UPDATED: A racist Facebook group where most of the members are Labour politicians and Super One staff
UPDATE: Almost all the people mentioned here pulled out of the group today. Now even Luciano Busuttil, after this morning’s defiance, has quietly left.
———–
There is a Maltese racist Facebook group called Daqshekk ghal-Immigrazzjoni Illegali f’Malta. This is a typical comment from the site, in reference to the man found beaten to death in a Detention Service van yesterday:
Dan il-klandestin li kien ilu mahrub 3 snin u meta nqabad allegatament gidem u wegga lil xi suldati u membri tad-Detention Service. Issa qata xewqtu li ma jkunx deportat.
The members of the racist group include:
Aaron Farrugia/writing Labour’s electoral programme 2013-2018
Anglu Farrugia/deputy leader, Labour Party
Anthony Agius Decelis/Labour MP
Anthony David Gatt/Super One reporter
Anton Refalo/Labour MP
Baron Ironblood/Viva Malta and Imperum Ewropa stalwart
Desmond Zammit Marmara/Labour stalwart
Edward Zammit Lewis/Labour Party candidate
Gavin Gulia/Labour shadow minister
Gino Cauchi/Labour MP and spokesman
Glenn Bedingfield/Labour journalist
Jason Micallef/former Labour Party sec-gen and current chief of Super One
Joe Debono Grech/Labour MP and former minister
Joe Mizzi/Labour MP and former minister
Jose Herrera/Labour MP and shadow minister
Joe Grima/former Labour minister and current Super One show host
Krista Caruana/Super One reporter
Leo Brincat/Labour MP, shadow minister and former minister
Letty Baldacchino/righthand woman to Norman Lowell and administrator at Imperium Europa
Luciano Busuttil/Labour MP
Sharon Ellul Bonici/failed Labour MEP candidate
The group does not include any Nationalist politicians, Nationalist Party media staff, or anyone associated with the Nationalist Party at all.
Here are some photographs and comments captured from the site today.
199 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
Sometimes I am ashamed to be Maltese.
Sometimes I am ashamed to be a human being.
Sometimes i am ashamed to be of this planet.
You probably added them yourself, just to have something to write about.
Is there no level to which you will not sink?
[Daphne – You cannot be serious. Is it so hard to take in that your heroes do things like this?]
No, Martin.
This is the PL we’re talking about here, mixing with Imperium Europa.
Enjoy.
Daphne, as you rightly wrote, MLP has always been very right wing and fascist.
I am deadly serious. You created that group yourself, or got somebody to do it, so that you could use the feature (which should never have been there) allowing people top add others to groups.
It is kind the the dirty tricks the PN exels in.
[Daphne – You are deadly stupid, Martin, and probably too old to know how Facebook works. You can CHECK who set up the group and who the administrators are, because they are registered. It was set up by a former policeman called Charles Grech, and is administered by Norman Lowell’s man, Charles Sammut. Go in there and look. And do stop being so touchy when confronted with bad news about your heroes.]
Martin, if you look at the members list you will see the date these members were added and who added them
Martin, you are either a complete idiot or demented conspiracy theorist.
Vivamalta!
NikiB, he sounds like someone from Vivamalta. Ignore him.
For someone who claims she’s not on FB, you sure know a lot more than a non-user can know about FB.
[Daphne – If I were on Facebook, you would know about it – obviously. I have elves working for me, but my elves are bright.]
No, this is the work of the Babylonian Brotherhood. I am super serial.
Daphne, to give you an idea just how deadly stupid Martin (aka Balky) is, he used to think I was you. He was convinced that Antoine Vella was not a real person but one of your many aliases (and of course, using your maiden name gave you away, according to Sherlock).
[Daphne – Anyone who can punctuate must be me, Antoine.]
I’ve just reported it to Facebook and shared it with all of my friends.
Imisshom jisthu.
Done as well.
I’ve reported it too a couple of days ago but Facebook has left it standing. Probably the language is getting in the way.
The comments in those images are truly sickening.
All who are associated with that group should hang their heads in shame. It says a lot about the PL exponents who joined that group – scum, all of them.
Joseph Muscat does not have the liberty and luxury to remain silent. We want his comments.
The fact that such politicians are in this group disgusts me completely. They have no morals, values, sense of decency and respect for the human race.
It’s true that illegal immigration is a problem for Malta, but such racist behaviour is to be condemned, not condoned. Every passing minute that those politicians form part of that group is equivalent to a condoning of such behaviour.
The million dollar question that comes out of this as well is if such politicians right now are acting in such a manner while in opposition, is this going to become something of a ‘national policy’ when they are in government?
There is no defending themselves from this one – quite of few of these people have been added to the group in question at least two weeks ago. They can’t say they “didn’t know about it” in that amount of time.
What farcical people. Isthu, jekk tafu. Insomma, considering most of them are a throwback to the glorious Mintoff days, they do indeed have no shame.
That list also includes:
Marie Louise Coleiro Preca
Manwel Micallef
Rodrick Galdes
Stephan Buontempo
Gavin Gulia
Jason Micallef
Lino Spiteri
Words fail me.
I cant believe marie louise coleiro is in this group voluntarily, no way, she could never be and i know her well enough.
You can add:
Charles Mangion,
Chris Cardona
Emanuel Cuschieri
Sharon Ellul Bonici
Joe Grima
Roderick Galdes
Marie Louise Coleiro
Krista Caruana – deputy editor Kulhadd
And it seems that all the PL members seem to have been invited (not added) by a certain Ruben Azzopardi – so it means that they had to accept the invitation.
Ruben Azzopardi is a committed Catholic, affiliated to the Labour Party and in a relationship with a Sharon Ghirxi – another Labour fan.
Luciano Busuttil is a member too.
Is he looking for someone else to grill?
Hitler’s Germany all over again. Some of the posters remind me of the Nazi film “The Eternal Jew”; this time it’s all about Africans instead. What sheer ignorance.
You are so obvious it is unbelievable – is this all you have left?
[Daphne – I don’t get your drift, Martin. How about if you were to face the facts and deal with them, instead of going into denial. If I had added them myself, why haven’t they done something about it?]
Obviously cos they don’t really care what an obscure blogger is saying.
[Daphne – This obscure blogger, Martin, is fourth-ranked for traffic on the list of Maltese media sites, as follows: 1. timesofmalta.com, 2. maltatoday. 3. maltastar 4. daphnecaruanagalizia.com.]
