Here’s an interesting interview with Roberto Saviano. Look out (3 minutes plus) for the explanation on why it is important that investigative (and narrative) programs exist and more importantly that they are paid (and paid well, when they generate good returns from ads). But more importantly look out for how Saviano explains that the biggest justification for having people earning money from these programmes is that they can be judged, that we can expect standards from them and that the job is well done. Next time you complain about Bondi+ don’t get stuck on the typical Maltese pettiness of who earns what and why – remember the crucial point : the obligation Bondi and his team have to provide a quality investigative programme of real journalism. J’accuse will keep on reminding Bondi of his obligation and we will continue to bask in the idea that he actually thinks he can get away selling the idea that he is unaware of any criticism because he can’t read.
“Essere professionale significa che lo spettatore puo giudicare anche in maniera severa. Perche sei stato pagato e quindi devi dare il meglio di te.” – Saviano
The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church is experiencing a veritable hemorrhage of members since Christian Democrat leader Päivi Räsänen presented what has been described as an “uncompromising, fundamentalist view” on the issue of homosexuality. Appearing on a TV programme, Päivi Räsänen described homosexual relations as “bad” and this provoked a flood of resignations from the church that has reached the figure of 20,000 in almost a week.
During the TV debate, Räsänen, president of the christian democrat party, insisted that “obviously, a person knows that he or she is doing something wrong from a christian point of view if he or she is in a homosexual relationship”. The loss of faithful in Finland is not only a spiritual question. The estimated cost of this loss of souls to the Finnish Church amounts to almost 7 million euros since the Church is a state church and is financed through a special tax.
On Friday, Archbishop Kari Mäkinen said it was unfortunate and incredible that people were leaving the church on the issue of homosexuality. He hoped members would influence within the ranks of the church by expressing their opinions. So far, his advice has gone unheeded.
The Archbishop emphasised the church was far more diversified in accordance with Christian principles than the views expressed in some extreme statements by individuals.
Proposals for a law allowing gender neutral marriage have divided church ranks in Finland. Some clergy say the church might give up its right to solemnise marriages if such a law is enacted, while others take a more liberal approach on the issue.
“Homosexuality is contrary to religion and family values” according to the Serbian Right-Wing groups who attacked the Gay Pride march in central Belgrade earlier today. The Serbian Orthodox Church which stands for what the majority of what counts for religion in the area had condemned the organisation of the Gay Pride march although, to be fair, it had warned against violence against participants. The Gay Pride march had already been called off last year due to the threat of violence. Several hundred anti-gay protesters were quoted as saying “The hunt has begun. Death to homosexuals”.
“It is a shame for me to march, to stand for what I am, and to have thousands of cops protect me from hysteric [sic] nationalists,” lesbian activist Milena, 36, told Reuters. The BBC’s Mark Lowen says homosexuality is still largely a taboo in Serbia, a conservative and religious nation.
You’ve got to hand it to them. When religion and family values get down to work it turns out to be one hell of a party.
Today’s Times will carry the news that “all those who “cooperate” in the introduction of divorce, including judges who apply the law, would be “committing a grave sin”, according to the head of the Church tribunals.” And they’re at it again. Before you get involved into some giant backlash of church vs state, ceasar vs god, layman vs believer etc etc may I urge you to consider conversion. It’s not that difficult. The Lutheran church will admit you with a rebaptism. You will still be christian but without the cobwebs and barmy eejits behaving like latter day ayatollahs such as the head of the Church tribunals. It is after all matters such as these that instigated the great reformation by Luther. Consider it. Seriously. With a big enough rate of conversion I’m prepared to bet heavily that members of the church will suddenly revise its position on what constitutes grave sin.
The season’s begun. TVM is orphaned of Dissett and we have Bondi’s program to follow the hot topics. We’ve kicked off with MaidGate and an analysis of Tonio Fenech‘s slip regarding his home help. Rachel’s running around interviewing the MPs as per usual – why not a direct line with the MP’s every week asking them the question of choice? While the balance of the story was straightforward and simple – the tradition of non-tax paying maids vs the strict letter of the law we could not help but noticing one glaring flaw in the program.
