The Voice of the Maltese No. 192

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Issue 192

The Voice of the Maltese (driven by the voice of its readers )

Fortnightly magazine for the Diaspora

Traditional Maltese Crib in Valletta

Manwel Grech

Christmas will be here in about five weeks, but the Christmas spirit is already being felt. Six weeks before Valletta surrenders its title as the European Capital of Culture 2018, the Triton Fountain at City Gate is serving as the backdrop for the traditional Christmas crib that in the past two years had adorned the Vatican square and Manger Square in Bethlehem. The crib by artist Manwel Grech depicts touches of Maltese folklore as can be seen in this collage (below and right) with photos by Herbert Cachia and Joseph Mallia.

Saint Ä orÄĄ Preca with the MUSEUM kids in the traditional procession on Christmas eve that he introduced in 1921

November 20, 2018


The Armistice: A hundred years since the end of WW1 2 The Voice of the Maltese

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few days ago, on November 11 the world commemorated the Armistice Centenary, that is the hundredth anniversary of an agreement that brought an end to the First World War (1914-18). It was signed on 11 November 1918, that is, when, after several months of hard fighting on September 29 the Allies broke thro-ugh the Hindenburg Line. Germany was thus beaten and within weeks came the Armistice. A hundred years later, the events of those dark days, a terrible but fascinating moment in history was remembered all over the world. The First World War changed the course of history. The guns fell silent on the Western Front and after more than four years of unimaginable bloodshed and destruction, the war was finally over. The war ignited on June 28 1914 when Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne was shot and killed by a Bosnian-Serb teenager during his visit to Sarajevo. This assassination began a chain of events that within weeks brought all of Europe's major powers into the conflict. The initial division was between the Allied Powers (Russia, France and the UK) and the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary). However, these alliances later expanded, with countries like Italy, Japan and the USA deciding to join the Allied Powers and countries like Turkey and Bulgaria joining the side of the Central Powers. The war originated in Europe and this is where most of the fighting took place. However, at the time, the various European empires (British, French, German, etc.) controlled 84 per cent of the world's land surface. As a result, many colonies became involved in the war, often through no choice of their own. This meant that the war was felt across Africa, Asia, Australasia and parts of the Americas. Millions of people from former colonies participated in the war on the side of their colonial power. Sometimes this was done voluntarily, other times through conscription. In India, 1.4 million men joined the war as troops for the British. Other countries also made huge sacrifices. New Zealand sent 20 per cent of its men to fight for the British. In the four years of the war more than 330,000 Australians had served overseas, and

Tuesday November 20, 2018

more than 60,000 of them had died. The social effects of these losses cast a long shadow over the postwar decades. About half a million men from North and West Africa joined the French army.

What happened on Armistice Day? The four years of war were bloody and dark for all countries involved. Although impossible to give an exact number, it is thought that around 17 million soldiers and civilians may have died due to the war. By November 1918, the Central Powers had suffered many heavy losses. The Armistice signed on 11 November, was designed to end the fighting of World War One, and the terms of it would make it impossible for Germany to restart the war, at least in the short term. They were ordered to give up 2,500 heavy guns, 2,500 field guns, 25,000 machine guns, 1,700 aeroplanes and all submarines they possessed (they were originally asked to give up more submarines than they actually had!). They were also asked to give up several warships and disarm all of the ones that they were allowed to keep. If Germany broke any of the terms of the Armistice, such as not evacuating areas they were ordered to evacuate, not handing over weapons or prisoners of war in the timescales given or causing damage to any individual or their property, fighting would begin again with 48 hours notice. By signing The Armistice and the formal peace treaty, the Treaty of Versailles n 28 June 1919, signed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, Germany were made to accept the blame for the First World War and would have to pay reparations for the damage caused, estimated to total about £22 billion ($35 billion, €27 billion) in current money. It was only in 2010 that Germany paid off its war debt, with a final payment of £59 million ($95 million, €71 million). Australian Prime Minister William

This photograph was taken after reaching an agreement for the armistice that ended World War I. This is Ferdinand Foch's own railway carriage and the location is in the forest of Compiègne. Foch is second from the right.

Morris (Billy) Hughes and Deputy Prime Minister Joseph Cook added their signatures on Australia’s behalf.

What good came from the war? The war had a terrible human cost for all countries involved. However, one positive consequence was the decision to establish an international organisation dedicated to promoting dialogue between countries, now known as the United Nations. It is also often mentioned that the war years were a step forward in interracial contact, where armies were often made up of soldiers from different nations, with different religions and skin colours, all fighting on the same side. Although "armistice" is used as a term to describe any agreement to end fighting in wars, "The Armistice" commonly refers to the agreement to end the fighting of the First World War. The signing of The Armistice took place in Ferdinand Foch's railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne, about 37 miles (60 km) north of Paris. The location was chosen as it was remote and discreet. Ferdinand Foch was a French military commander who was one of the people who signed the Armistice.


Tuesday November 20, 2018

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The Voice of the Maltese 3

Q. . I am 60 years old and plan to retire at the age of 65. My his is a monthly service offered by The Voice of the Malsuperannuation is invested in a balanced way, which means I tese in which Marie Louise Muscat from the Fiducian have around 30% defensive, and 70% growth assets. Last Financial Services helps our readers understand the commonth was a very volatile month and I was tempted to trans- plexities associated with financial planning. If you need fer all the funds into cash or fixed interest to protect my assets. more advice send an email to Marie Louise via: malteIs this advisable? sevoice@gmail.com. A. . Superannuation funds are long-term residential home that is investments. Their aim is to provide you not treated as an asset. with income in your retirement years. However as the money This could be as long as 30 years or more that you are using to puras we are living longer in retirement. You chase this property is will come across a number of corrections money that you have in in the share markets over this period of superannuation, your sutime. At the age of 65 when you plan to perannuation is still an retire and start to take a payment out of asset and therefore one your superannuation fund you will need asset will be replacing to take a minimum payment of 5%. another and thus will not Cash does not earn 5% at present and affect your pension entitherefore unless the fund is earning this tlement. The only effect much you would be using your capital. If on the pension would be come. This will affect your pension but you feel uncomfortable with only 30% de- that while you are living overseas your you would lose only 50c in the dollar and fensive, increase this portion to 40% or pension suppliments will not be paid, but thus you will still be entitled to a good 50% but still maintain growth assets, as only your pension entitlement will be paid. portion of age pension. However you long term growth investments have always Q. I am single and turning age pension probably have other assets and I am sure out performed cash and fixed interest. age, (which is 65.5) in a few months’ you have a superannuation fund, as this Q. My wife and I will be retiring in a time. I was going to retire and apply for is compulsory. All your financial assets are deemed as couple of years. We plan to purchase a the age pension but was asked to conproperty in Malta so that we can spend tinue to work 3 days a week earning earning income that is counted by the Ina portion of the year there but still have $550 per week. Am I still able to apply come test when calculating your pension our home here in Australia. We will be for the age pension as this will be $1100 entitlement. You should therefore visit an using some of our superannuation per fortnight which is more than the FIS officer at a Centrelink office and they will calculate your pension entitlement money to do this. Will the house in age pension? Malta be treated as an asset as we will A. Once you turn ‘age pension’ age the and the affect that your work income not be generating income from it but first $300 per fortnight of your work in- would have on your age pension. You will be able to make an informed decision using it as our second home? come is not counted by Centrelink. This then. However working and earning A. Yes the home in Malta will be treated as is called the Work Bonus. Therefore only money would still leave you with more an asset as one is only entitled to have one $800 per fortnight will be treated as in- money in your hands then just the age pension. Q. I have been sitting on some cash for a while waiting for the market to correct. Now that it has corrected I was planning to purchase some bank shares as they pay very good dividends? Is now the right time to buy? A. I wouldn’t be able to make any recommendations on whether you should purchase shares or not, as I don’t know your personal circumstances, but if you are planning to invest in bank shares now they are definitely a great deal cheaper than they were 12 months ago. However the share markets could continue to correct for a while longer. One can never time the markets but we believe that time in the markets is what matters. Shares are long-term investments and bank shares are currently paying reasonably high fully franked dividends which is a better return than current interest rates.

Q&A

This document contains factual information only and is not intended to provide any recommendation or opinion in relation to the topic/s discussed. Fiducian recommends that you seek advice from a professional to address any issues that may be raised by this article. Fiducian accepts no liability for any loss suffered by anyone who has acted on any information in this document


4 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Something magical happens each time you enter these city walls. Architectural excellence captivates your visual senses, as every step leads to a landmark of historical value. Walls and pavements that line the grid of narrow streets whisper secrets and mystics to passersby, whilst the air fills up with modern art, live music, and an array of celebrations. The Unesco World Heritage Site could perhaps best be described as a place where history meets the present; where every explorer can find something they love. How will your Valletta story unfold?


The academic journey of a second-generation Maltese-Australian Tuesday November 20, 2018

The Voice of the Maltese 5

ovember’s Personality of the Month is an AusN tralian-born youth of Maltese descent who believes that the hard work of his ancestors in coming to Australia was important but needs to be developed anew for younger Maltese-Australians

Dr. Shannon Said

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hannon Said was born in Sydney in 1989, the second of two children to Salvatore and Joyce Said. Hi father was born in St Julian’s in 1959 and emigrated from Malta with his immediate family in 1963. His mother Joyce, born in Mosta in 1963, migrated to Australia with her immediate family in 1967. Shannon and his older brother Joshua grew up around the Maltese language, but as second-generation Maltese-Australians, English was considered their language of the future, and they were not taught their heritage language. Both attended Ringrose Public School and Greystanes High School, with Shannon completing his HSC as School Captain and with the highest overall Year 12 score of his cohort. Shannon went on to enrol in a Bachelor of Music at Western Sydney University, attaining the Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship and admission into the Aspire Programme that provides support and training to young leaders. Shannon completed his Bachelor of Music in 2010 with a distinction average, and in 2011 completed his honours, exploring Christian-Maori music and songwriting practice alongside a Maori church based in southwest Sydney. He attained a first class honours degree, allowing him to explore his research more thoroughly in a PhD with a scholarship from 2011-2015. Shannon’s thesis, entitled

PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH

Shannon with his mum and dad and brother Joshua on graduation day

Whakapono ki a te karaiti: exploring Christian-Maori identity through contemporary Christian songwriting is available online, alongside his two albums written together with his church, Whakanuia (2011) and Koha (2015). In 2014, Shannon was approached by his then Maltese language schoolteacher Nicholina McKenna, who presented the idea of a Maltese Youth Committee, to present a paper in Valletta in 2015 on issues that were important to young Maltese people. The Maltese-Australians Youth Committee (MAYC) was subsequently born in 2014. Alongside the hard work of his MAYC colleagues, Shannon Said and Charmaine Cassar presented the paper entitled The Emerging Diaspora: Engaging Maltese-Australian Youth Identity in Australia that highlighted key recommendations around the need to improve access to Maltese language learning, citizenship information, and more cultural and sporting events between the Maltese Islands and Australia. Shannon is currently working alongside his MAYC colleagues to create community activities and events that bring Maltese people across Sydney together and inspire a desire for Maltese youth to reconnect with the culture of their forebears. To this end, he has a passion for the Maltese language, having completed the Maltese HSC exam in 2016 with an overall mark of 86%. He believes that the hard work of his ancestors in coming to Australia and establishing cultural communities here was important work but needs to be developed anew for younger Maltese-Australians. Maltese young people today see value in their heritage, but the fractured nature of Maltese communities, and the politicking that can take place within them hinder effectively working together for the common health and prosperity of all Maltese-Australians. He further believes that unity in the face of difference of opinion is difficult but not impossible, and it is vital if the Maltese community is to reformulate its approach to engaging with new generations.