Martin, if I were added to a racist Facebook group, I would consider it my top priority to remove myself from it.
A decent person would care about being associated with racist bigots.
Strangely enough Martin you find this blog important enough to not just read but also comment.
Well Martin, read Luciano’s comments and decide for yourself. With people like you around, no wonder politicians can get away with murder so easily.
“The group does not include any Nationalists etc”
One pertinent question: Would you have printed it if it was otherwise?
[Daphne – Obviously, yes. I have very strong views on racism.]
That’s what is bugging you – that there is no Nationalist politician in the racist group. It seems you have failed to fully grasp the matter at hand. Please, I urge you to try again.
If the named MPs are really subscribed as friends to this group (which unfortunately I cannot verify as I do not subscribe to Facebook), then from the comments posted on this site, and to which there does not appear (from inserts) any denial or statement distancing themselves from them, it would be safe to conclude that 21 out of 34 of the Labour MPs at best have xenophobic tendencies.
This means 62% of the Labour Reps in Parliament have affiliation to or sympathy with a racists group.
SHOCKING AND DISGUSTING!
Most of the comments are from people who are utterly ignorant rather than racist, but then ignorance and racism are very much related.
So are you saying by inference that whoever subscribes to that page is utterly ignorant and therefore by close relation, racist?
Was Hitler ignorant?
@Angus Black: Yes. He lost the war.
Dear Fido, I think I have to spoonfeed you on this one. Yes, Ignorance and racism are very much related. Please note that “Ignorance” and “stupidity” are not the same thing. Hitler was ignorant but not stupid.
Really disgusting – the whole lot of them. Is it possible that Labour are leading in the polls. Mela qed niggennu jew.
What a sick bunch of losers.
As I said, all warped up.
Daphne you only mentioned LP supporters in this group, I bet you that 90% of PN supporters would also support this group and if this was the UK 95% of the population would be support the aims of such a group.
[Daphne – Because there are no PN politicians listed there, Paul. It is clearly Labour/Imperium Europa driven.]
‘[…]the UK 95% of the population would support the aims of such a group.’
Paul your ignorance confirms your stupidity.
Love,
The U.K.
Mr. Banthorpe, totally agree.
Have you been to East and South East London? Every fifth woman wears a veil, with 3 children in tow.
Jon Banthorpe – you belong to the politically correct PC brigade.
@ Paul Bonnici
That means that 20% of the population would not agree with such a group.
@ Paul Bonnici:
“Have you been to East and South East London? Every fifth woman wears a veil, with 3 children in tow”.
And your point is?
Paul, with reference to your comment regarding south-east London, there is a great piece in The Economist this week highlighting how Londoners (even if one only considers British Londoners) are more likely to think positively of immigration, probably because they are more exposed to it than other parts of the UK.
In short, you’re talking out of your arse.
Just because you have questionable feelings towards immigrants doesn’t mean anyone sensible shares them.
Horrible, truly truly unbelievable! So the Labour Party can add another name to their long list of outrageousness, totally racist.
They are the party of jealousy, hatred, hypocrisy, lies, violence that resulted in death, envy, anti-democractic behaviour, frame-ups, a past that should truly shame them and yet?
Does Joseph has a leg to stand on seeing all those names?
To be fair, when Facebook introduced the new timeline, it also introduced new settings and rules for groups where one can be added to a group without knowing.
You would only receive a notification saying that so and so has added you to a group and then you would have to access the group and remove yourself from it. Your only knowledge that you are party in a group is the initial notification, that does not require any acceptance whatsoever and that you can easily miss if you have a myriad of notifications, and the fact that you start seeing the postings of this particular group.
The group will also be listed under the Groups tab on the left side of your screen. Therefore, it is very much possible that most of the people listed above are unaware that they have joined such group, especially if they access facebook once in a blue moon.
Obviously, people with such high profiles should be aware of this and make sure that their Facebook profile is always ‘clean’, otherwise they would do better to unsubscribe.
These have not been added but were invited, thus they had to accept the invitation.
No, they did not need to, you are automatically added. You are just informed about the add.
If you are informed about being in the group and do nothing about it, that means you accept it and agree with it.
Assuming what you write is correct, it is still very telling that there are no PN politicians included.
It could be that PN politicians are more connected to social networking and know the ins and outs and therefore do not let anyone ‘add’ them without them knowing because they (or who for them) would check their profile frequently so as not to ‘fall’ in these traps.
Appuntu Montebello, sinjal li xi hadd addjahom APPOSTA, l-aqwa li ghajjartu lil haddiehor injurant, intom l-illuminati u genji!
Although many of the names in that list do not surprise me at all I am quite sure that at least some of them do not actually know what they subscribed to but probably just accepted the invite without checking what it is about.
I’m not familiar with Facebook so I don;t know how obvious or otherwise it would be.
The one name that stands out is Dr Gavin Gulia – I cannot bring myself to believe that he would knowingly associate himself with such a group in any way.
Luciano Busuttil would not knowingly subscribe to such a group either – but for entirely different reasons – ‘knowing’ is not one of his skills.
Gavin Gulia? I am disappointed. Desmond Zammit Marmara also. These are the better people on that side.
Edward Zammit Lewis is a wannabe MP, not an MP.
You fail to distingiush between racism and opposing immigration. The foreign minister himself has recently stated he is not not opposed to the repatriation of illegal immigants. Illegal immigration is after all, by definition, a violation of our laws.
[Daphne – This is a racist group, David. The title has nothing to do with the motivation. People who make a point of opposing illegal immigration are actually opposing ‘invasion by Africans’. Nobody is in favour of illegal immigration. Normal people take that as read. ]
The pictures make it obvious it is a racist group. Many of them are even illegal. But apparently the police in Malta have better things to do.
I hope Gavin Gulia, Lino Spiteri and desmond Zammit Marmara’ are thoroughly ashamed of what they’re dabbling with. I refer to their leader’s lacklustre comments in the name of popularity and Norman Lowell’s votes.
If they remain silent we’ll just consider plausible their complicity with this shameful alliance. Nothing less than a full statement denouncing this group is acceptable.
Some of the messages in Italian could belong to Roberto Fiore’s neo fascist Forza Nuova.
