Skip to main content

Ħallik mill-burgers u c-chips



Fil-ġranet li għaddew qamet kontroversja sħiħa dwar riklam li għalih intużat il-famuża pittura tal-Aħħar Ċena ta’ Leonardo Da Vinci. Kien hemm min ħassu offiż, kien hemm min ħadha biċ-ċajt, u kien hemm min saħansitra ħa l-liġi b’idejh u mar qatta’ dan ir-riklam. U peress li f’dawn il-ġranet kulħadd kien qed jitkellem dwar dan, xtaqt nislet ftit ħsibijiet żgħar minn dan l-episodju.

L-ewwel nett, bħalma għidt b’mod konsistenti f’episodji oħra fl-aħħar snin, id-dritt tal-libertà tal-espressjoni jibqa’ dritt sagrosant. U għalkemm din ikun hawn min iqarras wiċċu għaliha, il-ħsieb Ewropew espress f’diversi liġijiet u anke’ minn deċiżjonijiet tal-Qrati Ewropej, hu li libertà tal-espressjoni tinkludi wkoll id-dritt li toffendi. Anzi, hemm min saħansitra jgħid li l-libertà tal-espressjoni ma tfisser xejn mingħajr id-dritt li toffendi u tirredikola kwalunkwe’ ħaġa, anke’ affarijiet li għal ħaddieħor jafu jkunu għeżież ħafna. Ovvjament tiġi mill-individwu li jekk irid juri rispett lejn is-sentimenti ta’ ħaddieħor, joqgħod lura milli jirredikolahom. U sta għall-individwu l-ieħor ukoll li jekk iħoss li xi ħadd għamel riklam li bih offendih, jibqa’ fil-libertà li ma jixtrix il-prodotti tiegħu. Pero’ r-rispett ma jista’ qatt jiġi impost, a skapitu li jkun hemm xi ħadd jikkontrolla x’nistgħu nirredikolaw u x’ma nistgħux noffendu. Inkella din tista’ tiġi użata f’min qiegħed fil-poter biex jagħlaq ħalq ċertu kritika bi skuża li din toffendi.

U nżid oħra ma’ din, ħadd m’għandu jippretendi li jiġi protett milli jkun offiż. F’soċjetà demokratika u ħielsa għandek tkun int li tkun matur biżżejjed u tinjora affarijiet li tħoss li joffenduk. Sikwit ninzerta xi programm televiżiv li nħossu joffendili l-intelliġenza tiegħi biċ-ċuċati li jingħaddu. X’nagħmel? Nitlob il-liġi tagħlaqlu ħalqu, jew naqliblu u nistmah ta’ li hu? U allura, fil-miżien bejn il-kontroll li jista’ jwassal għal abbuż u l-libertà tal-espressjoni, għandha dejjem tirbaħ il-libertà. Dejjem sakemm din ma tinvolvix gideb u kalunji, jew ma tinċitax vjolenza jew mibegħda. Hemmhekk iva għandha tiġi mrażżna, u l-liġijiet tagħna diġa’ jaħsbu għal dan.

Jien ukoll Kattoliku, jien ukoll ħassejt li r-riklam irredikola xi ħaġa prezzjuża, pero’ l-Alla li nemmen fih jien hu kbir wisq biex jiġi offiż minn xi ħaġa daqshekk pwerili. Li kieku l-fidi tiegħi u Alla tiegħi jiġi affetwati minn dawn il-ħmerijiet, lanqas ikun vallapena nemmen fih.