6 The Voice of the Maltese

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Tuesday November 20, 2018

Time exploring and unveiling of Truth T

his is the thirteenth article about the set of fourteen Tapestries to be found at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. In which we try to grasp the message each representation wants to convey. Today’s is an explanation behind the tapestry titled:

he image of time passing by depicts the earthly mission of the Catholic Church throughout the ages. Here time is exploring and unveiling truth. Evil is personified by the blindfolded winged figure with a sickle in his right hand trying to kill truth. In the tapestry, Truth is seen coming from above in a victorious manner, represented by a graceful and radiant lady. Father-time is bending low looking at those who are about to be saved. On the right hand side, error in ugly forms is rapidly moving into space, and heresy and its perpetrators are conquered and killed. Below, heresy is crushed, and the enemies of truth are done away with. With the passing of time, truth has been unveiled. Maybe in this scene Rubens is exploring the dark depths of the soul or the most disturbing aspects of evil that give way to the universal desire for redemption from sin and damnation. Since the early centuries of its foundation the Church has always defended heresy. Originally it started with a division among Christians: it gives a false doctrine or a false interpretation of the true doctrine. Heresy “is a rebellion against God”. It is the deliberate resistance to God’s authority. It is primarily an

Painter Peter Paul Rubens

error in matters of faith; when the Church is confronted by heresies she always perseveres in defence of truths. Since the very beginning the Church tried to eradicate ‘the darkness of heresies’ and to instill the purity of the Catholic truth by the help of Jesus Christ who is the true light. In 1546 the Council of Trent began one of the Sessions with “the rooting out of heresy.” The best way to defend oneself against heresy was the shield of faith. In the decree of Reformation the Council Fathers agreed that if a preacher were to spread errors, or preach heresies he was to be interdicted by the bishop according to his apostolic authority, and as the delegate of the apostolic see. Throughout the centuries the Church always made it a point to destroy errors and to extirpate the heresies; condemned the heresies of old and contemporary ones. Since time immemorial man has always racked his brain about the quest for Truth. Long before the Christian era, during the Nineteenth Dynasty (1295-1188 BC) in ancient Egyptian religion the Valley of Kings was called “The valley of Truth”.

The Flemish Tapestries in the Conventional Church of the Order of St John in Valletta

Dr. DorisCannataci

In the fifth century BC, in ancient civilisation, Socrates was concerned to find out the truth. He said: “if there is no truth then there is no justice”. Experience has shown that after several millennia man still believes and waits for time to unveil truth. In the bottom left corner of the tapestry is a stately figure. Father-time wearing a particular costume is represented by an elderly gentleman. This could also represent the painter himself – a portrait of Peter Paul Rubens. If one is not certain whether he is the artist or not, one must bear in mind that Rubens was a fervent catholic. Reference

1. The Concise Catholic Dictionary, KS/MO 1992, 163. 2. KARL RAHNER – HERBERT VORGRIMLER, Concise Theological Dictionary, 206-207. 3. Session III (4 February 1546) : 662. 4. Ibid. 5.Session V (17 June 1546) : no. 16, 670


A new chapter for the Maltese Community Council of Victoria

Tuesday November 20, 2018

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t the end of the Maltese Community Council of Victoria’s annual general meeting during which a new executive was formed, the MCCV described the situation as an exciting new chapter for it with the new executive made up of members from the younger generation who would be working with the community elders. Marlene Ebejer, who as The Voice reported in our last issue was among the persons to be elected, would be leading the council from the position of President. She is a specialist family lawyer with her practice in Werribee who has a long history as a community development worker, university lecturer and author. She recalls attending the Parkville premises when it only consisted of a weatherboard house and played bingo there with her mother and Nanna. Later, as a teenager, she joined the youth group at the Centre. She has spent the last year offering free legal advice at the Centre to anyone in need. Paul Borg OAM who served the MCC as treasurer for 54 years was thanked for his past services. Edwidge Borg who

Il-Kumitat tal-GCFCC fin-naħat ta’ Cringila

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il-laqgħa ġenerali li kellhom ftit ilu l-George Cross Falcons Community Centre ġew eletti disa’ persuni biex iservu fil-kumitat għall-2018/19. Dawn huma: Louis Parnis, Dean Shaw, Mary Borg, Michelle Parnis, Adam Scotsafava, Anne Scotsafava, George Dingli, Vincent Xuereb u John Borg. Dawk eletti issa jridu jaqsmu bejniethom il-pożizzjonijiet eżekuttivi. X’aktarx li din hi l-unika għaqda Maltija fi NSW li taddotta din il-proċedura li wara kollox hi skont kif titlob il-kostituzzjoni tagħhom. Iċ-ċentru tal-George Cross Il-George Cross FalFalcons fi Cringila cons li gew im-waqqfa fl-1951 għandhom iċċentru tagħhom fi 2527 Lake Avenue Cringila NSW 2502. Kuntatt: 042 085 7363.

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• Riverstone: 11:00am from St John's Church Mc Collouch Str Riverstone • Blacktown: 11:30am from Bus stop near Blacktown Workers • Greystanes: 11:45am from Bus stop opposite Greystanes church (close to Braeside Rd) • Entry to Gardens: 5:30 pm • Return to coach: 9:00pm • Lunch & afternoon tea provided • Coach & entry to gardens included • Deposit required by December 2 Contact: Ray/Josephine Bigeni: 9627 4182, 0439 974 182, 0448 100 034; M'Anne Teuma: 4579 6771; Vicki Micallef: 0425 210 436

The Voice of the Maltese 7

is well known to the Maltese Community has replaced him. In the past Edwige Borg also served as President and member of the MCCV Executive, and is instrumental in running Maltese lessons. She is also the President of the Federation of Paul Borg OAM Maltese Language Schools Australia, an accountant and has recently been appointed by the Malta Government as a member of the Council of Maltese Living Abroad (CMLA). Andrew Gatt, Antonia Camilleri, Rosemary Attard and Rita Pullicino were reelected to their previous positions to carry on the hard work and valued contribution to the MCCV. Victor Borg as v/ President and Joe Stafrace PRO will continue in their new roles to support the new Executive. Nicole Obornes, one of the two Vice Presidents, has not as yet accepted the role. Present for the general meeting were representatives of a number of organisations that included the Melita Social Club, Maltese Community Latrobe Valley, Maltese Historical Association, Maltese Literature Group, Lalor United Bocce, Maltese Association Northern Suburbs, Tripoli Social Club, Reskeon Maltese Association, Newport Maltese Association, St Gaetan’s Society, Klabb Għannejja Maltin, Rabat Malta Senior Citizens and St Helena Social Club. The MCCV Executive said it is looking forward to its continued work with the Maltese Community in Victoria.

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Have your say/Xi trid tghid?

8 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Your letters/ L-ittri tagħkom ...

Youths’ lack of participation in the community:

The Voice of the Maltese for fortnightly tnightly magazine magazine

is is a bi-lingual (in English and Maltese) fortnightly magazine that specifically targets all Maltese living abroad with emphasis on the Australian and Maltese scenes. e magazine can also be read in flipbook format online. A pdf copy is also sent via email on request. If you require a printed copy we can also oblige. Editors: Malta: Joseph Cutajar Australia: Lawrence Dimech: MOM, OAM, JP email address: maltesevoice@gmail.com Letters for publication in The Voice magazine, either in Maltese or English should include name and e-mail address of the writer and be e-mailed to: maltesevoice@gmail.com.

Now you can also join us on facebook: https://www.facebook. com/groups/thevoiceofthemaltese

A problem that is shared

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Anthony Cassar from St Albans writes: can understand the concerns of the leaders of the Maltese communities, in Australia, and even Canada (as we have learned) about the lack of participation by our siblings in activities/committees in organisations of the Maltese communities. This is a problem that is shared with other ethnic groups in the two countries I have just mentioned, particularly in Australia where I have lived for over 50 years. I for one was never that eager to form part of the inner group of any such organisation though I have attended a number of activities they have organised over the years. If we come to that I admit that for

no reason whatsoever I never tried to push my kids into getting involved in such organisations or activities. Today’s generation is more independent; what was important for us newcomers to stick together in such large countries was not that important for our kids. They are so independent. Some of them suffered the hostility shown them by those whose roots are Australian, and Canadian. The same goes for other ethnic groups. Even the Italians who are closer knit than us would vouch for that. So there is nothing strange about it. Therefore we should not make a mountain out of a molehill about it.

Emanuel Camilleri from Cecil Park NSW writes:

il-biċċa l-kbira kull ma jiġi ppubblikat fil-magazine jogħġobni imma l-aktar li F jinteressawni l-artikli li jkunu bil-Malti,

Council, what Council? Ngħożżu l-ilsien Malti

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his is in answer to the comments by George Pisani from Sunshine Victoria in his letter in the last issue of The Voice magazine, titled Council, what Council? My name is Emanuel Camilleri, president of the Maltese Community Council of NSW. I am one of the new members selected by the Council for the Maltese Living Abroad (CMLA) representing the state of NSW. I am honoured and humble to sit on the council and be part of the advisory to the Maltese Government on matters related to the Maltese living abroad. In my capacity with the Maltese community I am aware of the community’s needs and concerns. I will do my best to help continue the work started by the previous members and put new propositions to the new Council.

Emmanuel Borg minn Penrith NSW jikteb

għax minbarra li dejjem ikunu interessanti, qed tgħinu li tinżamm ħajja l-lingwa Maltija. Ftit huma minn fostna l-komunita` Maltija li forsi għadhom isibuha bi tqila li jaqraw jew jitkellmu bl-Ingiż f’pajjiż fejn l-Ingliż huwa l-ilsien uffiċjali. Dawn x’aktarx li huma anzjani li ġew l-Awstralja meta diġa` kienu kbar u forsi ma kellhomx l-edukazzjoni meħtieġa biex jew tgħallmu f’Malta inkella fl-Awstralja, li jaqraw jew anke jitkellmu bl-Ingliż. Min-naħa l-oħra ħafna x’aktarx li ma tantx taw kas il-lingwa Maltija, ilsien twelidhom u għax jgħixu f’pajjiż fejn l-Ingliż jiddomina. Niftaħar li minix fost tal-aħħar, u l-Malti bqajt ngħożżu, imma għalkemm naqrah u nitkellmu tajjeb, mhux dejjem korrett f’kitbieti u min jaf kemm-il darba ktibt kemm wieħed jaqrah u bla ma osservajt ir-regoli. Għal nies bħali allura, l-artikli bil-Malti fuq il-magazine għandhom valur kbir. Imma aktar minhekk irrid nagħtikom ħajr li fost kollox, qed ukoll tgħinuna nitgħallmu r-regoli u nsiru niktbu l-Malti tajjeb. Dan qed tagħmluh l-aktar bl-artikli fil-paġna tattagħrif dwar il-kitba Maltija. Qed jgħinni wkoll biex anke jekk uliedi mhumiex intiżi fil-kitba, imma qed nagħmel minn kollox biex fejn nista’ ngħallimha linneputijiet. Tghidx kemm inkun kuntent meta jagħmlu ħilithom biex ikellmu lil u lil nannithom bil-Malti. Jinħtieġ li l-komunita` Maltija naħdmu ħalli din il-lingwa tant sabiħa ma tintilifx.


