If you think that the Maltese are not culturally similar to Syrians, you are totally unobservant and blinded by prejudice.

Maltese are far more culturally similar to Syrians than to Danes, Swedes, the French or Hungarians – in fact, probably all Europeans bar the Spanish of the south, the Italians of the south, and the British working-class with whom the Maltese working-class has a near-instinctive fellow feeling probably honed over the last two centuries.

Maltese is not simply a Semitic language with Arabic roots – it is Siculo-Tunisian Arabic which developed in isolation after around the 14th century.

The original core Maltese population was of Siculo-Tunisian Arabic speakers who were Muslim or Jewish.

That, however, is irrelevant because we are talking about the present. In the present, Maltese is still so recognisably a form of Arabic that Arabic speakers pick it up in no time at all, and for some reason, Syrians especially (perhaps because they bother).

That man with the Blue Pain Relief, in all the radio and TV ads? He’s Syrian.

Hi Daphne,

Why can’t Syrian refugees in Turkey have a regular life?

Turkey is a democratic country which respects the UNHCR – The 1951 Refugee Convention, which obliges states to give rights to refugees.

A person who is fleeing persecution is a refugee and should be protected in the nearest safest state, in this case Turkey which borders Syria.

An economic migrant on the other hand seeking greener economic pastures should pass through proper channels not risking a dangerous and illegal route.

Illegal migration is wrong in principle, it encourages human trafficking and puts lifes in danger.

I do not share your opinion that culturally Maltese are more similar to Syrians. Maltese is a semitic language with deep roots in Arabic but the similarity ends there.

Maltese are not Muslims, Turkish predominantly are. Turkey shares border with 3 major Muslim states Syria, Iraq, Iran.

2. affect and not effect

3. ‘want bad to this country’?

4. Malta, not ‘we’

5. Thank heavens we were invaded by the British, because otherwise you would be speaking only Maltese and perhaps Italian, two useless languages – but no doubt you have strong views about that ‘invasion’ too. Or perhaps not, because those invaders were white, Christian and European.

6. Only somebody entirely unthinking would say ‘we are all in the same boat’ in a comment criticising those who really are in boats, and drowning.

I’m very proud to be Maltese. I love distorting the popular perception out there that all Maltese are 4’10”, totally uneducated, have no manners and speak bad English with a heavy accent.

“Oh, you’re MALTESE?”

“Yes, I am” – strongly resisting the urge to add that we’re not all illiterate peasant dwarfs who speak pidgin.

I don’t know where you got the idea that the Syrians are more able to integrate in Turkey than they are in ‘Europe’.

Are you perhaps under the impression that Arabic is spoken in Turkey?

Syrians are more able to integrate in Malta, for that matter – the culture is remarkably similar and so is the language. So by your reasoning, they should be in Malta.

Syrians who live in Malta pick up Maltese in a matter of months.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1500336203/ref=cm_cr_pr_btm_link_next_3?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=recent&reviewerType=all_reviews&formatType=all_formats&filterByStar=all_stars&pageNumber=3

It was Maltese racists who set my house – MY HOUSE, not front door – on fire, Mark, and not Muslims or Arabs. Racism and views such as yours are the distillation of the intolerance of which you accuse others.