Mela ejja nimmaturaw ftit u flok ninħlew niddibattu dawn il-kummiedji, niffukaw fuq il-veru attakki li qed isiru fuq is-sisien tal-valuri demokratiċi essenzjali tagħna. Għax waqt li l-poplu kien mehdi fuq il-pizza u l-burgers f’pittura, jew fuq id-dettalji ta’ terminoloġija fil-liġi, kompla l-attakk fuq l-istituzzjonijiet ta’ pajjiżna biex ikomplu jiġu kkontrollati minn min għandu x’jaħbi. U l-ġimgħa l-oħra tnejn minn ħutna, ħaddiema investigaturi li m’għamlu xejn ħlief għamlu xogħolhom b’integrità u serjetà, tkeċċew mill-aġenzija ta’ kontra l-ħasil tal-flus FIAU, biex id-dnub tal-kriminali jibqa’ moħbi u jibqa’ għaddej. Kumbinazzjoni fl-istess żmien li ħalliena Pietru Pawl Busuttil, vittma oħra ta’ inġustizzja li seħħet biex id-dnub tal-kriminali tletin sena ilu baqa’ moħbi u baqa’ għaddej.

Quddiem dawn l-inġustizzji żgur li jkun offiż Alla. Speċjalment meta jara soċjetà li tant saret individwalista u magħmula min-nies li jaħsbu biss f’tagħhom li mhux dejjem ikunu kapaċi jkunu hemm għal xulxin, jitkellmu biex jiddefendu lil xulxin, u jieħdu azzjoni biex niddefendu lil xulxin mill-idejn ħżiena u awtoritarji li qed jiġbdu l-ispag tal-poter, u li mingħajr skrupli jkissru lill-innoċenti biex il-ħatja jibqgħu jagħmlu li jridu u jibqgħu ma jitressqux quddiem il-Qrati biex issir ġustizzja.


Dan l-artiklu deher fil-ħarġa tan-Nazzjon ta' nhar l-Erbgħa 5 ta' Lulju 2017

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Who's the real monster?

I usually hate comparisons, but some very different reactions from the 'great unthinking' rabble do merit some analysis. In May this year, the notorious dog Star was found buried alive . A prima facie , this looked liked the most horrific case of animal cruelty, and is still considered so by some. The perpetrator was described by the sensitive and caring animal-lovers as a villain, a heartless monster, deserving of death, stoning, or even to be 'buried alive in the same manner'. But what did Mr. Vella actually do, according to the testimony heard in Court? Star was sick. It was shedding fur, and quite old already, and its owner did not afford the treatment. In trying to save some money from paying for the dog to be put to sleep and killed properly by vets, she gave it to Mr. Vella to have it killed himself. Nothing much to make people angry till now. Mercy-killing of very sick and suffering animals is widely done and usually acceptable. You may

Shema Yisrael, the cries of the Palestinian people

You live a peaceful life in a modest home. You've never bothered anyone and you've never caused trouble. Out of the blues, a group of people claim that they should live in your house. Why? Because they have been persecuted in a war, and they claim that some 5,000 years ago, their God had told them your home was their promised land. Somehow, the whole community agrees with their wishes, and asks you to grant them your spare-bedroom. You oblige. After a few months, they take the whole top-floor. In a few year's time, they take over your kitchen. After a few more years, they own your house and keep you and your family locked in the bathroom. They don't even allow you to get out, while they strip-search you the few times they do. Even if it's a medical emergency. Sometimes not even medical personnel and ambulances are allowed to see to your needs while your children die in your hands. Desperation starts hitting you. Life seems to offer no hopes. In moments

Why I am dropping out of the Anti-ACTA protest

Like many avid internet users, I have followed with interest the debate about ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement). After reading numerous articles, watched sensational videos, and discussed ad nauseam with friends, I have realized that what I have come across is a campaign hi-jacked by lies, myths and misconceptions as to rival Malta's misinformed divorce referendum campaign. I have to say that the videos on Youtube   got me worried. I quickly signed the petition, joined the Anti-ACTA groups, and prepared myself for a full-blown fight against the big-governments who want to intrude on our privacy and freedom of expression. Like our MEP Edward Scicluna invited us to do in the University debate last Wednesday, I did not try to understand the details of ACTA but rather saw who the players behind it were. But as usual, my logical instincts took over, and his call to not try to understand ACTA actually pushed me to read the text. And here's what I now know: ACTA is