Mons. Charles Scicluna dwar l-Immigrazzjoni
Imigrazzjoni: Għaliex ħutna ż-żgħar ibeżżgħuna?
L-Isqof Charles J. Scicluna | 15/07/2013
Dan l-aħħar qamet diskussjoni kbira dwar il-limiti
għall-ospitalità li nistgħu noffru aħna l-Maltin għall-vittmi tal-immigrazzjoni
forzata. Hemm limiti ovvji - il-fatt li aħna gżira, popolazzjoni żgħira, u
fl-istess ħin fuq art żgħira. Malta
Weġġajt qalbi għal diversi kummenti xenofobi li smajt u qrajt fuq
is-social media. Ix-xenofobija,
hija fobija, hija biżà minn Meta wieħed ikun vittma
tal-biżà, diffiċli ħafna jirraġuna. Fil-biżà, l-ewwel istint huwa l-paniku u li
taħseb għal rasek. L-isfida kbira li aħna bħala poplu rridu naffaċċjaw huwa li
nirbħu il-biżà li qiegħed jaħkimna - il-biżà tal-barrani - il-biżà
ta’ min flok jiġi fuq il-cruisers u għandu l-ġilda bajda u l-bwiet
mimlija flus, qiegħed jiġi mingħajr stedina fuq id-dinghies, b’ilbies totalment differenti minn
Il-biża għandu bżonn injezzjoni ta’ raġuni, ta’ kalma, ta’
serenità u ta’ qalb kbira biex jintrebaħ. Jiena nafda ħafna f’din il-kapaċità
tal-poplu Malti li jirbaħ il-biżà. Aħna poplu li drajna naffaċċjaw diversi
nvażjonijiet, u ħafna drabi ngħaqadna għaliex fl-invażur rajna agressur.
Elementi mill-kummenti li smajt u qrajt fis-social media, donnhom ipinġu lil dawn
ħutna ta’ ġilda skura bħala invażuri u aggressuri. Hawnhekk ta’ min nifhmu
il-qagħda tagħhom, waqt li niftakru kemm familji Maltin, fil-passat, kellhom
jitilqu lil pajjiżna għal motivi ekonomiċi.
Dawn in-nies m’għandhom l-ebda opportunità joħorġu minn pajjiżjhom
jekk mhux wara mixja ta’ eluf u eluf ta’ kilometri, jdumu xhur sħaħ sakemm
jaslu fuq ix-xtut tal-Mediterran l-isfel minn gżiritna, imbgħad iħallsu ġidhom
kollu biex jaqsmu il-Baħar Mediterran fuq xi laqxa, fuq xi dinghy,
fuq xi dgħajsa żdingata, meta s-sitwazzjoni klimatika tippermetti.
Tajjeb nifhmu li dawn huma bnedmin bħalna, li għandhom id-dinjità
tagħhom, u li qabel ninħakmu mill-biżà u nsiru skjavi tal-biża li ħakimna,
inħarsu lejn dawn il-persuni bħala ħutna. Il-Mulej mhux ser jistaqsina
affarijiet ikkumplikati meta nidhru quddiemu. Ser jgħidilna “kulma għamiltu
mal-iżgħar fost ħuti għamiltuh miegħi” (Mt 25, 40) u dawn huma fost iż-żgħar
tal-aħwa tal-Mulej. Ser jistaqsina kif ħabbejniehom, kif ittratajniehom, kif
ġibna ruħna magħhom?
✠ Charles J. Scicluna
Isqof Awżiljarju u Vigarju Ġenerali ta’ Malta
English Translation:
Imigration: why do our weaker brethren frighten
us?
There arose recently a discussion regarding the limits to the
hospitality of the Maltese people towards the victims of forced
immigration. Obviously there are limits – it is a fact that we live on an
tiny island which has a small population. Malta
is the most densely populated country in Europe .
The impact which forced immigration has on our society has given rise to much
apprehension, as well fear and preoccupation. It poses several challenges to
the principle of hospitality which as Maltese, we have always upheld, and which
is at the heart and soul of our identity as a people, as a country, as a
nation.
My heart bled when I heard and read so many xenophobic comments on
the social media. Xenophobia is a phobia, a fear of all that is
foreign. When a person is a victim of fear, it is difficult for him to
see the light of reason. When faced with fear, a person’s first instinct
is to panic which leads him to protect himself. The greatest challenge
that as a nation we are faced with is to overcome our fear – this fear of the
foreigner – fear of those dark-skinned people who, unlike the fair-skinned
visitors who arrive on cruise liners, their pockets lined with money, reach our
shores uninvited, on dinghies, kitted out in apparel which is alien to our
culture.
Fear can only be overcome by a dose of reason, by an attitude of
calm and serenity, and with an open-heart I rest assured that the Maltese
people are capable of overcoming this fear. We are a nation who have been
accustomed to several invasions. Many times we became united because we
considered our invaders to be aggressors.
From the comments I heard and read in the social media, it appears
that our dark-skinned brethren are being depicted as invaders and
aggressors. We should appreciate the situation they are in, as we recall
just how many Maltese families in the past were forced to leave our country for
economic reasons.
The only way these people are able to leave their country is by
traversing thousands of kilometres. It takes them months to reach the southern
Mediterranenan shores, often spending their life savings to cross the Mediterranean Sea on a tiny boat, or a rickety dinghy,
when weather conditions are favourable.
It is good to bear in mind that these people are human beings like
us. Like us they have an inherent dignity. Before being overcome by
fear and hence become enslaved by that same fear, we should look upon these
people as our brethren. God will not ask much of us when we come before
Him. He will say to us “in so far as you did to one of the least of these
brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Mt 25, 40) and these people are in fact
the Lord’s weaker brethren. He will ask: how have we loved them, how have
we treated them, how have we behaved towards them?
✠ Charles J. Scicluna
Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of Malta