The Voice of the Maltese 9

Tuesday November 20, 2018

What can be done to stop extremism?

Still active at 90

Disconnect between older and younger generations

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n the wake of the terror attack on the crowded streets of Melbourne’s CBD, it is difficult to argue against any plan to do more to fight terrorism in Australia. Greg Barton from the Deakin University writing for SBS News explains and elaborates that leaving aside the politically charged nature of comments from government ministers - campaigning ahead of the fast-approaching elections in Victoria and imminent federal elections in the new year - it is important to take an objective look at what reasonably can be done. Lone-actor attacks continue to worry police precisely because they are so very hard to anticipate and disrupt. When one or two people decide to launch an attack with little planning and no communications across a larger terrorist network, the methods of intelligence that are so successful in preventing large-scale attacks have little utility. One of the problems with suggesting that Muslim leaders need to “do more” is that it implies they have the information they are not sharing, or that they’re failing to take action when they see a problem. The reality is that Islamic leaders generally have little to do with the troubled young people most likely to be involved in lone-actor attacks like the one in Melbourne. Muslim communities, like many others in multicultural Australia, face a challenge in closing the gap between young people and the older generation recognised as the community’s formal leaders or religious teachers. They live in two separate worlds. It is not the actively religious young people who are generally the source of problems. Rather, it is the alienated and the angry who turn their backs on community leaders – they are the real concern. Among those attackers who do become religious, they generally reject mainstream religious leadership, making it difficult for those imams, for instance, to spot troubled youth and intervene. Nevertheless, state and federal police are quietly having considerable success in working with these young people, on a voluntary basis, to reengage them with their families and communities. Some members of the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) play a key role in this low-key work. Mental health professionals, counsellors and social workers work alongside religious teachers in attempting to turn troubled young lives around.

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Jane Vella (right) with Dorothy Gatt one of the organisers ane Vella nee Ciappara was born 90 years ago at Marsa. During the war years her family moved to a safer place at Mellieħa. She became a primary school teacher and still attends Maltese community gatherings. Jane celebrated her 90th birthday with her many friends in the presence of the Consul-General Lawrence Buhagiar and his wife, Rosianne at the Greystanes Seniors Day Monthly Group


10 The Voice of the Maltese

Perspettiva

Umiltà B

ħalissa l-Knisja Kattolika fl-Awstralja qed tħejji għal Kunsill Plenarju li se jsir fl-2020. Kunsill Plenarju huwa meqjus bħala l-iktar laqgħa għolja formali tal-knejjes lokali f’pajjiż. Qiegħed isir wara li l-Papa Franġisku stieden lill-knejjes lokali għal djalogu dwar il-bidliet sinjifikanti fis-soċjeta Awstraljana u lfatt li l-Kummissjoni Rjali fuq it-Tweġibiet Istituzzjonali għallAbbuż Sesswali tat-Tfal kien avveniment sinjifikanti u influenti li jeħtieġ kunsiderazzjoni profonda u tweġiba.1 Bħalissa l-Kattoliċi fil-pajjiż qegħdin jiġu mistiedna jwieġbu għall-mistoqsija, ‘X’taħseb li Alla jrid minna lkoll fl-Awstralja bħalissa?’. Jien kont mistieden nattendi għal sessjoni fil-parroċċa tiegħi, u sfortunatament il-ħin ma kienx tajjeb għalija. Iddeċidejt li minflok il-ħsibijiet tiegħi nippubblikahom hawnhekk. Għandi tliet ħsibijiet ewlenin. L-ewwel wieħed hu mnebbaħ mill-Kummissjoni Rjali li semmejt qabel, u investigazzjonijiet simili li saru f’pajjiżi oħra, f’komunitajiet kattoliċissimi, li wasslu għall-istess konklużjoni – l-abbuż sesswali skandaluż tal-minorenni minn qassisis u reliġjużi oħra (mhux kattoliċi biss, imma jien se niffoka fuq il-knisja tiegħi), u l-imġieba bil-wisq iktar skandaluża ta’ xi mexxejja fil-knisja li ħbew, għattew, u mexxew lill-offensuri minn hawn għal hemm u b’hekk ippermettew it-tkomplija ta’ dan l-abbuż għal ħafna snin. Wieħed irid jifhem li mill-mexxejja tal-knisja, uħud iffurmaw parti mill-kunsilli ekumeniċi, u oħrajn saħansitra intgħażlu bħala Papa. Hu mistenni minna l-kattoliċi, bħala domma, li definizzjonijiet talkunsilli ekumeniċi u tal-Papa dwar fidi u morali naċċettawhom bħala infallibbli. Jien naċċetta li dawn id-definizzjonijiet ikunu awtorevoli, imma infallibbli? Il-Kummissjoni Rjali tal-Awstralja wriet li wħud millmexxejja tal-Knisja lanqas kellhom ħila jieħdu deċiżjonijiet moralment aċċettabbli fir-rigward ta’ dawk li huma xempju għal min jidħol fis-saltna tas-sema u kienu f’istituzzjoni tal-Knisja f’sitwazzjoni vulnerabbli,2 fejn m’hemm l-ebda ambigwità fuq id-direzzjoni tad-deċiżjonijiet li kellhom jittieħdu. Fl-istess ħin, jien mistenni nemmen li mexxejja tal-Knisja, miġbura f’Kunsill Ekumeniku, jew fil-persuna tal-Papa, jista’ jagħmel pronunzja, ta’ kwalunkwe tip u taħt kwalunkwe cirkostanza, li hija infallibbli? Jien naħseb li din il-mewġa, fuq bażi globali, ta’ rivelazzjonijiet oxxeni u x-xhieda dokumentata ta’ fallibiltà tal-mexxejja talKnisja, hija stedina t’Alla biex il-Knisja (mhux biss fl-Awstralja) tistħarreġ kemm din id-domma tal-infallibiltà tal-istess mexxejja hija tenibbli. Għalija din id-domma hija in-kredibbli. It-tieni ħsieb jirrigwarda sensibbiltajiet ġodda tas-soċjetà għal

Tuesday November 20, 2018

A version of this series in English may be found in the author's blog at: https://ivancauchi. blogspot.com

kitba ta’

IVAN  CAUCHI

gruppi ta’ nies li matul is-sekli kienu emarġinati, diskriminati kontra u miżmuma milli jkollhom rwol fis-soċjetà li jirrifletti bis-sħiħ l-abbiltajiet u t-talenti tagħhom. Qed nirreferi għal dawk li huma omosesswali, lesbjani, transsesswali jew ta’ ġens mhux binarju, li għal tant żmien kienu imżebilħin, imwarrbin, imxettlin u imjassrin mill-awtoritajiet tal-pajjiż u li ma ħassewx li għandhom post fil-Knisja, li għalkemm tgħallem li l-qagħda sesswali tagħhom m’għażluhiex huma, ma taċċettax li jaġixxu b’koerenza magħha. Qed ukoll nirreferi għan-nisa, li għal tant snin ma kellhomx post ugwali mar-raġel, la fis-soċjetà ċivili, u lanqas fil-Knisja, li fiha lpostijiet ewlenin tat-tmexxija huma riservati għall-irġiel. Inħoss għajta b’volum dejjem jiżdied tal-poplu favur l-ugwaljanza u t-tneħħija ta’ diskriminazzjoni, kemm fis-soċjetà ċivili, u kemm fil-Knisja Kattolika, u nemmen li jekk irridu niddixxernu s-sinjali taż-żminijiet ma nistgħux nagħlqu għajnejna u nsoddu widnejna. Fl-aħħarnett, ma nistax ma nsemmix il-prokreazzjoni assistita, jiġifieri l-IVF u l-varjazzjonijiet tagħha. In-nuqqas ta’ fertilità ta’ persentaġġ mhux żgħir tal-popolazzjoni hija waħda biss mill-problemi tas-saħħa tal-bniedem li qegħdin jiġu riċerkati f’istituzzjonijiet madwar id-dinja, u żviluppi ta’ trattament u ta’ teknoloġija qegħdin isiru b’rata mgħaġġla. Il-Knisja Kattolika tirriġetta kull forma ta’ prokreazzjoni assistita3 u tqishom moralment mhux aċċettabbli, għalkemm dan mhux qiegħed iwaqqaf lil ħafna li jfittxu soluzzjoni teknoloġika fejn m’hemm l-ebda soluzzjoni oħra. Wara kollox, jekk bniedem jinżamm ħaj jieħu nifs biss permezz ta’ ventilatur, jew qalbu tħabbat biss bil-pacemaker, dawn mhux ukoll soluzzjonijiet teknoloġiċi? Il-Katekiżmu jidħol f’ħafna dettall fuq kif il-prokreazzjoni assistita tnaqqas mill-perfezzjoni tal-koppja, ċioe dawk li m’għandhomx problemi ta’ fertilità. Grazzi ħafna. Dan ifisser li tippreferi li t-tfal imwielda b’dawn it-tekniċi la jiġu kkunċepiti u lanqas jiġu mwielda. X’post se jħossu li għandhom dawn it-tfal fil-Knisja Kattolika? Il-Knisja m’għandha l-ebda soluzzjoni għal min għandu problemi mediċi ta’ fertilità, ħlief li jibqa’ bihom jew li jidħol għall-adozzjoni. Din tal-aħħar inċidentalment hija ħaġa tajba, imma mhix għal kulħadd, mhux l-anqas għax hemm ħafna iktar koppji infertili milli tfal għall-adozzjoni. Fl-Awstralja, l-istatistika turi li wieħed minn kull 25 tarbija mwielda huwa riżultat tal-IVF,4 li juri li n-nies qed jagħżlu din it-triq bi ħġarhom, b’repudazzjoni ċara ta’ tagħlima ewlenija tal-Knisja. Għandha l-Knisja l-umiltà li tistħarreġ jekk il-vuċi t’Alla tinstemax fil-karba tal-poplu tiegħu? Referenzi 1. http://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/frequently-asked-questions/, retrieved 13/11/2018 2. Mt 19:14 3. Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 2376-2377 4. https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/australia-ivf-rates-revealedone-in-every-25-births-an-ivf-baby-20180908-p502ja.html, retrieved 14/11/2018


