negative, exaggerated and unrealistic. He does not recognise "national identity" let alone feel the need to preserve it. Adapting to global change may be cruel at times, especially when outside influences tend to be overwhelming and abrupt. The social evils Mr Gatt refers to as negative characteristics of our society are themselves the result of adaptation to change. This does not mean however that we are justified in throwing overboard cultural values which we had cherished over the years.

Mr Gatt finds it difficult to reconcile Faith and Reason. Yet a study of cultural history shows that during the past millennium Europe itself has been engaged in an effort at such reconciliation. The term "natural" as used by me does not necessarily refer to what the majority approve at a particular time or place, but to what deep study suggests to be universally innate to mankind. For Europe now to deny its roots cannot be termed progressive.