Comments on: UNESCO categorises Malta with Arab States

By: callixtus

callixtus — Sun, 09 Apr 2017 07:11:00 +0000

I’m really surprised. Malta’s ambassador to UNESCO is a Roman Catholic monsignor leading what most would describe as an unorthodox priestly lifestyle. How can he have been mistaken for an Arabic ambassador?

By: Long Lens

Long Lens — Sun, 09 Apr 2017 06:54:00 +0000

It has unfortunately been the case for many years. Back in the day when Malta joined UNESCO, due to the political vision at the time, we felt more ‘at home’ with the Arab group.

While subsequent changes were reflected everywhere else within international organisations, no government ever bothered to officially request UNESCO to classify Malta with Europe. Same situation at the World Bank by the way.

By: P Bonnici

P Bonnici — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 21:22:00 +0000

Probably worse.

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 18:28:00 +0000

The reason that Maltese is taught by university departments of Arabic/oriental/semitic languages is because that is exactly what it is, and not because Malta is part of the Arab world. Mexicans speak Spanish. It doesn’t make them Spanish or part of the Spanish world.

By: Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 18:01:00 +0000

Well, assuming it’s necessarily a cloud in the first place, you can fill in the rest.

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 17:29:00 +0000

In reply to Protolangue. Ara x'ghandu x'jaqsam. That's because it IS an Arabic language/dialect.

By: Protolangue

Protolangue — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 17:18:00 +0000

At the French Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO), Maltese is still taught in the department of Arabic language and dialects.

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 16:52:00 +0000

Inkluz minn xi dixxendenti ta’ Herbert Ganado stess, li fasslu deal mal-gvern ghal dak il-power station ta’ Konrad Mizzi u skyscraper f’Tas-Sliema.