The Voice of the Maltese 11

FL-IMGĦODDI: Solidarjeta` mal-mejtin qraba murija fil-beraħ

Tuesday November 20, 2018

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inabu fix-xahar ta’ Novembru, ix-xahar li ħafna jafuh bħala tal-mejtin u li fih niftakru fit-talb tagħna f’dawk l-aktar għeżież ta’ qribna. Għalhekk xieraq li fil-ħarġa tal-lum niddedikaw artiklu li għandu x’jaqsam b’xi mod ma’ dan ixxahar u mal-mejtin. Meta xi ħadd jiġi nieqes u jkun għażiż għalik tiġik sogħba u aktar ma jkun qarib u għażiż, aktar tħoss it-telfa tiegħu. Mhux hekk biss: telfa ta’ żagħżugħ jew żagħżugħa li jkun miet jew mietet b’diżgrazzja tħossha akbar, l-aktar u l-aktar jekk tkun taf il-persuna. Żgur li f’dan il-waqt ħsibijietek jiġru l-aktar lejn il-ġenituri ta’ din il-persuna li jkunu għaddejjin minn mumenti ta’ niket u tbatija. Diffiċli li ssib kliem li bih biex tfarraġ, għax in-niket ikun kbir wisq. Fl-imgħoddi għal misserijietna ma kienx ikun biżżejjed in-niket ta’ xi ħadd li jkun mitilhom. Is-sogħba trid turiha fil-beraħ. Kienu juruha b’mitt manjiera: bil-biki u bix-xeni; billi jaqtgħu xagħarhom; ma jsajjrux għal tlett ijiem, u anke billi jibqgħu d-dar u ma jixirfux barra għal ħafna żmien. Fil-fatt in-nisa Maltin, ġieli, damu ġewwa għal erbgħin jum, filwaqt li l-irġiel kienu jdumu ma joħorġu barra għal madwar ġimgħa. Naturalment, l-ilbies iswed minn fuq s’isfel (l-aktar in-nisa) ma kienx jonqos. Dan l-istess rispett kienu juruh anke sa ħafna snin wara l-mewt tal-għeżież tagħhom. Niftakar sewwa lil nisa Maltin kważi dejjem bl-iswed – bil-viżtu. Tgħiduli għaliex? Għax il-viztu kien ikun twil ħafna ... sentejn għal ommok jew missierek. Jekk niftakar sewwa sena għal ħuk, sitt xhur għaz-zija jew ziju … insomma skont il-persuna. Għaldaqstant dan it-tul ta’ żmien kien jilħaq lil ieħor u l-mara Maltija dejjem bl-iswed … dejjem bil-viżtu. L-irġiel ukoll kellhom il-viztu tagħhom. Niftakar irġiel bil-beritta sewda, u xi buttuna miksija bl-iswed mal-pavru tal-ġlekk (min kien ikollu). Kien ukun hemm ukoll min jilbes ingravata sewwa fit-tul. Fis-sajf kien ikollhom biċċa sewda għamla ta’ kaxxa żgħira mal-but tal-qmis jew mal-komma jew mustaxija sewda mwaħħla mal-komma tal-qmis. Kienu jdumu bilviżtu skont il-persuna. Jekk ġenituri mod jekk zija jew ziju ftit inqas. Tal-ħwienet u l-każini wkoll juru r-rispett, u għadhom sal-lum, iwaħħlu faxxa sewda l-koxxa tal-bieb

jew mal-bieb innifsu. Id-drawwiet u t-twemmien tal-imgħoddi ma’ dawk li kienu jmutu kienu bil-bosta. Pereżempju fil-kamra talmejjet kienu jħallu t-tazza taż-żejt tixgħel għal erbgħin jum. Kienu jaħsbu li jekk ma jagħmlux hekk, ir-ruħ talPeterPaulCiantar mejjet kienet tidhrilhom. Ta’ min jgħid ukoll li nies il-mejjet kienet qalbhom ittaqtaq għax kienu jemmnu li dment li r-ruħ tkun għadha ma telgħetx il-ġenna, kienet tista’ tibqa’ tħabbathom. Għalhekk jagħmlu minn kollox biex f’qasir żmien itellgħuha l-ġenna. Dan jagħmluh bit-talb, u r-rużarji. Iżda l-mezz l-aktar qawwi u effikaċi għall-mejtin tagħna minn dejjem kien il-quddies. In-nies tagħna minn dejjem ħallew ukoll xi flus għall-quddies biex b’hekk kienu jaħsbu għal meta jiġu neqsin. Kien saħansitra jitniżżel fit-testment. Min-naħa l-oħra l-qraba tal-mejjet kienu jordnaw xahar Gregorjan, jiġifieri xahar quddies waħda kuljum u dawn kont trid tibbukjahom għax il-qassis ikun mimli u ma kienx jista’ jqaddes aktar minn waħda kuljum. Fl-imgħoddi kien hawn twemmin kbir li meta jintemm il-Gregorjan ruħ ilmejjet titla’ dritt il-ġenna. F’diversi rħula kienu twaqqfu għaqdiet li jaħsbu filmejtin. Waħda minn dawn kienet magħrufa bħala s-Sodalità tal-Agonizzanti. Kull membru fiha kien iħallas xi ħaġa fix-xahar biex meta jkun qed imut issirlu l-agunija. Ilqniepen kienu jħabbru dan. L-agunija kienet tkun billi qassis kien jitlob għalih għal tliet siegħat quddiem Ġesù Sagramentat u oħrajn jassistu miegħu. Wara mewtu kienu jitqaddsu għal ruħu quddies lett, kif ukoll kantat. Naturalment, hawn ukoll kien jidħol xogħol il-fratellanzi jekk dak li jkun ikun membru ta’ xi waħda partikolari. Allura fil-funeral tiegħu l-muzzetta tal-fratellanza li l-mejjet ikun membru tagħha, (ġieli jkun f’aktar minn waħda), titpoġġa fuq it-tebut. Anke l-quddiesa tal-funeral kienet issir bil-kant u orkestra mmexxija mill-Maestro di cappella. Din il-quddiesa cantata kienet issir filgħodu kmieni għax f’dawk iż-żminijiet il-quddies kien isir filgħodu biss. Filfuneral tfal tal-Istitut kienu jakkumpanjaw il-karru talmejtin miġbud miż-żwiemel għaċ-ċimiterju tal-lokal. Fl-imgħoddi d-dfin kien isir ukoll fil-knisja stess jew filkannierja tal-knisja.

Karru li fih kien jinġarr it-tebut... illum jużaw karozzi tal-mejtin

Il-funeral statali tal-Arċisqof Emeritu Giuseppe Mercieca fl-2016


12 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Roundup of News About Malta

Malta invited to do more business with China

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visit Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his accompanying delegation made to China for the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai stole most of the limelight. Malta was one of the few countries invited in the highest level by the Chinese government for the fair that encourages world-wide companies to sell products and services in a country that has the enormous market of 1,300 million people. Prime Minister Muscat was invited to address the forum organised during the EXPO in front of an audience of politicians, investors and leaders of multinational and high profile companies, such as Jack Yun Ma, Chairman of the Alibaba group and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. He gave an overview of what Malta presents in the sector of technology and innovation. He referred to artificial intelligence and the fact that new technologies would change the labour market nature, even in Malta, the first country in the world with legislation to regulate blockchain. The Prime Minister described the Maltese delegation’s visit as “a historic step” for Malta, which was one of the few countries invited by the Chinese Government to celebrate this step.

Joseph Muscat went on to say that China is making something that few countries are doing, that is, inviting other countries to visit their country so that they could buy from them. The Maltese government is speaking with them politically in order to open the way for Maltese companies to do business with them. In fact some have shown interest to start doing business in China. He said that like other countries, Malta’s presence with a pavilion at the EXPO is aimed at promoting the country and building contacts to increase trade with China. Dr Joseph Muscat (left) in his meeting The Fairs and Conventions with Chinese President Xi Jinping Centre is currently a showDuring his visit Joseph Muscat also inaucase of the latest and best products manufactured by over 3,500 companies from gurated a regional office of the company different countries specifically aimed at in- Base Malta, which boasts of 18 years of contacts with China. creasing or selling their products in China. The Maltese Prime Minister said he is lookChinese President Xi Jinping pledged that his country would take steps to facilitate ing forward to next year when Malta will further the purchase of products and serv- have a more active participation in this fair. (See also Malta, China sign MOU within ices from outside China, including with ‘One Belt One Road initiative’ on page 13) lower import tariffs.

Another A+ rating Malta setting the standards in technology

erman credit agency Scope has G given Malta an A+ rating with its economists saying they based the rating on the country’s strong economic growth, prudent management of Government finances as well as consumption and investment. The agency further noted that over the past ten years the economy in Malta has grown at an average of 4.3%, and that Malta’s economic results have exceeded the average of European Union countries. It also noted the country’s economic growth, among others an increase in tourism, exports of services including tourism, transport and gaming, and a strong increase in consumption. In its report Scope agency is forecasting that Malta’s economic growth this year will reach 5.4% and 5% in 2019, boosted by low unemployment and an increase in investment. It is also forecasting an increase in private consumption as well as an increase in both public and private investment. It noted that Government had reduced debt in a consistent manner, stating that compared to the Gross Domestic Product, in the past two years this had gone down by 8%.

PM Muscat tells Govtech Summit in Paris

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n a pitch for Malta’s raft of laws for Blockchain technology and digital currencies at the first ever GovTech Summit in Paris, aimed at building better services for citizens and better tools for public servants and imagining the technological government of tomorrow’s world, Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat vowed to take cryptocurrencies “out of the wild wild west”. At the event supported by French President Emmanuel Macron and that brought together political leaders, European ministers, mayors of major EU cities, innovators from across the continent, investors and entrepreneurs, Joseph Muscat said that since Malta put in place the regulation even the most disruptive of companies want it.

“They want it for three reasons. First it offers piece of mind for customers; second it offers piece of mind for their investors and third is in order to be the new norm. You cannot be accepted as the new norm if you are in the wild, wild West,” the Prime Minsiter remarked. He went on to say, “We are setting the standard and saying that, yes, these people went through these tests and so they become more legitimate. People often think of regulation as a negative, but in fact smart regulation helps innovation.” He said that the innovation was an opportunity for small or unrecognised states “that might sometimes seem to be irrelevant to make their mark.”

European Commission report predicts Malta will sustain economic growth

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report by the European Commission Autumn Economic Forecast predicts that Mal-ta’s economy will remain robust, its GDP continues to grow with 5.4% this year, and that the coun-

try will continue to register a surplus. It also indicates that while wages will increase threefold on the EU average, until the end of the year jobs will continue to increase at a rate

of 5%, 3.6% next year and 3.4% in 2020. It said that increase in employment in Malta is expected to remain strong, but to start moderating as economic growth eases.


The Voice of the Maltese 13

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Roundup of News About Malta

Malta, China sign MOU within One Belt One Road initiative

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alta and China have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) within the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative that provides the basis for projects, investment, and cooperation in the trade, financial services and tourism sectors to be carried out between the two countries. The new initiative is to bring together different agreements and signals to Chinese companies that, for the Chinese government, Malta is a good country to invest in with respect to European Union regulations. The agreement, signed by Foreign

€10m. museum of art project, MUŻA in Valletta

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he new national museum of art in Malta, MUŻA, a flagship project for the European Capital of Culture Valletta 2018 was described by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on its inauguration as “a gift to Malta on the occasion of Valletta 2018” Whilst being an acronym and the Maltese word for inspiration, the name of the project that is pioneered by Heritage Malta, is also a clear reference to the muses - the mythological creatures from classic antiquity inspiring creativity. The Prime Minister went on to say that MUŻA is a gift for everyone, especially children, who as from now will be able to tag their parents along with them to Malta Heritage sites with a free entry, not the other way round. “Now, we have a place in our Capital City, which truly does justice to our culture scene as a people, despite being the smallest Nation State in the European Union and also one of the smallest around the world.” Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici commended the €10 million project that was partially financed through EU funds. He said, “This building is

Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela on behalf of Malta, and He Lifeng, the chairman of the Commission for National Development and Reforms, in the presence of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is one of the first China has signed with a European country. The government said in a statement that this indicates the further strengthening of the relat- ions between the two countries. From China’s point of view, OBOR is also a historical initiative that connects the people over the world and facilitates various opportunities for global peace. It also regards it essential for the survival of its stable domestic challenges.

Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela (left) and Mr. LifPhoto: Jason Borg, DOI eng after the signing

Leading medical journal places Malta’s health services among worlds’ top 10

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he world's leading independent general medical journal, The Lancet, has classified Malta’s health services among the top ten countries worldwide. In the index of the survey, entitled Global Burden of Disease Study. The study made an evaluation of 41 indicators on health in 195 countries. Malta’s health services acquired 79 points, placing it ninth. Malta was given maximum points in ten indicators on health, and acquired more than 80% of points in the 28 other indicators. Last year Malta classified 14th. UN his reaction Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne said that the fact that Malta has placed among the top ten countries is also is also the result of the competence and dedication of professionals in this sector, as well as the investment being made by Government in the health.

