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Anti-racism network condemns hate speech against Malmström
European Commissioner was victim of incessant hate speech by Maltese users on Facebook profile, over calls to Malta to carry out its humanitarian duty.
13 August 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Cecilia Malmström - her demand to Malta to carry out its humanitarian duty was met with hate speech on her Facebook wall.
The European Network Against Racism has chastised a slew of online commentary which last week insulted and even incited to hate, European Commissioner for home affairs Cecilia Malmström and Maltese NGOs who work for migrants' rights.
An increase in hate speech was registered across all social media channels and online new comment-boards in recent weeks, as arrivals of sub-Saharan asylum seekers spiked, prompting a legal challenge to a government-sponsored pushback, and recently a stand-off with an oil tanker that had rescued migrants at sea.
"We strongly condemn the hate speech against the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström, NGOs in Malta, and asylum seekers that occurred after the NGOs and the commissioner on 5 and 6 August called for the immediate and safe disembarkation of 102 migrants aboard the tanker M/T Salamis," ENAR said in a statement.
"Many individuals published racist and abusive comments on social media, several of them targeting the Commissioner personally. ENAR underscores that online hate speech is a violation of human rights. We urge governments to reinforce legislation to monitor hate on the internet, and to adopt a zero-tolerance policy to stigmatising comments likely to incite violence, racism, or other forms of discrimination."
On 5 August, several NGOs in Malta urged the Maltese and Italian authorities to give priority to the safety of some 102 Eritrean and Ethiopian asylum seekers, who had been rescued in the Libyan search and rescue region by an oil tanker, on orders of the Italian coast guard.
The tanker, with a consignment of gasoil for Malta, ignored orders to take the migrants back to Libya and steamed ahead to Malta. When the Maltese government informed it would not grant the tanker access, it fell upon the Italian government to accept the migrants after a diplomatic resolution to the stand-off.
Commissioner Malmström had asked the government in Malta to carry out its humanitarian duty to save the migrants, who included four pregnant women, an injured woman, and a baby. "ENAR fully supports such calls on governments to first and foremost ensure the protection of lives," ENAR said.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Who the hell are The European Network against Racism ???????????????
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maltesejustice that is exactly the reason that teh EU made Malta its colony. They knew that if we became members we would be their southern frontier and would have to lump the Africa illegal immigrants because of their disgusting regulations. They knew that Eddie fenech Adami would do anything to make Malta their colony. They knew that Dr George Borg Olivier had made reservations to the Refugee Convention that Malta may only accept a very small number of REFUGEES and not illegal immigrants, only Europeans from EUROPE, and an amount decided only by the Maltese Government. SO they made it a condition for Eddie Fenech Adami that Malta had to remove the reservations made by Borg Olivier to the Refugee Convention and that is why were are sinking under this illegal immigrants invasion. see the details on http://www.discriminatethinker.com/yes-the-eu-is-a-major-reason-for-illegal-immigration/
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Pacam how can you prove that they were PL supporters and not PN parrots? In any case, the vast majority of Maltese citizens have shown that they do NOT want illegal immigrants in Malta and that they reject the multiculturalism which is being forced down their throat. You should know that when you try to force something down one's throat the result will be that he will throw up on you and mess you up. But then you cannot blame him for throwing up on you and messing ou up because you caused him to do it.
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@Tony Fava. You are trying to evade the issue. If you go through the contents of messages sent to Ms Malmstrom by labour parrots wearing blinkers, most of them contained the words previously uttered in public by Peppi ta' Burmarrad prior to his backtracking.
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Pacam you completely diverted from my blog. No use to waste my time. The same thing happened to me about Antoine Vella another Bysullottipn blogger. He was jubilant that the Lega Nord was the only foreign party to support our Government's stand and that included your tattered party. Incredible enough he forgot or chose to forget, same as you that what's left of your party supported Joseph Muscat over this incident. But evidently it was a mere smoke screen to regain more lost votes.
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I cannot understand why such an issue is being given so much importance and such horrible events such as this in Sweden (Ms. Malmstrom's country) are given the boot...
http://digitaljournal.com/article/346059
I am coming to believe that somehow some people at the top do want to destroy Europe by hiding the facts and truth. Meanwhile in our country there are active forces trying to push the idea of multiculturalism... when it is evident that the majority do not want it. Why?
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@Tony Fava. Cetta Mainwaring, Assistant Professor in Migration Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada, and former Prime Minister Mintoff’s granddaughter has stated that 'Government's bullish stand’ on the recent wave of arrivals of boat people ‘as short-sighted, reactionary and inhumane' , vide survey’s report in today’s issue of MaltaToday. Muscat first utters such speech and then backtracks.
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Tony Fava is right. If we do not fight for our rights and support those that fight for us,we will continue to be relegated to second class European citizens - just good enough to keep illegal migrants hear, just like Australia is doing with Papua New Guinea and Nauru. That seems to have been the only reason why the EU accepted Malta, to dump all these immigrants here and keep them away from their shores. So rise up and support your Prime Minister who is perfectly correct in protecting Malta's interests - yours and mine.
Luke Camilleri •
Can't this Malmstrom stand criticism?
Maybe she is a bit of a racist herself and bears us Maltese a grudge on the turnout of the SNUS affair with as Mr' John Dalli Stated :
Former Commissioner says EC and OLAF did not question Swedish Match’s motivation and conflict of interest in his ‘entrapment’.