The guest list:
Joe Friggieri – philosophy teacher (ghalliem tal-filosofija)
Now. This was a case that kept bringing into question the issue of taxes and tax payments. Would it have been too much to bring a tax lawyer/ tax advisor to clarify certain issues on the programme? Do we really have to hear the “minghalija” (if I am not mistaken) and politically biased legal assessments of the guests?
And finally will Toni Abela spare us the “xamma ta’ korruzzjoni” business for the future? He is unable to stand bz his own allegations. What next? Xummiemu the investigator?
As the US and Japan issue a terror warning for tourists visiting “Europe” – more specifically the UK, France and Germany an evident shift in the lines of nationality is surfacing in the news. Malta (the nation) woke up for breakfast with Tiffany (the person) – the next top model born in Wolverhampton but claimed by the Maltese nation. The UK born and Maltese bred Tiff has already begun to receive comments from well wishers and one of MT’s regulars (signed Tarcisio Mifsud) urged her:
“to remain a lady with a strong Maltese character and with strong Maltese values. Enjoy it.”
Whether there is much to enjoy is another question. Then again – what are the strong Maltese values? Are they embodied in the Kalkara ’94 video? Or should she be making use of her new found place in the spotlight to echo the latest Vatican ramblings against 2010 nobel prize winner Edwards – father of the test tube babies (the idea – not all of them)? There are now an estimated over 4 million persons who were test tube babies – and the Vatican still wonders whether this miracle is right.
But back to nations and nationalism. Does nationality automatically impart a set of values? Are both nationality and values part of our DNA set up? We get contradictory messages. Germany’s president told the nation that :
“Christianity is, of course, part of Germany. Judaism is, of course, part of Germany. This is our Judeo-Christian history. But, now, Islam is also part of Germany. “When German Muslims write to me to tell me ‘You are our president’ – then I answer wholeheartedly: Yes, of course I am your president! And with the same dedication and conviction of which I am the president of all the people who live in Germany”
Which makes sense really because you cannot suddenly put up mental borders and block out anything new – a new form of religion – simply because it does not form part of your past. Well you could try – but that involves the kind of eradication that goes contrary to the core values which our liberal society holds dear. The problem is that we are still at pains to come to terms with the new realities and identities. Here is the BBC reporting the latest US activity against Al Qaeda in Pakistan:
At least eight al-Qaeda militants – some of whom were German nationals – have been killed in a drone attack in Pakistan, officials have told the BBC. The suspected US drone fired two missiles at a house owned by a local tribesman in the Pakistani region of North Waziristan, the officials said. At least three of the dead were said to be German – of Arab or Turkish origin.
The language of the reporting is interesting. Incidentally the title was ‘German militants’ killed in Pakistan drone attack. “German militants” had to be decorated with inverted commas and further down in the article we get the second clarification: “German – of Arab or Turkish origin”. You can sympathise with the reporter coming to grips with the “Us vs Them” nature of the “War on Terrorism”. He or she could never come to terms with the notion of a German Al Qaeda Militant. The Arab Al Qaeda is a stereotype we are comfortable with (at ease with the label not with the menace of course). Even the curious laxity with which the word Turkish is slapped on, almost as an afterthought, betrays a general compartmentalisation that goes beyond the national.
The ‘Turk’ is to Germany as the ‘Pole’ was to the EU before membership – a mass of people (Turks/Arabs, Poles/East Europeans) in search of work who would bring their own culture along to their new hosts. It is the Turk, mainly, who brings Islam to Christian Wulff’s Germany. It is the Turk who Wulff has to thank for the infusion of cultural and religious diversity and from those letters from “German Muslims”.
The War on Terrorism forced a radical revolution in terminology – most evidenced in the press. It obliged us to create the “Us and Them” mentality and oftentimes we struggle to understand that this is not really a battle of cultures/civilisations but an underpinning new battle of ideologies and that both the redneck yankee and the arab terrorist are just overblown stereotypes that serve to confuse us further in this “war”.
If the Tour Eiffel were under threat there is more of a chance it would be the French equivalent of the UK’s Tiffany. Someone with a French passport bearing an Arab surname – born and bred in Marseilles but with very very strong ties with the people back home (in the Maghreb?) urging her:
“to remain a lady with a strong Arab character and with strong Arab values. Enjoy it.”