Tourist arrivals surpass the two million mark

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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici at the opening of the new museum of art, MUŻA a real-life testament of our vision and legacy, which we wish to pass on to future generations.” The story content of MUŻA can be classified in four parts, Mediterranean, Europe, Empire, and the Artist. The museum’s collection has well over 20,000 works of art.

ecords keep getting broken in the number of tourist visiting Malta this year, with the latest figures for September showing an increase of 15.6% over the same month last year. The 270,010 arrivals included 239,377 who visited the island for holiday purposes; 21,416 were for business purposes. Total tourist expenditure for the month was estimated at €242.7m, an increase of 4.8% compared to the same month last year. Figures released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) indicate that tourist arrivals in the first nine months surpassed the two million mark (2,036,841), which is an increase of 15.6%, over the same period last year. Total tourism expenditure was estimated at nearly €1.7 billion, 9.3 per cent higher than that recorded for 2017.


14 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Għad ikollna Papa Malti? G

ħaddew mijiet ta’ snin qabel Malta rnexxielha jkollha kardinal.... imma issa qed jingħad li mhux biss se ikollna kardinal, iżda saħansitra nistgħu naraw il-knisja Kattolika titmexxa minn Malti. Din xniegħa li ħarġet wara li l-Papa Franġisku ħatar lill-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna bħala Deputat Segretarju tal-Kongregazzjoni għad-Duttrina tal-Fidi tas-Santa Sede. Bħalissa l-Arċisqof Scicluna hu membru tal-Kongregazzjoni għad-Duttrina tal-Fidi u President ta’ Kulleġġ Speċjali fl-istess Kongregazzjoni, li jiddeċiedi rikorsi f’xi proċessi kanoniċi. Filwaqt li jibqa’ l-Arċisqof ta’ Malta, Mons. Scicluna se jagħti sehem ikbar f’din il-Kongregazzjoni li hi responsabbli mill-promozzjoni u l-ħarsien tad-duttrina tal-fidi u l-morali fil-Knisja Biex jaqdi l-missjoni fdata lilu l-Arċisqof Scicluna se jkollu jqatta’ xi ftit jiem kull xahar f’Ruma. Fl-assenza tiegħu t-tmexxija ordinarja tal-Arċidjoċesi ta’ Malta se tkun f’idejn l-Isqof Awżiljarju Mons. Joseph Galea-Curmi. Ħafna nterpretaw din il-ħatra bħala lewwel pass biex Mons Scicluna jieħu f’idejh it-tmexxija ta’ din il-Kongregazzjoni, minħabba li l-kardinal li qed imexxiha bħalisssa wasal biex itemm linkarigu minħabba l-eta`. U allura hawn min qed ibassar li dan imbagħad iwassal biex Mons Scicluna jinħatar kardinal. Iżda kien hemm min mar lil hinn minn hekk billi fl-aħħar jiem l-Arċisqof Scicluna ssemma wkoll fuq is-sit reliġjuż, angelusnews, bħala wieħed mill-kandidati favoriti li jieħdu post il-Papa Franġisku anke jekk kien irrimarkat li hu għad mhux kardinal. Sintendi, l-aħbar tal-ħatra tal-Arċisqof ingħatat importanza fil-midja Maltija u kienu ħafna li ferħu lill-Arċisqof għallħatra, imma billi f’Malta ssib lil min idaħħal il-politika f’kollox, ma naqasx li

Dun Rene`Camilleri jkun hemm min li feraħ lill-Arċisqof u xtaqlu li joqrob lejn Ruma kemm jista’ jkun. Hawn spikka l-kumment ta’ Dun Rene Camilleri, lettur fil-Fakulta’ tat-Teoloġija

fl-Universita` ta’ Malta li maż-żmien okkupa diversi pożizzjonijiet importanti fil-Kurja Maltija. Dan, filwaqt li kien qed jieħu sehem fi programm fuq One TV, qal ċar u tond li mingħajr diżrispett lejn lArċisqof ma jaqbilx li dan hu xi unur għall-Knisja Maltija. Dun Rene` rrimarka li kieku kellu jiltaqa' mal-Papa kien jgħidlu li b'dan l-irwol ġdid li ta lil Monsinjur Scicluna kien qed jinsulenta lil Malta għax qed iħalliha b'Arċisqof partajm. Huwa stqarr hekk: “Jien tweġġagħni min jgħid li dan xi unur kbir għall-Knisja. Jien l-Arċisqof nirrispettah. L-Arċisqof tiegħi. Jekk hu jħoss li għandu kontribut jibqa’ jikber u għalih unur. “Imma kieku jkolli nara lill-Papa ngħidlu int lil Malta qed tinsulentana għax qed tgħidilna intom erba’ qtates u biżżejjed ikollkom Arċisqof partajn. Jien dik ma rridhiex.”

Jiċċelebra bi Sports Car

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un Rene`ikkikritika wkoll blaħrax il-mod kif dan l-aħħar l-arċipriet talparroċċa taż-Żebbuġ, Għawdex Dun John Sultana iċċellebra lħatra tiegħu. Dak inhar taċ-ċerimonja tal-ħatra larċipriet iddeċieda li jitwassal il-Knisja permezz ta’ sports car lussuża Porche Convertabile. Biex mingħalih jissokta jżejjen id-dħul tiegħu fil-parroċċa, minflok ma ġab xufier isuqlu l-karrozza, iddeċieda li l-karozza tiġi miġbuda minn 50 tifel u tifla ... u ma’ qatax qalbu avolja kultant

Dr Hugh McDermott MP

State Member for Prospect For issues concerning:

Ageing and disability - community services -education - environment health - housing - planning - Police transport - water

P: (02) 9756 4766 E: prospect@parliament.nsw.gov.au 2/679 The Horsley Dr, Smithfield NSW 2164

bdiet traxxax ix-xita. Malli xi ħadd poġġa ritratti ta’ din iċ-ċelebrazzjoni fuq il-mezzi tal-midja soċjali, ma waqfux il-kummenti. Fost dawn kien hemm ta’ Dun Rene` li qal, “Jien ma nafx jekk b’ħaġa bħal din għandix nibki jew nidħak. Imma probabbli nagħżel li nibki. “Qed jgħidu li sar ħafna fuss. Ma naqbilx magħha. Nikkundanna lil min aċċetta li dawk it-tfal ikollhom dik it-tip ta’ funzjoni. Mela llum għadu żmien li nġiegħel lit-tfal jiġbduni fuq karozza?”

Jistgħu jitqarrbnu

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-istess Dun Rene` kien ukoll fl-aħbarijiet meta ftit ilu f’intervista’ li kellu mal-iNews stqarr li koppja li tgħix flimkien iżda li mhiex miżżewġa, aktar magħrufa bħala poġġuti, xorta waħda jistgħu jgħixu l-ħajja Nisranija u jirċievu s-sagramenti. *Ikompli f’paġna 15


The Voice of the Maltese 15

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Il-junk food u s-sess

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nkompli fuq il-linja reliġjuża. Wara li kważi kulħadd nesa’ d-diskussjonijiet u l-kundanni dwar l-użu tal-kontraċettivi, ħareġ Patri Dumnikan, Fr Ivan Attard jikkrtika l-użu tagħhom. Fi blog fuq Facebook bl-isem ta’ Sexual Junk Food sostna li m’għandniex inħallu l-kontraċettivi jiffalsifkaw ir-relazzjoni ta’ bejn ilmiżżewġin. Qal: “Issa is-sess ġie mifrud mir-riproduzzjoni u l-ħajja miżżewġa. Is-sess ġie limitat biss għallpjaċir sesswali, għal forma ta’ żvog u sodisfazzjon personali. Il-fatt li wieħed juża l-kontraċettivi jindika li hemm falsifikazzjoni tas-sesswalità. Li jien qed infaqqar l-att sesswali u wieħed faċli jabbuża mill-persuna l-oħra għax qed jifred l-att sesswali minn kull forma ta’ responsabbilàa li jġib miegħu” Żied isostni li spiċċajna li ħadd ma jipprova jrażżan lilu nnifsu, Saħansitra Fr Ivan xebbaħ is-sess mal-pizza: “Jekk wieħed jiekolha l-ħin kollu fl-aħħar malli dan ixomm il-pizża jitlagħlu listonku Jekk jiekolha anqas spiss, iktar jiggustaha.” Appella: “Ngħixu is-sesswalità b’mod sħiħ u ma nħallux il-kontraċettivi jiffalsifikaw ir-relazzjonjiet u s-sesswalità”. Dan il-blog ġab reazzjoni qawwija, fosthom tal-Ministru Helena Dalli li kitbet: “Ejjew nitkellmu b’responsabbiltà lejn it-tfajliet u n-nisa tagħna. Qabel ma kellna l-kontraċettivi mara kienet tittaqqal għaxra, 15, anke 20 darba f’ħajjitha. Il-bużnanna kienet

tgħidli li meta kienet tmur tqerr il-qassis kien jgħidilha li trid "tagħmel sew" inkella tagħmel dnub. Meta kienet tgħidlu li finanzjarjament ma tiflaħx trabbi wild ieħor, kien jgħidilha ‘dudu f'ċagħqa jgħix;". Sostniet li dak iż-żmien għadda. Is-soluzzjoni mhx il-bla, imma l-edukazzjoni.

Użu ħażin tal-Facebook aż-żmien saret moda li dak li jkun jaqbad u jfajjar kummenti D bl-addoċċ fuq il-Facebook. Ħafna tiġihom tajba, iżda kultant ikun hemm min ma joqgħodx għall-kummenti li jagħmlu