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http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/dalligate/Dalli-says-European-Commission-wanted-to-lift-snus-ban-20130430
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So with the same logic defending the denial of 'freedom of movement' to legal refugees does not smack of racism? Why are the refugees denied the right to move from poor Malta to affluent Europe? Hate speeches should be always condemned -even when they are against Malta and the Maltese. How about condemning those who try to ridicule Malta and the Maltese; is this not 'hate' in disguise?
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PACAM. May I ask you if you have ever condemned the malicious, venomous writings of your pn friend . the witch of Bidnija? While I am against any type of hate speech your Busullottiparty was supposed to be in favour of Govt's decision. Joe Muscat had in fact distanced himself and condemned the hate correspondence.
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PACAM. May I ask you if you have ever condemned the malicious, venomous writings of your pn friend . the witch of Bidnija? While I am against any type of hate speech your Busullottiparty was supposed to be in favour of Govt's decision. Joe Muscat had in fact distanced himself and condemned the hate correspondence.
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If Ms.Malmstrom endured "hate speech" by some maltese, we are all until now, suffering the weight of illegal immigration she is forcing on our small island with all her might.
Hon. Malmstrom, please do something regarding this matter, and soon, before we take the obvious path and do it ourselves.
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If Ms.Malmstrom endured "hate speech" by some maltese, we are all until now, suffering the weight of illegal immigration she is forcing on our small island with all her might.
Hon. Malmstrom, please do something regarding this matter, and soon, before we take the obvious path and do it ourselves.
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IL QAWL MALTI JAJT LI DAK LI TIZRA TAHSAD MIN JILGHAB MA NAR JINHARAQ IL KUMMENTI LI GHAMLET ZGUR MA KIENUX FPOSTOM
MIN SEMA IL KUMMENTI TA DR LICARI DHER BIC CAR LI KIENET HADET PARIR HAZIN BIL KUMMENTI LI GHAMLET KONTRA IL GVERN MALTIN
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While I cannot but condem any hate or racist correspondence I cannot accept the way Ms Mak=lstrm acted. She relied on what the Siop's Company had to say without having the decency to check the views of the Maltese Government. Malta carried its humanitarian duties as far as the migrants are concerned something which Ms Malmstrom seems wasn't informed about. What she seems to have not querried was the reason for the ship's Captain to ignore the order given to take the migrants to the nearest safe port.
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She rocked the boat, so don't complain if the water gets rough. Don't jump in troubled water, unless you are a good swimmer. It looks like she needed a lifejacket. She found one in ENAR.
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I COMPLETELY DISASSOCIATE MYSELF FROM ALL HATE COMMENTS: What I do expect is that EU countries share the burden and show us the respect they expect us to show others. In this case, I expect the EU countries to IMMEDIATELY welcome a number of illegal migrants:
Austria (250 illegal immigrants)
Belgium (250 illegal immigrants)
Bulgaria (50 illegal immigrants)
Croatia (50 illegal immigrants)
Cyprus (--- illegal immigrants)
Czech Republic (50 illegal immigrants)
Denmark (300 illegal immigrants)
Estonia (50 illegal immigrants)
Finland (200 illegal immigrants)
France (200 illegal immigrants)
Germany (300 illegal immigrants)
Greece (--- illegal immigrants)
Hungary (50 illegal immigrants)
Ireland (100 illegal immigrants)
Italy (--- illegal immigrants)
Latvia (50 illegal immigrants)
Lithuania (50 illegal immigrants)
Luxembourg (100 illegal immigrants)
Netherlands (200 illegal immigrants)
Poland (50 illegal immigrants)
Portugal (--- illegal immigrants)
Romania (50 illegal immigrants)
Slovakia (50 illegal immigrants)
Slovenia (50 illegal immigrants)
Spain (--- illegal immigrants)
Sweden (400 illegal immigrants)
United Kingdom (200 illegal immigrants)
If EU countries refuse to help us, then we should:
1: Welcome all illegal immigrants to our shore
2: Nurse them back to full health
3: Give them a Maltese Passport
4: Give them €1000 each
5: Free ticket to any EU destination of their choice
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Commissioner Malmstrom was advised totally wrongly and her chastisement of The Maltese Government's stand last week was totally not merited, showed her superficial grasp of the Law and made a mockery of the EU Commission. It is no wonder that so many Maltese wrote harshly against her and her deceiving informers. She should have checked her facts first before blurting out those insults at the Maltese People and its Government. As all polls show, the Maltese are squarely behind their Government on this issue, including the Opposition, with the exception of the derelict AD which has proved once again its lack of interest of what the Maltese feel and want.
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Such hate speech should have been harshly condemned by Joseph Muscat and Manwel Mallia in the first instance. Most of this hate speech included words previously uttered in public by the prime minister himself.
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I categorically condemn all the hate and racist comments posted to the EU commissioner but on the other hand I feel that these comments should be taken seriously because they represent the utter frustration of many Maltese citizens who are venting their fears and who feel neglected by the EU as regards this issue. I feel that this issue is a very sensitive issue because every time someone tries to raise this issue he or she would be labeled as racist but it is important to take into account the feelings and the needs of the Maltese people as well, the Maltese people have witnessed the results of multiculturalism and know perfectly well that certain countries like the UK are unsafe because of Multiculturalism and I think that every self respecting Maltese citizen does not want to live in an unsafe country. Multiculturalism has been proved wrong many times and this is what is worrying the Maltese people.
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Sweden <3
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The European Network Against Racism should put their money where their mouth is and take all our illegal immigrants and Malmstrom should stop trying to bully Malta. Then there would be no need fo any hate speeches. She asked for it with her arrogance and condescending attitude and got what she asked for.