Fiore was implicated in the Bologna terrorist attack leaving scores dead. He chose to flee to London instead of clearing his name. Following prescription, he returned to Italy, becoming undisputed leader of the movement in question.
Norman Lowell boasts of his close relationship with Fiore on his website
As for Sharon Ellul Bonici, I’m not at all surprised, she forms part of a pan European white supremacist group including among others Borghezio, Salvini and other lovely Leghisti who made of race their battlecry against a united Europe.
The padroni a casa nostra is typical Lega speak.
I’ve had a couple of tiffs on this blog about this, with the usual meanders into my ignorance and bad faith, even though my point was that Sharon should really keep away from that rubbish, that it doesn’t befit her.
Joseph has some explaining to do, mostly to his European Socialist mentor Martin Schultz. I also expect Mark Montebello, Joe Mifsud, Lydia Abela and Deborah Schembri to ask for clarity regarding the extent of this rot in the Labour Party.
At least Deborah Schembri.
Sharon Ellul-Bonici joined a pan-European, white supremacist group? They must have very low standards to admit an anti-Europe activist married to a swarthy Mediterranean.
http://eualliance.blogspot.com/2010/10/sharon-ellul-bonici-announces-ukips.html
It would be hilarious if the money she mentions were to end in Labour’s coffers, member of the European Socialists.
After all she keeps a tag to Partit Laburista, presumably not the enemy.
“Best regards, Sharon Ellul Bonici”
So she doesn’t even know how to write a formal letter.
Labour will not be able to get those funds for various reasons but especially because of this:
“In particular funds can only be used for pan-European campaigns, not for “direct or indirect funding of national political parties or candidate.”
Do click on Malta(1) in the index on the right and enjoy Sharon’s photo.
Yes, those are rules.
So why does she keep tags to Belsito, Bossi and Rosi Mauro, all three implicated in the Lega’s appropriation of state funds, Belsito having invested money in, the irony, Tanzania?
The official address of this alliance, up to some time ago, was 27, Grognet Street Mosta. Coincidentally that’s where a certain financial advisor in Mosta has his office.
http:en.metapedia.org/wiki/European_Alliance_for_Freedom
http://joesammut.eu/contactus.html
Strangely enough the entry on Wikipedia was edited a few weeks ago. The headquarters now listed as Brussels.
http://en.metapedia.org/wiki/European_Alliance_for_Freedom
Talk of “conspiracy theories”. The Willywonkas of this world are those who believe they know what they’re talking about. See how they disseminate disinfo.
Willywonka, er…, Jozef, please check your ‘research’ concerning the SEB-Borghezio link. Make an effort.
And whilst you’re at it, given your interest in the Bologna massacre, check out the Gladio facts, especially this documentary here: http://youtu.be/5soEhxA6zXs
Give me some chocolate first.
Nisthi li jien Malti, dawn nies bla qalb biex jiktbu kummenti bhal dawn, ma jafux li biss biss hawn Maltin li addotaw tfal b’ gilda skura.
Alla biss jista jharisna li jkun fil-gvern ghax mhux patt max-xitan qed jghamlu imma anke ma min aghar minnu.
Int m’ghandekx ghalfejn tisthi, jisthu dawk t’hemmhekk, li qed jiddizonoraw pajjizna bil-mibgheda cara li ghandhom u li ma jisthux jammettu f’postijiet tant pubblici bhal Facebook.
M’ghandekx ghalfejn tisthi. Jisthu dawk li qed jiddizonoraw pajjizna bil-mibeghda cara li qed jammettu, f’postijiet tant pubblici bhal-Facebook.
Maybe this could clarify how long this has been brewing.
Gay Pride indeed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks5OgNif0t8
All warped up !
Daphne, why is it that there are only a few journalists in Malta who exposes such horrific facts?
Why don’t ‘journalists’ writing for The Times (plus those moderating comments) ‘educate’ people? Isn’t this more newsworthy than showing some French politician’s Maltese ancestry?
It is shocking that people commenting here have the cheek to tell you that you couldn’t have stooped lower. They care only about appearances – that their favourite politicians are not tainted.
If they wouldn’t take your word for it, shouldn’t these people simply check the Facebook page you mention? If I were a politician, I would move a motion for resignation of such MPs. After all, such declarations are anti-constitutional.
Being a member of a Facebook group does not necessarily mean you condone everything that happens in it.
In all likelihood, all those MPs were sent an invite, had a glance at the name and joined.
In fact, in all the screenshots you posted here, not once did we see any Labour MP “Like” or Comment on any of those highly racist photos. It’s also probable that those MPs aren’t very tech-savvy and hence do not know how to even get to this group or even view those photos themselves, or maybe even leave the group.
If anything, call them idiots for joining such a group and not having the brains to see what’s in it, but I wouldn’t call them racist. Before you pick on semantics as you so love to do, I do realise you never actually called those MPs racists, but it is heavily implied by the title of this blog post.
Luciano Busuttil wrote in to say that he’s remaining in the group.
“In all likelihood, all those MPs were sent an invite, had a glance at the name and joined”.
I would never trust any politician who does that.
If this is a “a racist group, David.” to which I agree with you, can the authorities concerned take action against the people who form part of this group?
They should.
Unless you’re being economical with the truth, you may not know that this Facebook group was set-up in a way that it allows any member of the group to add anyone else.
[Daphne – All groups are like that. But most of the people on my list were invited, not added, which means that they had to accept. Also, the fact that only Labour people were invited and added is significant.]
What happened here was that someone from the group added all the PL people. These people, rightfully so, aren’t on Facebook 24/7 so they won’t know this has happened and haven’t left the group. Others, like Luciano Busuttil, don’t leave just cause they don’t like being dictated by you.
[Daphne – A politician has no business joining Facebook groups where the debate and content can spin out of control into unwise territory. If a politician has a Facebook profile, then he or she must also ensure that it is monitored regularly and all such material/group memberships cleaned up. ‘I didn’t know I was there’ is no excuse.]
Even if they did enter this group knowingly, they have no control of what is being said on the wall (there’s a no racism warning in the group title) and unless we expect our MPs/staff to surf Facebook all the time rather than get on with their job, there is nothing they could’ve done to prevent this.
[Daphne – Surely you are not serious. One does not join a club or a group without checking it out first. This is good sense for ordinary people, and mandatory for politicians. ‘Luciano will not leave because he doesn’t like being dictated to by you’ – how infantile.]