dwaru... u tant jeħodħa bi kbira li jispiċċa l-Qorti. Hekk ġrala mara li għamlet kumment li xejn ma għoġob lil dik il-mara msemmijja filkumment. Jidher li kollox beda meta, din talaħħar għalqet il-ħanut tagħha għal xi żmien minħabba raġunijiet ta’ saħħa. Meta finalment irkuprat infurmat lilliftakar każ partikulari li sar żmien ilu, fejn klijenti tagħha li se terġa’ tiftaħ. wara t-tieġ, il-miżżewwġin stiednu xi L-akkużata, weġbitha lura u qaltilha familjari biex jaraw filmat tat-tieġ. Jidher li min li daqshekk kienet se tfittex is-serkien qed jiġbed il-film, intenzjonament jew le vizzi tagħha. Ir-raġuni li tat kienet ma nafx, fuq it-tertuqa lil waħda mill-mistednin minħabba xi kummenti li kitbet fuq b’handbag imdaqqas, tbattal il-platti mill-ħelu, Facebook kontra l-Kap tal-Partit eċċ għal ġol-basket. Nazzjonalista Adrian Delia. Tistgħu taħsbu kif baqgħet din il-mara, li nserApparti hekk, il-Qorti semgħet kif tat mistiedna biex tara l-filmat (min jaf stid- l-akkużata tellgħet kopja tal-kornuhiex b’kumbinazzjoni jew le biex tara l-film) rispondenza tagħhom fi grupp privat meta kulmin kien hemm ra din ix-xena. ta’ 12,000 ruh, bl-isem ta’ ‘Grupp Insomma fiż-żminijiet l-imgħoddija, li xi ħadd, PN’ u kif l-akkużata, allaċċjat malmeta jkun mistieden tieġ, kien iwaddab xi ħaġa kitba tagħha l-allegazzjoni li l-mara biex jeħodha miegħu d-dar ma kienetx xi ħaġa kellha relazzjoni ma’ eks kandidat rari. Biss naħseb li dak li seħħ dan l-aħħar mhux Nazzjonalista. daqshekk komuni. Il-mara inkwestjoni għalhekk kienet Din id-darba waħda mill-mistednin għat-tieġ ġiet mitluba tneħħi l-kitba tagħha ma kienetx kuntenta li twaddab xi ħelu jew ikel però kollox jidher li waqa’ fuq widieħor fil-basket... imma marret ferm lil hinn nejn torox, sakemm wieħed mill-amminn hekk. ministraturi tal-grupp neħħa l-post. Din għażlet li togħod ‘għassa’ ma qoffa fejn Fid-dawl ta’ dan il-mara tal-ħanut il-mistednin kienu qed jitfgħu r-rigal tagħhom... saħqet li dil-kitba għamlitilha ħsara enveloppijiet bil-flus... u malli rat li ħadd ma personali u professjonali. Min-naħa kien qrib il-qoffa, malajr ġabret dawn envelop- tagħha l-Qorti qalet li l-kumment pijiet u waddbithom fil-basket tagħha. kien sar biex issir ħsara lill din ilSfortunatament għaliha, waħda mill-qraba tal- mara filwaqt li esprimiet it-tħassib għarrajjes rat x’kien qed jiġri... u l-biċċa spiċċat tagħha dwar kif qed tiġi wżata li;l-qorti. midja soċjali. Għalkemm din il-mara tat lura l-flus - €700 – Għalhekk il-Qorti iddeċidiet li lxorta waħda nstabet ħatja u ngħatat il-liberta mara li kitbet il-kummenti kellha kundizzjonata għal tliet snin. €1,000 bħala danni.

‘L-importanti li F’tieġ: Mistiedna wieħed jgħix tassew ‘speċjali’ il-ħajja t’Alla’ N *minn paġna 14

Dur Rene`qal: “L-iżjed importanti hu li wieħed jgħix il-ħajja t’Alla. Importanti li persuna li jkollha bżonn gwida spritwali tmur għand qassis addattat għax wieħed irid jifhem is-sitwazzjoni ta’ dak li jkun.” Huwa sostna li din hi pożizzjoni li ħarġu biha anke l-Isqfijiet Maltin wara li l-Papa Franġisku ħareġ id-dokument tiegħu dwar iż-żwieġ u l-familja. L-Isqfijiet Maltin kienu ġew ikkritikati ħafna kemm lokalment kif ukoll barra għax kien hemm min interpreta li l-pożizzjoni tagħhom hija liberali żżejjed. It-traġedja li qiegħda tgħix il-Knisja llum mhix l-abbużi sesswali, imma hi li għandna Papa li qed jipprova jagħti direzzjoni lill-Knisja biex tkun qed tgħix fiżżmien tal-lum imma mbagħad għandu ħafna li qegħdin jikkundannaw u jagħmlulu l-bsaten fir-roti. Ara xi skandlu kien jinħoloq kieku sa ftit tas-snin ilu kien joħroġ xi ħadd u jgħid li l-poġġuti jistgħu jitqarrbnu. Min jaf kemm kien hemm Maltin u Għawdxin li għal snin twal ma resqux lejn is-sagramenti għax kienu jgħixu flimkien u ma kienux miżżewġin!!!!!!!!


16 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Prime Minister Morrison describes Islam as “the greatest threat in our life”

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he Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison said that radical Islam is “the greatest threat”. In an extraordinary tirade against religious extremism to Australia way of life he said “we would be kidding ourselves if we did not call the fact”. “I am the first to protect religious freedom in this country, but it also means I must be first to call out religious extremism”. The PM was speaking after Melbourne’s terror attack. Meanwhile, Melbourne Archbishop Peter A. Comensoli issued a pastoral statement

In Western Australia: In favour of Euthanasia

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t least half the 36 MPs in Western Australia’s Upper House plan to vote in favour of voluntary euthanasia laws, which would be enough to get the legislation passed. As many as 24 politicians may be prepared to support the bill being put forward by the State Government next year. The West Australian newspaper spoke to most Upper House MPs after the establishment of an expert panel to draft new legislation supporting voluntary assisted suicide. The bill is expected to sail through the Labor-dominated Lower House.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton constituted “serious discrimination” against Australia's Muslim community. Muslims Australia called on the Prime Minister to retract the comments he made following the attack and apologise to The Melbourne terror the Muslim comattack in Bourke Street munity. “The comments ... serve no other purpose after the same incident that saw one man killed, two others stabbed and a car set than to foster an ill-conceived notion that alight in Bourke Street. Police shot the at- all Muslims are somehow responsible for tacker, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, in the the actions of every individual within our community. This is not a burden that is chest and he later died in hospital. In the statement, Archbishop Comensoli placed on any other community,” said the paid tribute to “the lights of goodness that correspondence, authored by Muslims shone out on Friday afternoon”, namely Australia president Dr Rateb Jneid. The family of the attacker say he had Sisto Malaspina, the co-owner of Melbourne’s famous Pelligrini’s cafe, who mental health problems. "Please stop turnwent to assist after the car fire but was ing this into a political game. This isn't a murdered by Shire Ali, as well as the po- guy who had any connections with terrorlice and others who “courageously sought ism but was simply crying for help." to protect others”. (Read also What can be done to Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed told stop extremism? on page 9) SBS Arabic 24 that comments made by

Catholic schools and religious freedom ydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, who has returned to Australia after a Vatican synod on youth, called on the S Morrison government to release the Ruddock report on reli-

Archbishop Fisher u

gious freedom, which it has kept under wraps since May. Archbishop Fisher, a lawyer and university churches were entitled to hire principals, ethicist before becoming a bishop, said teachers and other staff whose beliefs and values were in line with Church teaching on gender, sexuality, marriage and other matters. “Young people can smell a phoney,” Fisher said, which was why leaders and teachers in Catholic schools needed to reflect Catholic teaching not just in paying lip service, but in their beliefs and personal lives. “A faith-based school is a very particular kind of community, and a Catholic school should be allowed to be a Catholic school.” The current laws, while applied in a way that did not exclude anyone from seeking a Catholic education, allowed schools to point out Church teaching to parents at the time they enrolled their child and to negotiate these matters sensitively without fear of being accused of “discrimination”.

While visiting Malta Stay at: The Diplomat Hotel, 173 Tower Road Sliema

Email: sales@diplomat.com.mt Tel: (00356) 23497000


The Voice of the Maltese 17

Tuesday November 20, 2018

When the PM NSW has a new Opposition leader cried on his

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he NSW Labor Party has elected 53-year-old Michael Daley (right) as its new leader. He has been representing Maroubra in the Legislative Assembly since 2005. He is a legal practitioner and became the 38th leader of the Opposition. He is married to Christina, and they have two children, Austin and Olivia. In a note, he sent to The Voice of the Maltese the new Labour leader said that he was deeply humbled to receive the support of his colleagues to lead the NSW Labor Party. “This is a huge responsibility. Between now and the election due in March 23rd, every fibre of my being will be devoted to winning the election and restoring decency and dignity to NSW politics. “The most important thing you need to know about me is that I’m just like you… I’m a husband and a father and a brother and a son. Each morning I drop my kids off at school, and I fight the morning traffic. My wife Christina and I, like

every parent in NSW, want our children to have the best start in life by getting the best possible education”. Former leader Foley, the member for Auburn sensationally quit as NSW Labor leader after a female ABC reporter detailed an alleged incident in which she claims he placed his hand inside her underpants and rested it on her buttock at a parliament Christmas party. He vowed to commence defamation proceedings over the allegations. The party has recently been locked neck-and-neck with the government in the race to the March poll. The NSW state economy accounts for one-third of Australia's gross domestic product and at $400 billion is larger than the economies of Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.

knees

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rime Minister Scott Morrison, a former immigration minister who helped engineer the Abbott government’s policy of boat turnbacks under Operation Sovereign Borders, said he has cried “on his knees” over the plight of young asylum seekers held in Australian offshore processing centres on Nauru, in his most sympathetic public remarks on the issue to date. Speaking at a lunch organised by suicide prevention service Lifeline, Mr Morrison said he had prayed for the children still on Nauru, confirming there were still just over 30 on the Pacific island. He said border security was a “moral burden” and the issues were not “easy”. “You'll find yourself on your knees, you'll find yourself in tears," he said. Labor also supports offshore processing and the policy of never allowing those who come to Australia by boat to ever settle in the country. In a later statement, the PM said child refugees relocated from Nauru to Australia for medical attention will be sent back to the offshore processing centre. Those remaining 30 children would be left on the island unless they need medical help in Australia or they are sent to the United States. Mr Morrison said: “that’s always been the case. That hasn’t changed. That’s the policy … our policy settings have not changed.”

Successful surgery to conjoined twins Rain and a call team of 18 surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists at the Royal Children's Hospital Melfor a boycott bourne were involved in the mission to separate the 15-month-old Bhutanese twins A fter the race that stops the nation, ani- Nima and Dawa girls, who were joined at the torso and shared a liver. It was a sixmal rights groups called for a boycott hour operation. A The twins were brought to Australia with their mother Bhumchu Zangmo in October of the event, saying the sport is marred by deaths and injuries of thoroughbred horses. PETA Australia claims 119 horses died on Australian tracks between August 2017 and July 2018 - which is an average of nearly one every three days - including several that suffered fatal injuries in the Melbourne Cup. The Cliffsofmoher was the latest victim. It was put down after sustaining a fractured right shoulder during the race. Cross Counter won this year’s 158th Melbourne Cup. The city of Melbourne was deluged in the second wettest big race on record. The three-year-old gelding edged to a thrilling win ahead of Marmelo and A Prince of Arran to claim the $4 million prize as the winner of the $7.3 million, 3200m classic in front of a raucous crowd of 83,471 at Flemington Racecourse. Cross Counter’s win is the first by an English horse in the Melbourne Cup and is mega-stable Godolphin’s owned by Dubai billionaire Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum first ever Melbourne Cup win.

and had been staying at the Children First Foundation retreat in Kilmore. The procedure and recovery are expected to cost at least $350,000, and the state government has offered to pay the bill. Other funds raised will go towards the twins' rehabilitation and return home.


