History has shown us time and time again, that when it comes to minority rights and human rights, the will of the majority should not come into play.

But Imam Mohammad Elsadi, the Muslim leader in Malta, is of a different opinion.

Despite history’s lessons, he strongly suggests that we have a referendum on whether to allow same-sex civil unions or not.

His argument, if so it can be called, is based on the belief that the Maltese did not know what they were doing when they voted during the last general elections.

The Iman (God bless his soul) seems to be convinced that although both parties had the introduction of civil unions as part of their electoral programs, the majority of the Maltese did not agree with this part of the mandate.

His argument is also based on irrational fear as he argues that civil unions will effect procreation, the future of the Maltese nation, what he calls the Maltese traditional way of life, what he calls the natural family system, and what he calls the cultural identity of the Maltese society.

At this point I had to stop reading and reach for the puke bag because the irony of the Muslim leader in Malta, being worried about the Maltese traditional way of life, was just too much to stomach.

I mean seriously, what does the Iman think will happen if we had to have a referendum to approve whether to allow Muslims in Malta and whether to let them practice their religion?

I have a strong feeling that the majority of the Maltese would want all Muslims out. I also have a strong feeling that they’d want nothing more than to ‘clean’ the place up in a way neither the Iman nor I would like.

A referendum about civil unions would spark a national hate campaign and will give a bigoted platform for those homophobes who argue for so called ‘family values’.

Hasn’t the Iman ever read a history book?

Doesn’t he know for example that in 1967, when it first became legal for blacks to marry whites across the USA, only 20 per cent of the population approved of inter-racial marriages?

Had the US Government waited for the will of the majority to change, it would have taken up to the mid-90s for the law to allow inter-racial marriages (gullup.com).

As angry as the Iman’s words made me, I’m almost grateful that he came up with this shameful idea because most Maltese I know will disagree with it just because it was the Iman who said it.

They will also disagree with his argument that the legalisation of the civil union will open the Pandora’s box because it will invite the legalisation of ‘more new odd unnatural risky sexual relations.’

Thanks to the Iman, many people I know will stop worrying that same sex unions will lead to marriages with ferrets, and sexual affairs with gerbils.

A referendum about same sex unions would be the ultimate act of political cowardice. Instead of standing up and fighting for what they claimed to believe in, our politicians would be washing their hands and leaving it to the people.

I can’t express how wonderful it was to see the now Prime Minister, and soon after the now leader of the opposition, stand up for human rights and for equality. Whether it was lip service of not, it was still wonderful to hear.

But could I have been wrong to believe that equality was not so far away?

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