What Labour supporters could’ve done is add the PN collegues (they can add the Dalai Lama if he has a profiile since it’s set-up a particular way!) and it would prove how this is a non-story.
[Daphne – But they won’t, because that is a Labour group. And if they do, the NP politicians in question will remove themselves at once.]
Point 1 – Not all groups are the same. Some groups you have to accept, others you can be added. Other groups which were ‘hot’ in the past had reasonable titles and then these same titles were changed in order to emberass whoever was in the group. Granted, you should check who the owner is, but you may not know all of them.
Point 2 – It can spin out of control afterwards. I agree, it should be monitored regularly. But being careless in social media administration is a different accusation than being racist, as you imply.
Point 3 – A Facebook group is not a club. There’s a huge difference. The infantile comment, I’m with you, I was just stating the facts.
Point 4 – There is no evidence that this is or was a Labour group. What happened here was social media manipulation and you’re either being economical with the truth or unaware of how Facebook works.
[Daphne – A Labour group does not mean a group run by the Labour Party. It means what it obviously is when all the members are either Labour or Far Right.]
Bottom line – I think Labour politicians (and PN ones have fallen for similar manipulation) should be more aware of the dangers of Facebook and be more sceptical of some groups (all should have a like page rather than a profile), but accusing these people of belonging to a racist club is unfair and simply aggrevates the tones in an already tense atmosphere.
Have any of those Labour names you mentioned, actually contributed to the racist discussion within the group though?
That just proves my point, that this is social media manipulation and not actual Labour people joining racist groups.
If I could be bothered (and I am not) I could join the group, add the most leftist and pro-immigration people on the island and by the same standard you are using, be able to say they’re joining a racist group.
[Daphne – You’re a difficult man, aren’t you. 1. That the racist administrators chose to add or invite only Labour people is significant. It means that they identify with Labour politicians or think that Labour politicians share their sentiments. 2. Politicians who are on Facebook have a duty to themselves and to their party (and constituents) to thoroughly vet any group before clicking ‘accept’ to an invitation. 3. If they cannot monitor their Facebook profile every day to check whether they have been added to groups, they should engage an aide to do it. The risk of not doing so are great, and they are embarrassing.]
if you allow me to add my tuppence worth – the blatantly racist sentiments of the group may have slipped one or two (or 5 for that matter) of the Labour politicians added or invited….. but all of them?
We know Luciano is constantly on facebook updating us with his barbecue menus – surely he would have flagged the fact that this is hate site to his colleagues.
A non-story?
Are you saying they weren’t aware who the people behind this group are?
If that’s the case, it’s even worse – being gullible enough to think such groups are concerned for the well being of immigrants and harmonious integration.
Get serious will you?
And anyway, Luciano just said racist and xenophobic sentiments are someone’s own business.
I take it we shouldn’t ask him whether he harbours these himself.
Why don’t you admit why Labour’s been projecting fascism onto the PN? I suppose the message here is the PN’s all soft, whereas they’re for real.
I’m certainly not going to be defending any MPs, Labour or otherwise.
I’m just saying there is a risk that we’re branding people racist when it’s just ignorance in the usage of social media.
Gullible? Yes they are, both parties have members who are unaware of the usage of social media and how it reflects on them. The funny thing is that this poor use of the tool goes unnoticed by the majority of people who have little knowledge themselves of the reflections of this behaviour.
Unless we want the meaning of the word ‘racist’ to lose meaning, we should reserve the tag for who really is a racist, and there are many in Malta of those, whether they’re unaware that they are or not.
@Joe Mc
If those politicians are not racist, the correct thing to do would be to remove themselves, publicly declare their dissociation and condemn the racism they want no part of.
That much is not beyond the morons who Tweet, blog, and update their Facebook status with the most inane, irrelevant, and unimportant information.
You will also agree that the number of people involved in Labour messing around on that page isn’t just down to mere coincidence. Or are we to conclude that not one of them actually checked the page?
I don’t think Lino Spiteri and Zammit Marmara’ wish to be included in that list, but there they were, how am I supposed to interpret their silence?
I suppose the GWU needs answers as well.
Well, you’ll excuse me for thinking that not one of those mentioned in the list thought better to check the page in question.
Where does that leave the Labour Party?
I’m absolutely sure Lino Spiteri and Zammit Marmara’ have nothing to do with that rubbish, but what am I to make of their silence?
I am surprised that Herr Flick is not on the list (yet).
He misplaced his big boobies last Saturday. Didn’t have the time to update his page.
Daphne, given your quaint “moral code” – assuming that what you say here is what you really think – on which grounds do you condemn racism?
[Daphne – I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your question. But if it is what I think it is, here you are: people should be judged and assessed on their choices, and nothing else. Racism, like homophobia and misogyny, is intrinsically wrong for that reason.]
How are homophobia, misogyny and racism intrinsically wrong?
Who says they’re wrong?
[Daphne – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and knowing that you are a committed Catholic, your religion too.]
Actually, Daphne, I have my reservations on how Catholicism considers homophobia, misogyny and racism wrong.
It is the western humanist mindset that considers them to be wrong. The way certain exponents talk and preach about these three phenomena is very worrying.
Oh I see, we have a Socrates amongst us now.
I ask this because you are not one who usually endorses absolutes.
For a Catholic – any Christian, really – the answer lies in Matthew 25:34-46. But this is not acceptable to a quite a few people. I was wondering what else could make something “good” or “bad”.
Any act of hatred against any person, even if he is black or gay, is wrong. Every human being has his own dignity which must be respected.
On the other hand those who do not approve of gay sexual relations or who are not in favour of the legal recognition of gays should not be called homophobic. Similarly those who oppose the right of illegal immigrants to reside and work in Malta are not necessarily racists.
Funny (actually it is frightening) that in the year 2012, someone still questions the grounds for opposing racism.
Prime Aryan specimen that Duncan Pace is, he’d have to really watch his back in some metros in Eastern Germany or Moscow.
I’m sure the skinheads would show him where they think his genetic heritage lies.
MLP aka KKK
Daphne, you really hit rock bottom with your arguments. You are such a pathetic person… and since when are you in favour of illegal immigration? Don’t tell me you have a few of these guys doing illegal work at your home! Of course it is easy having them here and paying these unfortunates cheap labour rates and making millions from their backs.
