Category: Tberfil

Iva? Le? Forsi? Imma xi jfisser?

Jidher li aktar ma jgħaddi, aktar qed noqorbu għal mitiku referendum.

“Referendum”, kelma li tqabbadni t-tkexkix wara l-fares li saru lura fl-istorja ricenti ta’ pajjiżna. Kelma li anki wara dawk il-fares kollha, ħadd minn dawk responsabbli ma ndenja ruħu jesplora fid-dettall – u wisq nibża li pajjiżna jinsab bil-preparamenti għal karru trijonfali ieħor.

Nammetti li nibża ħafna mill-mod suġġettiv kif il-politici jgħażlu li jinterpretaw il-process ta’ referendum skond il-bżonn. Diġà nkwetanti l-mod kif tiġi fformulata l-mistoqsija, aħseb u ara l-interpretazzjoni tar-riżultat!

Dejjem qabbilt referendum mas-sitwazzjoni ta’ missier li jidħol mat-tlett uliedu f’ħanut tal-ħelu, jaħtaf kejk tac-cikkulata u jdur fuqhom sabiex “jikkonsulta” jriduhx jew le. Qatt ma rnexxieli nsib sitwazzjoni li setgħet tgħini nara riżultat b’mod aktar oġġettiv: ngħid għalija jekk wieħed mit-tfal jaccetta dak il-kejk, ieħor jgħid le, u l-ieħor jinjora, il-kejk ma għandux jinxtara għax nemmen li min jinjora għandu sensazzjonijiet aktar negattivi milli pożittivi lejn l-oġġett; jekk le, jaccetta.

Ejja nimmaġinaw popolazzjoni ta’ 100 membru li trid tiddeciedi dwar id-divorzju: Mela ejja ngħidu aħna li minn 100 ruħ eliġibbli, 91 jieħdu l-kedda li jqumu u jmorru jivvutaw u d-9 l-oħra jiġu kemmxejn alabiebhom. Minn dawk il-91, 48 jgħidu li jridu d-divorzju u 42 jgħidu li ma jridux. Wieħed jibqa’ ndeciż u minflok iħarbex “good luck Glenn!!”.

Inħoss li tkun sitwazzjoni tassew redikola li b’marġinu daqstant zġħir ta’ distakk, tinqatà linja f’deciżjoni hekk importanti. Dan bħalma ġara fir-referendum precedenti. Huma mumenti hekk fejn inħoss li d-demokrazija ssir bażwija, redikola u dittatorjali. Huma mumenti hekk fejn ma nifhimx għalfejn ir-raġuni u s-sens komun ma jirbħux fuq l-ostinazzjoni għar-“rebħa” tal-argument.

Naraha għażla iktar matura jekk d-deciżjoni tittieħed jekk ikun hemm marġini ta’ 30% u allura jkun hemm certu sens ta’ qbil li qed issir l-aħjar għażla mingħajr riskju li nofs il-membri jispiccaw dimotivati.

Issa li qed jingħad li l-Prim Ministru ssuġġerixxa li ssir mistoqsija, skond hu, diretta, (“people should be asked a straightforward question of whether or not they agreed on the introduction of divorce.”) jien għandi iktar flieles f’rasi:

  1. Jekk poplu jgħid li jaqbel li jidħol id-divorzju, dak ifisser li tak id-dritt taqbad u ddaħlu jew għandu jibda process ġdid biex issir l-aħjar introduzzjoni?
     
  2. Il-persentaġġi tal-marġini għandhom jiġu identifikati minn qabel? Jew jekk ikun hemm 1% fuq naħa jew oħra, dan ikun deciżiv f’ġiegħ id-demokrazija?

U allura ngħid jien għax ma ssirx mistoqsija bħall-“Inti trid li l-Gvern Malti jibda process minnufih sabiex tigi ntrodotta l-ligi favur id-divorzju fil-liġi ta’ Malta?”

Saqsejtni “Are you sure it’s a good thing that Malta’s Catholic!?”

M’inix xi kattoliku ferventi. Minn naħa l-oħra, bħal xi nies li nafu, naf napprezza kulturi, reliġjonijiet u tradizzjonijiet differenti minn tiegħi.

Nemmen li l-Knisja Kattolika, Kristu ffurmaha fuq bażi ta’ principji ta’ mħabba reciproka u fl-ebda mument ma’ rrakkomanda poteri. Biss, hekk kif il-bniedem wiret it-tmexxija f’idu, beda jifforma regoli u strutturi li sa fl-aħħar raw lil Knisja titrasforma ruħha f’qawwa politika aktar milli spiritwali.

Ma nħobbx nara l-Knisja b’dak il-mod. Għalija l-Knisja hija jien u int li nħaddnu l-istess valuri ta’ Kristu u nemmnu li kull bniedem jistħoqqlu dinjità, imħabba u libertà.