18 The Voice of the Maltese

The Phoenicians and their Legacy in the Mediterranean

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Tuesday November 20, 2018

Overlooking this harbour is Tas-Silġ where the remains of an abandoned megalith temple n ancient biblical times the Phoeni- are. They venerated cians, who settled in Malta at around their goddess, Ashtart the year 750 B.C. were then known as (Astarte) and god Baal the Canaanites (1200 to 900 BCE). They amongst others. Greek were contemporaries of the ancient Greek and Roman writers and Egyptian empires. They were not ac- wrote that the Phoenitually a nation as such, but rather a collec- cians, and especially Carthaginians, sacrition of cities in present day Lebanon. The Phoenicians’ main cities included ficed their children by Tyre, Sidon and Beirut. Tyre was their main burning. Although discounted city from about 969 BCE until Alexander The Commercial Network in the late 20th Century of the Phoenicians the Great in 332 BCE destroyed it. Phoenicia The Phoenicians prospered in their fertile as racism, monuments Trade routes country. They built ships from the excellent and dedications have local timber: cedar, cypress and pine. They been found in ‘trotravelled clockwise around the Mediter- phets’. These are sacred uette of a male figure draped in a plain ranean, following the prevailing winds, open-air areas containing the urn burials of dress with short sleeves, plenty of tombs, trading their highly prized Tyrian purple cremated infants and animals (usually personal ornaments such as amulets, dyes, extracted from the murex shellfish. sheep). Such trophets have been found in faience and pottery but few precious obColours ranged from a vivid blue to a rusty Carthage and also in Malta. Many inscrip- jects, apart from some gilt-silver plaques. tions confirm that children were sacrificed Gold amulets were found at Għajn Klieb. red, depending on how it was treated. In the days when coloured cloths were Although the Ancient Greeks rare, their brightly coloured garments were colonised Eastern Sicily, they highly prized. Their name was arguably influenced but never colonised given by the Greeks, referring to this valuMalta, (The Byzantines were able dye. much later). Bonanno argues The Phoenicians traded for gold and prethat by the seventh century BCE cious stones, for tin to make bronze from Malta assumed for the first time Cornwall, and for silver from Spain. Aca strategic importance in a concording to a Late Greek account, they cartest between two power blocks ried so much silver that they converted for the control of sea trade everything to the precious metal; even their routes and of trade in the anchors were cast in silver! Mediterranean. From around 800 BCE, the Phoenicians In 1758 the distinguished nuset up many colonies all over the Meditermismatist Jean-Jacques Bartheranean, including Malta. One colony, Carlemey deciphered the Phoenithage, in present day Tunis, would later cian alphabet from a pair of challenge the power of the mighty Roman Phoenician ceramic sar- bilingual (Phoenician and Empire before it was destroyed in 146 BC cophagus found at Ta' Greek) dedications found in in the Punic wars. Malta in the late seventeenth Barka in Rabat, Malta Although Phoenician remains have been century, one of which had been found all over Malta and Gozo, they mainly as thanks-offerings to their gods. sent to Louis XVI (1754 -1793) as a presThe earliest Phoenician tombs are found ent. settled around Mdina, which had been occupied by Bronze-age people. They called around Mdina-Rabat, and are also scattered It was once thought that the Maltese lanit Maleth, meaning "shelter", a name that around Gozo (Rabat, harbour). Other evi- guage is derived from Phoenician; 2000 extended to the whole island. Marsaxlokk dence of settlement includes rock-cut years ago this might have been the case but was their major harbour, protected from the tombs at Għajn Qattet near Rabat and else- all evidence is that the current Maltese lanwhere. Typical tombs are found at Buskett guage is derived from Arabic. The Arabic of prevailing northwesterly winds. Gardens, Għar Barka, Lebanon and Syria is closer to Maltese than The Phoenicians travelled all over Għajn Klieb, in Marsa, that of North Africa. Maltese belongs to the the Mediterranean on such vessels Mtarfa, and at Qallilija large group of ‘Semitic languages’, which (four tombs) - all rea- include Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, and sonably close to Mdina. Phoenician, and the syntax (grammar, strucAn early Phoenician oil ture of words) remains largely Semitic. lamp was found in a Y Chromosomes studies establish parenttypical Bronze Age hood through the paternal line. A National ‘silo-pit’ at Mtarfa. Geographic study indicates that more than Their early pottery, half of the Y chromosome lineages in ‘Red-lipped ware’, has today's Maltese population came from the survived to this day. Phoenicians. There is a very close genetic Objects obtained from relationship between the Maltese and the Tas-Silġ sanctuary in- Lebanese. “Genetic similarities between clude items of carved Lebanese and Maltese are so high that they ivory, a headless stat- are a cause of amazement and surprise”.

Profs MauriceCauchi


The Voice of the Maltese 19

A difficult journey back to my faith

Tuesday November 20, 2018

M

y faith has not always been as JuliePiscopo strong as it is now. As Maltese Catholic, we had obligations and expectations from our grandparents and family. As we grow older, most of us drifted away from the church. I too, am guilty of this. As a teenager and young adult, I got into all sorts of situations and trouble. Not the type of situations that would get me a good citizen award, far from it. I had my son when I was young, still a child myself. I did what I had to do to raise him on my own. He does not know what I did to keep a roof over his head and food on the table. I can’t say I don’t have regrets, we all do, but I never hurt anyone or stole anything to provide for us. I did get however in with the wrong group and did do things I am not proud of. Unfortunately, these are the type of situations that you can’t walk away from, I was scared and lost. I had no idea what to do, I hadn’t been to church since my son was baptised at the OLQP parish in Greystanes NSW but God was watching over me and guided me back home to my parish. My first Sunday there, I knelt prayed and cried. It was hard to be there. I had been carrying a huge weight of guilt and shame but I stayed. A parishioner by the name of Mary spoke to me and prayed for me. I knew everything was going to be ok. I am so happy and proud to have found my faith again. The staff and parishioners are my family they have listened to me and prayed for me and have never judged me. Since my return home I have become involved in lots of ministries and events at our parish. It absolutely fills my heart with joy to part of this family and to have been saved from the dark place that I had gotten myself into. Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish is a place of sanctuary, a house of love, a place to find the most incredible people who are there to pray for you and to show you love and make the most amazing friends. My faith has saved me from a place I never want to go back to.

A look back

Julie Piscopo with Rev Vincent Long Van Nguyen, Bishop of Parramatta NSW

I have a love for God that I never realised I had. Don’t look at coming to our parish as a chore; see it as a place of love and a pleasure to visit and feel the love I have received from these incredible people.

The Maltese Herald and the Phoenician Club T

he photo of the two gentlemen reading The Maltese Herald, an institution amongst the Maltese for nearly 52 years was taken at the Phoenician Club in Broadway, Sydney around 1970. The Maltese Herald, ceased publication on April 30 2013. The Phoenician Club of NSW was born out of the Maltese Settlers Association that had been founded on 20th February 1946 at its head quarters in 100 Stanley Street in East Sydney. The Club was incorporated on 11th October 1962. It was the first and only licenced club with premises in Brisbane Street Sydney and later on in Malta House in George Street Sydney. The last premises were in 173 Broadway Sydney but they were forced to close by the South Sydney Council in April 1998.

(The Australian Information Service owns the image. The photographer was John Tanner. Dr Barry York sent the photo to The Voice)

Can any of our readers name the gentlemen in the photo? If you are able to, send an email to The Voice of the Maltese: maltesevoice@gmail.com


Tagħrif dwar il-kitba Maltija

20 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 20, 2018

ktar regoli u tagħrif uffiċjali dwar kif wieħed għandu jikteb il-Malti. Dan skont Akif maħruġ mill-Kummissjoni fi ħdan l-Akkademja tal-ilsien Malti f’Malta.

Tifsir ieħor fuq l-Alfabett L-Alfabett Malti għandu mad-disgħa u għoxrin ittra li bihom infissru l-ilħna ta’ kull kelma fil-kitba Maltija. Dawn l-ittri nuruhom b’ħażżta’ ittri Rumani: imma billi l-Latini ma għandhomx għajr 25 leħen u għalhekk mhux iżjed minn daqshekk ieħor ittri, xi ilħna tal-ilsien Malti li ma jinsabux fil-Latin, ġie kemm-il darba li kellhom jiftiehmu jew b’ittri barranin jew b’xi għelm żejjed fuq listess ittri tal-Alfabett Ruman li jersqu mal-leħen li rridu. (1) L-ittri Maltin li jaqblu fil-leħen ma’ dawk tal-Latin huma: Konsonanti: B, D, F, H, J, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, V, Z. Vokali: A, E, I, O, U. Billi l-kitba Maltija jeħtiġilha tkun mibnija fuq Alfabett li fih kull ittra għandha tidher għal leħen wieħed, u fejn kull leħen għandu jiġi miftiehem b’ittra waħda (lEwwel u t- Tieni Regola), xi ittri bħalma huma l-konsonanti C u G li daqqa jagħtu leħen u daqqa ieħor (skont il-vokali ta’ wara), kellhom jingħażlu għalihom biex jidhru għal leħen wieħed: ċ(bil-punt fuqha) għal-leħen ta’ cia, ce,

Printed copies of The Voice of the Maltese available at your home by mail

W

e are now in a position to arrange for you to receive a printed full-colour hard copy of The Voice of the Maltese at home every fortnight (24 publications) at the low cost of $120. (Australia only, other countries by request). A printed copy would be an ideal present for mum, dad or a relative who either do not have Internet access or are not computer literate. Anybody interested, contact us on: maltesevoice@gmail.com for further information. We are not only an online publication, but also print on demand.

ci, cio, ciu (Taljani) fi kliem bħal ċanga, ċerna, ċirċ, ċong, ċurniena; ġ (bil-punt fuqha) għal-leħen ta’ gia, ge, gi, gio, giu (Taljani) fi kliem bħal ġandra, ġellewża, ġiżi, ġonna, Ġużè, tieġ, żewġittri ta’ għamla u leħen jixxiebhu u għalhekk magħżulin b’għelm li jaqbel. Dan l-għelm, illum magħruf mill-aħjar kittieba tal-Malti, ġie mogħti l-ewwel darba mill-Accademia Filologica fuq il-kitba tas-Società Medica u tal-Amari. Ħafna mill- kittieba tal-ilsna tal-Lvant jinsabu wkoll b’sinjali oħra flok ilpunt. L-ittra g tidher għal-leħen ta’ ga, ghe, ghi, go, gu (Taljani) f’kelmiet bħal gandoffla, gerger, giddieb, gondla, gundalla. Il-Kummissjoni maħtura biex tagħżel Alfabett Malti (ara Rapport fuk l-Alfabêt Malti magħżul mill-Cummissjoni talGħakda tal-Chittieba tal-Malti, 1921, p. 8), kienet għal dan illeħen għażlet l-ittra g bil-qatgħa fuqha u dan sar biex ma titħallatx mal-leħen ta’ ge, gi (g) quddiem il-vokali e u i, kif kienet u għadha tfisser fil-kitba Maltija miktuba fuq l-ortografija Taljana. F’laqgħa tal-imseħbin tal-Għaqda li saret fit-18 ta’ Diċembru 1921, din l-ittra mingħajr il-qatgħa fuqha baqgħet biex tagħti l-leħen ta’ ga, ghe, ghi, go, gu (Taljani). Ara: gendus, gidem, gidi, gerger, gemgem, giddieb, flok gendus (g bil- qatgħa fuqha), gidem, gidi, gerger, gemgem, giddieb kif kienu ġejjin miktuba. Il-g (bla punt jew qatgħa) għandha dan illeħen fil-kitba ta’ Patrizi u tax-Xirka Xemija. L-ittra li għal-leħen ta’ ca, che, chi, co, cu (Taljani) tista’ tissieħeb ma’ dik ta’ g, kienet tkun bil-jedd kollu l-ittra c, imma flokha tidħol aħjar il-k (kappa Griega) li mingħajr ma tfixkel quddiem iż-żewġ vokali e u i tagħti minnha nfisha l-leħen li rridu. Insibu għalhekk il-k għal-leħen ta’ ca, che, chi, co, cu fil-kitba Taljana stess tas-seklu erbatax (1300) flok iċ-c u l-ch tal-lum. (Guarnerio, L’Intacco latino della Gutturale Ce, ci, p. 50, Arch: Glott. Ital. Disp. IV). Ara: kappa flok cappa, ki flok chi. Ħafna mill-aħjar kittieba tal-Malti u tal- ilsna tal-Lvant inqdew ukoll biha, fosthom Vassalli, ix-Xirka Xemija, Stumme, Gasselin, Vaccari u saħansitra nsibuha fl-Esperanto. L-ittra k minflok il-ca, che (Taljani) tidher ukoll fil-kitba ta’ De Soldanis (1750) u fi vrejjes ta’ Gio. Fco Bonamico dwar l-1672 miktubin għall-Gran Mastru Nicola Cotoner. (Ara lewwel eżempju ta’ Kitba Maltija). L-ittra x bil-leħen ta’ ks Latina ma setgħetx taqdi l-kitba Maltija mibnija fuq ittri ta’ leħen 86 minn 89 wieħed għal kull ittra. Fl-Alfabett Malti għandha l-leħen ta’ sc (esce) Taljana. Din tidher fl-eqdem ħżużta’ kitba Maltija meħuda aktarx mill-Isqalli fil-kitba ta’ dwar is-sena 1400. Ara: cuxini, nixuno. (2) L-ittri Maltin li għandhom il-leħen tagħhom li ma jinsabx fil-Latin huma: Għ (għajn), H (ha), Q (qaf), W (waw) u Ż(ża). Il-għ għall-għajn huma ittri li bihom s’issa nqdew il-kittieba kollha tal-Malti minn żmien De Soldanis fuq il-kitba tat-traskritturi Taljani li ħażżew il-kitba Għarbija b’ittri Latini. Biss Vassalli, Falzon u xi oħrajn kienu għażlu ħżużbarranin li ma mxewx.