If the PN is so keen to update their social status, why not appointing you the Minister for foreign Affairs.. and get them maltese passports, social benefits, work and residence permits etc!
But for the PN it is easier to have them here… for the wrong reasons though… let cheap and illegal labour increase in abundance… l-aqwa li xi erbgha kuntratturi jkunu jistaw ikomplu jistanew…
Paul,if anyone has hit rock bottom with his arguments, it’s definitely you.
Daphne has stated very clearly that she is NOT A RACIST. This is also evident from what she writes.
So before you go into illegal workers, who might be any skin colour, as for example, blonde, pole-dancing eastern girls, working for their pimp or red-haired Albanians, tell us whether you are a racist or not.
Oh we have a defender of the woman who spits bile at labourites and people like JPO Mugliett and Debono! You set up this, you KNOW that even if you INVITE people, they AUTOMATICALLY still are in the group, whether they like it or not, and you USE this sorry excuse to destroy labour now that your beloved PN is in dire straits. Just who gave you this ‘marvellous’ idea, Joe Cassar? And you are trying to be saints and ‘non racists’! Halluna!
[Daphne – Marelli, kemm int injorant. Mhux ta’ b’xejn tivvota Labour, jahasra. Hela ta’ edukazzjoni minn fuq dahar il-poplu.]
Daphne,
re: [Daphne – This obscure blogger, Martin, is fourth-ranked for traffic on the list of Maltese media sites, as follows: 1. timesofmalta.com, 2. maltatoday. 3. maltastar 4. daphnecaruanagalizia.com.].
Has it occurred to you that probably the PL pays/obliges a bunch of its supporters to enter its website several times a day to rack up the number of hits? Otherwise how can you explain why people would want to read such a load misspelled garbage/lies?
[Daphne – Malta Today and Maltastar are up there for the same reason: they appeal to a particular type of reader profile that favours Labour and can only manage that level of reporting/writing. No, of course they wouldn’t pay people; why bother. They have a natural audience here.]
Same reason why ONE will always be Malta’s most watched TV channel.
It-timesofmalta.com tifqghak bl-intellettwalità taghha.
It can be aptly called the list of shame – not that any of these morons has any understanding of the value of shame.
See if you can get them to fly this flag:
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/qq-lpf.html
Admitting that I am out of context with what is being written above, I feel I must express my concern with what is going on around us.
I feel we have arrived at the ridiculous situation that when anything happens to one of these foreigners we are always in a hurry to shout ‘Racism’.
This is exactly what happens when something happens to a gay person.
These things happen to normal Maltese persons as well, so why all this over reaction?
I ask, is it the first time that a Maltese died while in custody?
Of course this is not right, but blowing it up just to make headlines, is something that really worries.
I am far from being a racist myself but I believe that the Lord in his wisdom made it a point of seperating the races by putting them in different countries, and we must admit that He was right and He could foretell what would happen.
Help these people by all means but everyone shoud stick to his patch.
‘I believe that the Lord in his wisdom made it a point of seperating the races by putting them in different countries’
Have you been drinking Earl Grey?
No, Dudu I don’t drink Earl Grey.
I just use my brains to examine the situation.
You should try using yours. It is usually found at the back of your head, quite easy to find even if it is the first time.
Actually, do you know about the tower of Babel? Go reread it.
“I believe that the Lord in his wisdom made it a point of seperating the races by putting them in different countries, and we must admit that He was right and He could foretell what would happen”.
What creationist mumbo-jumbo is this?
Don’t you know that there is sufficient evidence that all humanity came from East Africa?
Don’t you know that the geographical distribution of the world was not always as we know it today?
Silvio, you are the worst kind of racist, because you don’t know you are one.
The fact that you refer to them as “these foreigners” is the first indication.
You’re also homophobic judging by the way you refer to the condemnation of violence against gay people as a “ridiculous situation” (your words).
I am confident that if a Maltese man were beaten to death while in custody, there would be outrage. And there has been.
So you’re suggesting that we don’t “blow it up to make headlines”?
So how much proportion should the media give the murder of one handcuffed man from Mali who was beaten to death in the back of a van?
Do you reckon it deserves maybe a column on page 7 of MaltaToday? Or would that be too much?
God, in His wisdom, created races. He put them on different continents because a Scottish red-head would probably get sunburnt in Mali (remember there was no sun block in those days).
God, if I’m not mistaken also told us to love one another – that includes “these foreigners”.
Now please… go and confess your sins. No need to tell God that you’re an idiot though – he knows that already.
What an idiot!!
I bow my head to your infinite wisdom. The more intelligent person, like you, I meet the more I realise that I still have a lot to learn.
So in your wisdom you already know that he was handcuffed and beaten to death in the van. How stupid of the soilders not to remove them before taking him to hospital.
According to your wisdom Scots were not meant to live in hot countries, like Africa, but of course Africans are meant to live in cold Scotland.
I f you had bothered to read my contribution you would have realised that I said that we should help these people.
When it comes to Gay people, I can assure you I have nothing against them as long ,of course,they don’t bother and annoy other normal people and accept the fact that what they mostly need is help and compassion, after all it was not their choice but shall we say a mistake by mother nature.
If all this makes me an idiot,in your books, than I am a proud one and happy to be so rather than being a hypocrite, after all it was Christ who condemned them and if I recall correctly he said nothing on us idiots.
Quote: “When it comes to Gay people, I can assure you I have nothing against them as long ,of course,they don’t bother and annoy other normal people and accept the fact that what they mostly need is help and compassion, after all it was not their choice but shall we say a mistake by mother nature.”
The above says it all, Silvio. And no – that’s not a compliment towards, or endorsement of your bigotry.
Why do we bother?
It’s ‘about us idiots’, not ‘on us idiots’. However the following could certainly be adapted for you, Silvio:
‘Forgive them, father, for they know not what they do.’
Bloody hell…. you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought you were with your initial post.
I am presuming that Mr Kamara was in handcuffs because he was under arrest.
I presume he was beaten to death because, following investigations, arrests have been made, and I can’t imagine him kicking himself himself in the kidneys. This is all according to my wisdom… and reports in the media.
When it comes to gay people I assure you – you have a lot against them. For one thing you insinuate that they’re not normal. Secondly, you arrogantly assume that they need your help and compassion. They don’t. Thirdly you refer to them as “a mistake” by Mother nature. Mother Nature, like God, doesn’t make mistakes.
