Żwieġ bla Divorzju up in arms over 'derogatory' language

Anti-divorce lobby Żwieġ Bla Divorzju has “condemned” what it described as insensitive language by Moviment Iva ghad-Divorzju which used the Maltese word “bgħula” to describe illegitimate children in its billboard campaign.

Bagħal literally means a beast of burden but also describes the mixed offspring of a horse and donkey, and subsequently was used to describe illegitimate children or ‘bastards’.

“It’s an especially derogatory term that we no longer use, and this comes from the movement which claimed children should not be used in the divorce debate without reason,” chairman Andre Camilleri said in a statement.

Earlier today, Moviment Iva said the anti-divorce lobby wanted to stop women suffering domestic violence from starting a new life.

Former Nationalist minister Michael Falzon said: “Żwieġ Bla Divorzju wants to have cohabiting partners instead of new families. It wants children born out of wedlock to simply stay illegitimate. It wants people who have money to obtain foreign divorces while those living in Malta cannot.”

Moviment IVA today presented its new billboards, and reiterated it call that civil divorce would give women suffering domestic violence a chance for a new life.

Chairperson Deborah Schembri also accused Żwieġ Bla Divorzju of using children in its campaign while allowing them to suffer more injustice by being brought up by cohabiting spouses who cannot remarry. “Children are also victims of domestic violence so responsible divorce gives hope to children as well.”

Schembri also criticised Żwieġ Bla Divorzju chairperson Andre Camilleri, who claimed that women abused by their spouses should be made to separate, but not have the right to remarry. “Otherwise we would be giving their abusers the right to remarry and commit his abuse in that family,” Camilleri said on Radju Malta’s Ghandi Xi Nghid.

In a reaction, Żwieġ Bla Divorzju said Moviment Iva was imposing divorce on Maltese and Gozitans “without any reason” while portraying itself as the defender of abused women and children.