Allura ngħid li le, ma jiddispjacini xejn li Pawlu trakka f’din il-Gżira. Pawlu kellu esperjenza qrib ħafna lejn l-esperjenza ta’ Kristu (għexu fl-istess żminijiet), tħadded u tlewwem kemm -il darba dwar il-valuri, mal-Appostli, il-mexxejja bikrija tal-komunità nisranija. Kien bniedem li ħadd u xejn ma kien iwaqqfu jew ibeżżgħu, iżda l-laqgħa li kellu ma Kristu biddlitu. Issa ma nafx kienetx f’forma ta’ dawl, waqgħa minn fuq żiemel, iżda żgur li dan ir-raġel inbiedel!

Inbidel tant li kien lest li jmur quddiem l-imperatur biex jieħu sodisfazzjon. Inbidel tant li vjaġġa minn post għall-ieħor biex jifforma komunitajiet oħra nsara…

Kelli x-xorti ngħix f’komunità, ngħix esperjenzi ta’ volontarjat/missjoni u nista ngħid li hemm sibt ħafna sentimenti ta’ valur profond! U allura ngħid jien, għalfejn għandi ma nifraħx li Pawlu ġie f’pajjiżi? U jekk ma ġiex f’pajjiżi, għalfejn m’għandix niccelebra li l-messaġġ li ried iwassal dar-raġel lid-dinja kollha ta’ żmienu, wasal f’pajjiżi, wasal lili wkoll?

Ma rridx inħares lejn il-Knisja bħala dik tradizzjonali biss, jew dik li żbaljat biss. Irrid nara lill-Knisja bħala dik is-soru liebsa l-abjad u celest li ferrhet tant tfal imkissra mentalment, dak il-ġuvni li telaq il-karriera tiegħu sabiex ifittex xi ħaġa iktar profonda ġewwa fih! – il-messaġġ ta’ Kristu le?

Ħela fl-użu tal-karta

Għal darb’oħra rcevejt dokument mitbugħ fuq 144 paġna. Dokument finanzjarju ta’ aġenzija – fi ftit kliem dokument bla użu ħlief biex ingawdi r-riħa tal-karta. Minjaf kemm -il kopja ntremew illum mingħajr lanqas biss infetħu? Illum fl-era tal-internet mhux biżżejjed nircievu nota (jew aħjar email) li tindika minnfejn jista jitniżżel id-dokument u jipprintjah min jinteressah?

Enough of the Eurovision!

Vertigo is always an uncomfortable experience. This time of year is the time when I feel I am living in a pathetic country discussing whether we should take part in the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest or not, only for the discussion to fade out in a few weeks and return in a year.

Grotesque is the best adjective to describe the way Maltese society ventures into this experience. People get passionate to cast their vote, end up in tears watching our local performer, argue about the use of Maltese or any other language, become angry over our elimination and battle out a million issues in the Press.

To my mind, music is conceptually not about competition but, by nature, music is about art and art is an expression.

Rather then being an opportunity for the local artists, the Eurovision Song Contest has been programmed to become the target and peak for most careers and the final result at this event is nowadays a lifetime label for these artists. Fabrizio Faniello is still the “no points guy”, Lynn Chircop was laughed at recently on TV. Chiara’s ‘no vote’ from Macedonia is probably her worst nightmare!

I really cannot understand but ironically admire such artists who are so enthusiastic to waste a year’s efforts for such a sick script.

Luckily many local young people are nowadays aware that the Eurovision Song Contest is not the place to be (unless you missed the latest Zoo show and want to have a similar good time) and gladly many of them travel worldwide for the various festivals where international audiences can really get to enjoy true music meant for artistic purposes rather than an evening’s competition.

On a wider spectrum, I would keep the Eurovision Song Contest as an opportunity for someone to feature on a low-key drive but let’s kill all the pressure and hype, and halt major government investment. Let the private bodies invest if they want to.

Most European countries have strong music export offices that do their utmost to promote their music abroad through various bands or solo artists. We, on the other hand, prefer to invest in one song, one artist, one ridiculous competition. And then we complain about bloc voting as if we never knew about it!

There are hundreds of promising acts locally who lack proper support from a proper Malta music export body. While these invest modestly trying to make the best out of their little, without any aid from sponsors or the government, the majority of Maltese media and the public cries over this year’s elimination and all the business lost yesterday week!

The brainwashed are kept busy helping the local mobile phone companies make their fair share of profits by sending their useless votes in repetitive sms questionnaires asking “do you agree we should stop participating in the Eurovision?”

And finally 12 points go to… Italy!

Visit these Websites of festivals across the world:

www.readingfestival.com
www.icelandairwaves.com
www.fiberfib.com
www.alkantara.pt
www.creamfields-andalucia.com
www.heineken.it/heinekenjamminfestival

This article was written as a letter to the editor of The Sunday Times of Malta and was published in the May 20, 2007 edition.