But, hey, as you say … you’re happy to be an idiot.
Is that all you could come up with, Silvio? Pointing out someone’s typo. You’re pathetic as well as an idiot.
In your original post you state with the conviction of someone who habitually wears blinkers (and knows his Bible know doubt), that it is a ridiculous to shout out racism when something happens to “these foreigners”
Did you even take a look at the Facebook page that Daphne speaks about? Read the comments below the postings as its members crack jokes and and pat each other on the back over this incident. 1 down, a couple of thousand to go, seems to be the mentality.
Comments are numerous, but they include (and I’ll just copy:paste here):
Karl Baldacchino: tuhom in nar lis suwed kollha!!!
This was followed by a rushed disclaimer 2 minutes later:
Charles Sammut: Karl, naf li kumment sarkastiku, imma hawn min hu tuba bizzejjed biex jiehdok bis-serjeta u malajr issib il-pulizija wara biebek.
4 minutes ago
On the mother of the dead man’s child: Charles Sammut writes this: Milli jidher il-klandestini l-fuq mill-ligi. Jekk taqra l-artiklu tat-Times issib li mhux talli harab, dan taqqal xi mxennqa frustrata Maltija.
Prompt to agree is Johann Vella (who has a huge picture of the madonna Ta-Sacra Quor on his timeline). He writes this: “u imxenqa trit tkun ta biex maret madan haha
3 hours ago · 1
If that’s not racism, then I don;t know what is.
The man is dead, May God rest his soul while you look for more typos and show compassion to gays who don’t annoy normal people.
@ silvio:
“How stupid of the soilders not to remove them before taking him to hospital”.
1. Yes, panic makes people do stupid things.
2. Panic also made them take him to a clinic in Paola, and not the emergency wards at the hospital.
I woke up this morning to see if Silvio made any other stupid comments. hew didn’t disappoint.
He writes: “I would like to see your reaction if you happen to have a couple of still unmarried daughters, I would like to see your face if one day one of them comes home and tells you, “Daddy meet, Abdul hal sufi, he is my new boy friend, and he comes from Hal Far centre”.
But thank God, he’s not racist. And he can quote the Bible – apart from the bit where Christ says “love one another as I have loved you” and “love they neighbour” and all that. Of course he loves them and feels compassion for them as long as they don’t annoy. he is under the impression that immigrants only come with dangly bits and is not aware that there are female immigrants that his sons may fall victim too.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if one of his sons turned out to be gay and in love with an immigrant?
“Daddy?”
“Yes, son”?
“Meet Abdul Hal Sufi, he is my new boy friend, and he comes from Hal Far centre. He’s a fully qualified doctor from Mali. He ran away because the rebels there raped his sisters and slaughtered his family and they were looking for him”.
“X’inhu?”
“He just got his refugee status and hopes to work in one of our hospitals. He’s really good at what he does. He’s saved hundreds of lives already. But this is just a stepping stone… eventually he will work as a consultant in a UK hospital helping children suffering from terminal cancer”.
“X’inhu?”
“We’re really happy, dad”
“Voldieri int…. pufta”?
It was not the Lord in his wisdom that separated the races by putting them in different countries.
It was you, in your stupidity.
I’d rather be stupid and an idiot than a hypocrite.
I would like to see your reaction if you happen to have a couple of still unmarried daughters, I would like to see your face if one day one of them comes home and tells you, “Daddy meet, Abdul hal sufi, he is my new boy friend, and he comes from Hal Far centre”.
Good luck mate mine are all boys and married.
Oh, so I suppose ‘He’ didn’t foretell sea travel, air travel, colonization, natural migration across borders, etc.
What a ridiculous comment, based only on your personal beliefs. No have no tangible proof of those beliefs and yet you still try impose the above upon us as fact.
” No have no tangible proof ” is this some kind of secret code?
There’s nothing worse than a creationist homophobic racist who thinks he’s actually bright.
@ Joe Mc
If you recollect the adage: ‘Ma min rajtek, xebbahtek’, you will understand that anyone associating himself in any way with the likes of Norman Lowell and/or his Party(?), by necessity can be labeled as ‘racist’. Or is Lowell now considered to be merely against illegal immigration pure and simple and not the least tainted with racism? Have you heard some of his speeches?
The DIFENDILA! poster looks like a portrayal of Marlene Mizzi faking resistance to lascivious advances from Balotelli.
Then it would be the other way round.
The list is shocking but just as shocking is the number of people who are here, defending the group’s members.
In any truly civilised country such a list would shoot their political aspiration out of the water for good. But not here. Here, people either go in denial or secretly applaud their stance to ‘safeguard’ Maltese interests.
The same old racists are still there where they’ve always been, clutching at straws.
The only difference in 2012 is that they’ve added more morons to the list because more morons have agreed to join their moronic group and thanks to Facebook, they’ve become very public. Haha.
This is terrible. Absolutely terrible. I don’t even know where to start. Where do you start?
I ve just checked the timesofmalta.com…..nothing about this yet. I do hope, I really do hope, that all these people are questioned and hounded by the media and made to answer any questions about why they joined that group.
Dr Muscat, what sort of team have you got?
Given his choice of potential cabinet material, then one can probably safely assume that Joseph Muscat could only be a racist too.
Funny you should say that. Someone on the wall of that page called Charles Grech has Dr Muscat listed as his friend on Facebook. My, what company he keeps.
Charles Grech is a the member of that group who dedicated quite a lengthy wall post on how the group isn’t racist.
He tells people to stop sending his messages of disgust and kindly reminds us that the group is not racist and that there is nothing racist about it. Has this guy seen the photos they have on there?
Daphne, has been spoon-feeding reporters with very hot stories for a long time but they never take them up. Must be the incompetence or even jealousy. The editors can easily put some cub reporter on such stories.
Not surprised at all to see so many Labour Party names. After all this is a party with a history of violence stretching back decades.
They realized that expressing open hatred toward PN supporters is counter-productive so they redirect that hatred toward immigrants.
For me it is quite obvious why only PL politicians and those affiliated with the PL have been invited or added.
The reason being that those who invited/added them have PL affiliations, and as such, one will only find others whom have the same political affiliations on their friends list.
One cannot invite/add anyone if not on his/her friends list.
Another reason would be that people usually choose to add people whom they rightly or wrongly think agree with their views.
Apparently the far-right in Malta believes Labour shares its views on immigration. And whose fault is that?
Daphne, by highlighting the fact that there are some Labour MPs and no PN MPs in this group you are, in my opinion making voting Labour somewhat attractive given that the majority of Maltese are sick and tired of illegal immigrants, most of whom are economic migrants invading our shores.
I would NEVER vote Labour, but the PN in government who I have always voted for seem to be doing their best to promote Malta as an easy target for illegal immigrants.
“…the PN in government who I have always voted for seem to be doing their best to promote Malta as an easy target for illegal immigrants….”
Jesus wept! The PN strategy with regards to irregular immigration is anything but easy on the immigrants. The way we have dealt with this issue leaves a lot to be desired but morally and politically.
I do not see many Maltese starving because of the irregular immigrants. Quite the opposite a lot of jobs would not get done if they were not here. We have used and abused them and still we get comments like the above.
But be all that as it may, the real question is will the media pick up this story and run with it by asking the obvious questions, or have they too become as racist as our politicians and many sectors of the general public (and I am including both parties in this, peasants the lot of them).
I am sorry but i cannot agree with your comment about the illegal immigrants doing jobs that the Maltese “do not do”.
Many say this but it is simply not true. Not to many years ago we hardly had any illegal immigrants and these jobs used to be done by Maltese.
Maltese won’t do them anymore because they do not expect to be paid the pittance the immigrants receive, probably not even paying any taxes in many cases.
C Mifsud: When I hear stories about people who have been shot at a number of times, watched their family be killed before their very eyes, escaped from hell, made a very dangerous journey, arrived in Malta and now have friends, a small business and a life it makes me proud to be Maltese.
Yes, Edward, but at what expense?
Rising taxes and hard working maltese citizens being cast aside because ‘Jonny Tal Gebel’ would rather hire a bunch of non-tax-paying immigrants to work on a building site for half or less than half the price?
Fact is, there are too many for the country when we have little or no support from the rest of Europe. I understand their plight but why should we bear the grunt of it all (or most anyways).
Save the sentiment for the movies, Edward, when the situation concerns you and the people around you, it’s time to be realistic.
Wouldn’t it be easier to collectively report this group to Facebook?
It always baffled me how the Maltese can be so racist, when our 33% of our DNA comes from Africa, 33% from the Middle east and the remaining 33% from southern Europe.
Get a grip, people, and take a look at yourselves in the mirror.
And what about the remaining 1%?
The remaining 1% comes from racist scum who call themselves Christians.
How about reporting it to the police instead?
Are you by chance a geneticist? Studies have shown that Maltese are genetically very similar to Southern Italians and there does not appear to be any African input in our genes. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20070805/opinion/genetic-origin-of-contemporary-maltese.9032
I do not know how you look in the mirror, However looking at a mirror may not be a very scientific exercise.
Why do these people who are supposed to be against illegal immigration have only photos of black people? It’s about time somebody points out to them that illegal immigrants come from other countries as well, like, for example Russia, Serbia, Ukraine etc.
Could this be because they are more against the colour of their skin rather than being generally xenophobic?
Makes one wonder.
Iva, “is-suwed” biss jaghtuhom f’ghajnhom mid-dehra.
Let’s have an official statement.
Unless their dear leader thinks it’s funnier to keep them under check. Jose’ Herrera must be eating his coppola.
Sharon eh?
It’s 18:16 hours, several PL politicians have fled but Leo Brincat and Sharon Ellul Bonici are still there.
I’m pretty sure Dr. Lucio (how apt – x’bozza tal’elf dak) has now left the group.
‘Progressive’ my foot. No wonder they’re afraid to say what they really believe and come out with credible proposals!
Blessed are the blind, for they cannot be racist.
Blessed are the colour-blind, for they cannot be sure.
Damned are those who see and judge by colour.
Lately I created a group on Facebook. On checking the members list I found two types of members (who were asked to join only by myself as it is a private group) -the “Invited” and the “Added” members.
Can anyone (someone who really knows not just guessing) kindly explain the difference?
I suspect that the “Added” are those who have accepted my invitation and those “Invited” are those still to confirm.
Exactly. The words Added and Invited are self explanatory.
What is worse is that the PL supporters are now saying that it was all a dirty trick done by the PN to smear the PL and label them as racists.
Lord, even when confronted with the truth they just have to twist it round to make their beloved party look innocent.
I bet that the Facebook group in question sure relished the free publicity it got here.
[Daphne – Not really, I don’t think. Its prominent Labour members have fled, leaving it with the dross of the dregs, like Arlette Baldacchino and Charles Sammut.]
Damn, I must be a racist. The second picture from the bottom made me laugh my socks off. Shame on me.
Share with us your reaction to the 9th picture, and I’ll tell you whether you’re racist or not.
OK, so at what point do we all get an explanation from the PL about this? Or are they going to keep quite and act like it s one of those ” it’s in the past so it doesn’t matter” things?
Ara vera zibel dawn in-nies. ZIBEL! Filwaqt li ghandna naraw li kulhadd jidhol Malta legalment u jgib ruhu skont ic-civilta’ lu qed jghixu fiha, min imexxi jrid izomm priorita’ il-HAJJA ta’ kulhadd.
Iswed jew abjad kulhadd l-istess. Xi bojod izda, huma zibel aktar. Kummenti razzizti kontra hutna l-bnedmin huma deplorabbli…..JAQQ.
Oh Fatta, you’re too polite. Seriously. ‘Zibel’ is too mild a word to describe how all warped up they are.
Can’t believe this !
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/free_the_5_afm_members/signatures
Yes, apparently the racist numbskulls think they are above the law.
‘Teeth in this case is a weapon…’
If it weren’t tragic it would be ridiculous.
While many have commented on the alleged murder of an illegal immigrant, no one has mentioned the death of 15 Christians by Islamists. Isn’t this racism or even worse?
[Daphne – That’s religion, David, not race.]
Religious intolerance can be a form or akin to racism and itself can lead to racism. It is being considered as a hate crime similarly as racism is.
[Daphne – There are other hate crimes, David. We’re talking about racism here, not religious hatred or homophobia or misogyny or whatever. Stick to the point, please.]
I would think that a racist murder by someone whose duty it is to actually prevent it would be a much more serious problem than a murder by a religious fundamentalist extremist.
The Nationalist Party should expel the conspirators and dissenting MPs. Let PL and its progressive movement take the junk. They are already doing it in style.
Veru misshom jisthu! Ser jghajtu ghal xi rizenji issa tas-Super One?
This is on Facebook as well but it’s very different.
it-it.facebook.com/…-/dont-call-me-foreigner-rafael-amor/…
Personalment (u nimmagina bhal kulhadd) nixtieq li l-immigrazzjoni illegali tieqaf. Pero, ma nafx kif Luciano Busuttil jista jiddefendi grupp bhal dan. Dizgustanti.
Dawn huma nies bhalna. Ma nafux minn xiex ghaddew.
U la waslu jghamlu dak li ghamlu, nimmagina li ma kellomx hajjitom facli. M’ghandom dritt jghajjru lil hadd zibel. Ma bqajtx naqra l-kummenti ghax ma flahtx nara il-vujtagni li johorgu bihom dawn in-nies.
People like this take the initiative to do something with their lives, against all odds. I met Keita, Kamara’s relative, on his first day with a local garden centre.
He’s got one dry sense of humour, smiling at my observation, in English, of his colleague’s coordinating efforts, plain shouting in Maltese.
I experienced the same thing on site where Indians would immediately revert to English in my regards, to get things done.
We can’t have any of that in Malta can we? M’nejn sa fejn?
Racial hate is a crime and those sickening messages up there can no longer go unnoticed.
U kemm hemm studenti ta l-Universita fih x’pastazata
Name and shame.
lets see if she publishes me this time!……how daft and petty can u get? dont forget what the black part of the maduma stands for Daff…..and to honestly think that all those labour exponents are in that group voluntarily begs of writers block!! do u think we honestly care?
Oh give us a break with the maduma. The PN was lucky enough to be dismantled and shipped to Uganda before Nerik Mizzi could put on a black shirt. As if he would ever do that anyway.
The PN was formed when Italy was built, not when Mussolini, socialist newspaper editor, was elected prime minister.
I’m sick and tired of this crap with you people and your gross ignorance. Disgusted when you try to justify your venom with this abuse of history. What Lowell does, appropriating himself of a language to give it the fascist identity, is what you’re doing with violence as a codified language.
Intom bil-maduma sewda u ahna bit-torca indeed.
Thank you, Daphne, for bringing this to people’s attention. Not that anything will be done in our Mickey Mouse country!
I feel so sad knowing I live on the same rock with such ignorant people. Let’s see how the brush this under the carpet or pretend it never happened. Scum – all of them.
Roberta, the problem isn’t just in Malta. I have witnessed racist behaviour on public transport in the north of Italy and in the UK.
There is growing discontent.
I am not trying to justify any of this; simply stating that what we see in Malta is a reflection of what is happening overseas.
You’re right, AJS. If somebody is against illegal immigration it’s fine. It’s a right to oppose something like that, but these people need to stop being biased and start seeing all the illegals in Malta.
These massage places cropping up everywhere, why do they need cameras outside?
Why can the doors only be opened from inside? It’s either oppose all illegal immigration or just come out and say you’re racist. It is that simple.
I gave up trying to post comments on timesofmalta.com. What exactly is their agenda, and whose side are they on?
Now that this has been revealed as just a GonziPN dirty trick, will you have the decency to apologise?
[Daphne – Martin, it is not a GonziPN dirty trick. Accept that fact and deal with it. It is a group set up by denizens of Norman Lowell’s Imperium Europa, largely one Charles Sammut who was and probably still is the group’s treasurer. This is a real person. He lives across the valley from me, and though he looks like a weasal, he has an extraordinarly good-looking daughter who worked as a model and now lives in London. I won’t give you her name because she needs her privacy from this kind of lunacy. If you mean that the Labour politicians were added by PN secret agents, that’s impossible: Facebook users can only add or invite people who are on their list of friends already. And that is quite apart from the fact that had you bothered to go into the group and check, you would have seen, fair and square, the real names of the people who did the inviting and adding. Yes, I know you find it hard to accept that you vote for people who join racist groups, either wittingly or unwittingly, but there you go. I have always advised voting against Labour.]
Ma l-injurant qatt ma tiehu ragun.
Martin…. you stupid man.
I have nothing to add to the spoon-fed explanation that Daphne’s given you already, but I will add just this:
If it was a GonziPN “trick” as you say, then how do you explain Lucky Luciano’s comments justifying the site and his presence there until the penny finally dropped that it is very much a racist site.
And don’t you think he would have alerted his PL colleagues before fleeing the group with his tail between his legs?
Luciano begs to differ, Martin.
Is this guy for real??
So what is the group’s purpose exactly? Is it campaigning to make illegal immigration umm…. illegal?
This is so revolting. I swear this post is the one which has lurched my stomach/worried me most.
Considering my general criticism of Labour, yes, I am extremely surprised that members of their party are members of Facebook as even though they have no policies at all, they should show some kind of dignity as individuals.
As for the members of our forces, I think they should be fired. It is a pre-requisite not to sympathise which such groups at all in the UK as they undermine the prestige of the armed/police forces and the work of their colleagues.
Truly sickening …
maltarightnow.com has put this story on its front page but I have not seen it reported anywhere else.
http://www.maltarightnow.com/?module=news&at=Konferma+o%26%23295%3Bra+li+Muscat+dawwar+lilu+nnifsu+bl-estremisti&t=a&aid=99838555&cid=19
X’injoranza ta’ poplu. Madankollu, Daphne ghandek kumment fuq l-elves u mhux elves. Dawn xi profile foloz?
Anke int qieghda tikser ir-regolamenti biex issir “famuza” jew “star” go gzira zghira f’nofs il-Mediterran.
[Daphne – Sorry, ma fhimtekx.]
int razzista mal maltin ghax ma jkunux tal partit tieghek qed tghamel ghageb ghax hawn min hu razzist mas suwed !!! daphne tilabiex ta xi haga li mintix ta !! trid tilaba tal qaddisa !!! forsi int komda bijom ghall ragunijiet tieghek u hawn min mhux komdu ux !!!!
DAPHNE JEK INT TAHARQEK DAQSEK QALBEK INT U SIHBEK LI HEMM KASTILJA HUDU XI 4 MINOM IDAR RABUWOM INTOM HAT TUNA EZEMPJU