*Fil-ħarġa li jmiss nissoktaw b’aktar regoli li jsawwru l-Alfabett tal-ilsien Malti


The Voice of the Maltese 21

Tuesday November 20, 2018

C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y N Ne ew ws s Sussidju mill-FMLS lil ħames studenti tal-ilsien Maltin

Il- Federazzjoni tal-Iskejjel Maltin fl-Awstralja (FMLS) qed tniedi sussidju ta’ $100 għal studenti li joqogħdu u jispiċċaw l-eżami fil-lingwa Maltija tal- VCE/HSC /SACE f’din is-sena li aħna fiha, l2018. L-iskema tgħodd għall-ewwel 5 studenti fl-ordni li japplikaw. Għad-dettalji u formula biex jinkiseb dan is-sussidju, wieħed għandu japplika lill-Federazzjoni Tal-Iskejjel Tal-Malti: edwigeborg@hotmail.com inkella: federationofmalteselanguageschoolaustralia.com

La Valette Social Centre

Satuday December 22: 4.30 p.m.: Mass at the Chapel. Enjoy a meal at the Centre’s dining room 6.0 p.m.: Christmas Carols Show in the Hall

After the show more Singing & Dancing by the Mifsud Brothers. Come and enjoy with us the spirit of a Maltese Christmas. Featuring singers Joe Galea, Natasha, Adrian, Victor Mifsud, The Mifsud Brothers, Carmen Cauchi, other singers & you. Also Santa Claus “Nannu Santa” is coming to La Valette with presents... Singing of favourite Maltese Carols & other popular Christmas themes... Navity costumes, Christmas lights & features on the Hall’s big screen

Come & let us all together sing and enjoy this very special evening

Bring the children’s presents with names on them for Santa to distribute

Free Tea & Coffee for ALL

Candles (battery operated ONLY) would be on sale for $1 each

Entrance for this show is free

For more information about this event contact: Frances/Antoinette 9622 5847 Greg: 0411 517 187; Sam: 0438 113 356 La Valette Christmas Carols Candlelight show is organised by the sub-committee: Grec Caruana, Sam Mifsud, Joe Abela, Manwel Grech and Eddie Busuttil

Community Wheels is your local community organisation that provides door-to-door transport services to eligible people (+65 years old etc.) to: * attend medical appointments * go shopping (including assisting clients with their shopping bags) * meet a friend for a chat or coffee, and *go on bus tours etc. Available in the Parramatta City Council and parts of Cumberland Council areas For information call 88681400

Learn Maltese!

Classes are available for students from six years to adults at all levels of ability in the Maltese language. We have trained and experienced teachers qualified in language teaching and with Maltese study credentials. Learn the Maltese language, the culture, lifestyle, cuisine, traditions and about the amazing history of the island.

- Paid positions

La Valette Social Centre Inc. 175 Walters Road, Blacktown

Connecting you with your community

A Division of the Maltese Community Council of NSW Inc.

Teachers urgently needed

Christmas Carols, Candlelight Show, Milied Malti

Community Wheels Inc.

MALTESE LANGUAGE SCHOOL OF NSW

Saint Nicholas Festa Committee Sunday December 2 St Nicholas Feast

For more information and enquiries Phone 9601 2189 or Email: malteselanguageschoolnsw@hotmail.com Supported by the Minister of Education and Training and the NSW Community Languages Schools Programme. Member of the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools of NSW; Member of the Federation of Maltese Language Schools of Australia; Supported by 16 Maltese associations affiliated with the MCC of NSW. The Maltese Language School of NSW is a Not-For-Profit organisation.

Please Note

Anybody interested in advertising on The Voice of the Maltese magazine in order to reach the widest audience possible, partcularly among the Maltese diaspora is requested to write to: Maltesevoice@gmail.com

MALTESE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF NSW Established 1988 – Incorporated 1995

83 358 9 Dwight Street, Geystanes2145 Postal Address:ABN: M. Raimundi

Memorial Mass on November 20

Email: mramundi@gmail.com

The Maltese Cultural Association is commemorating a Memorial Mass on Tuesday November 20 at 7.00 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace, Old Prospect Rd., Greystanes in honour of our deceased members. The general public is free to attend. Your family and friends are welcome to join us in remembering our departed members whose work for the community is still and always will be in our memory. Refreshments will afterwards be served at the St George Preca Hall. For more info phone Charles N. Mifsud 09421 662 298


22 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 20, 2018

C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y N Ne ew ws s

Tu n e i n t o Ra d i o a n d Te l e v i s i o n

MELBOURNE: on 3ZZZ 92.3FM or on www.3zzz.com.au. Mondays 5-6 pm, Fridays 5-6 pm and Saturdays 10-11am. MELBOURNE: on 98.9 North West FM, every Friday 6.00 - 7.00p.m. and Mondays 7.00 to 8.00pm. Presenter: Emmanuel Brincat.

MELBOURNE: STEREO 974 (93180930): 97.4FM Wed (Maltese Magazine) & Thursday (Merħba): 6.00pm to 8.00 pm Co-ordinator – Ray Anastasi On SBS Radio Day Time Analogue and Digital Tuesdays and Fridays: 12:00-13:00 97.7fm SBS 2.

On Demand: Ethnic Maltese Council 11am)

Il-Ħadd 11.00 am: l-aħħar aħbarijiet minn Malta, mużika, tagħrif, kultura, avviżi u suġġetti ta’ interess. UNCLE SAM DJ (Maltese Radio) tune in to link: www.unclesamdj.com

To tune into digital radio you need a receiver or device with a DAB+ chip. Tuning in is by station name not frequency. Digital radio can also be heard via digital TV.

SBS MALTESE NEWS: L-Aħbarijiet on SBSTV twice a week nationwide; Sunday 8.00 am on SBS2 (Chan. 32) Thursdays at 8.00 am on SBSTV32. SYDNEY: listen to the MCC radio programmes on 2GLF FM 89.3. Isma’ l-programm tar-radju bil-Malti mill-Kunsill Malti ta’ NSW minn fuq listazzjon 2GLF 89.3FM. (Jista’ wkoll jinstema’ On Demand minn fuq l-Internet: www.893fm.com.au)

Maltese Seniors Social Welfare Day Groups

Fairfield Active Maltese Seniors month at the Llandilo Community Hall, Meets on the last Tuesday of the Month. Seventh Avenue, from 11am to 1 pm. Group meets in Parish Hall, cnr of Stella Street & The Boulevard, Fairfield Heights at Maltese of Bankstown 10 am. Group meets 3rd Wednesday of month

in the Bankstown CBD area. Maltese Seniors Central Coast Every other 3rd Thursday an outing. Have to contact our Welfare Officer for Enquiries call: Sam 9534 2357 an appointment. For all information and referral matters call Censina Cefai: 02 Greystanes Maltese Seniors 439 000 12 or 0414 267 652 Meets on the second Monday of each month at the George Preca Centre of OLQP Church, 198 Old Prospect Road, Meets the last Wednesday of the mon- Greystanes from 10 am to 12 noon th in the Meeting Room One, No. 3 GenThe Sutherland & St George eral Bridges Crescent, Daceyville.

Daceyville Maltese Seniors

Note: The Groups also arrange regular Bus Trips

Join us and make new friends.

Maltese Group

Meets every First Wednesday of the Month from 10:00am-1:00pm.

Merrylands Social Maltese Seniors Meetings/Get Togethers are interestMeets every second Friday of the ing, informative & entertaining, so month: Miller Room, Memorial Av- come Join us and make new Friends enue Merrylands from 10.30am to For more information contact our Co12.30 am ordinator: Llandilo Maltese Seniors

Meets on the first Wednesday of each

Charles Mifsud J.P.Phone (02) 9501 5525 – mobile 0421 662 298.

*(All Groups are co-ordinated by The Maltese Community Council of NSW) with a sponsorship from Multicultural NSW. Please contact the MCC Welfare Officer: Marisa Previtera JP on 0414 863 123. The MCC offices are at 59b Franklin Street (corner with Young St) Parramatta West NSW (next to West Parramatta Primary School).

SBS Radio 2 on Channel 38. Programmes can be accessed online (live or catch up) at: sbs.com.au/maltese and via mobile phone, using the SBS Radio app. For television news from Malta SBS2 TV 32 ( (Viceland) on Thursdays and Sundays at 8am.

VIVA MALTA on COAST FM 96.3 Community Radio in Gosford Central Coast NSW. Aired on Thursdays every fortnight from 6 pm -7 pm. Presenter: Nathalie Gatt. Web streaming: www.coastfm.org.au BRISBANE listen to the Maltese Programme on 4EB on Tuesdays 6.00 -8.15am; Sundays 4.15pm to 5.15pm

L-MCCV qed jilqa’ applikazzjonijiet għal għalliem/a tal-ilsien Malti

Min japplika jrid ikollu għarfien sew tal-Malti, miktub u mitkellem. Dan xogħol volontarju (bla ħlas). Min hu interessat jibgħat l-applikazzjoni bid-dettalji akkademiċi lil:edwigeborg@hotmail.com Għal tagħrif ieħor ċempel fuq 0412 115 919. Ħalli nnumru tattelefon u nċemplulek lura.

Australian High Commission on facebook; HC on twitter

he Australian High Commission’s in Malta has its own Facebook page, while T the High Commissioner has a Twitter account. Both be accessed by the readers.

The High Commission’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AusHCMalta/ The Commissioner’s Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/AusHCMalta

Join us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/g roups/thevoiceofthemaltese


The Voice of the Maltese 23

Sports on 2 pages...

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Melita Eagles, George Cross planning ahead

T

Two clubs with a historic past

SGC appoint new coach

wo historic clubs in Australian football that are closely associated with the Maltese community as both were founded by Maltese emigrants, that at the end of last season lost their status, will soon be holding their annual general meetings during which new committees would be elected tasked with infusing enthusiasm that could lead them back to promotion. In NSW, the Parramatta Melita Eagles Sports Club will be holding their AGM at the clubrooms of the Melita Stadium on Sunday December 2 starting at 10.30 pm sharp. The club President, Stephen Ellul is appealing to all members to attend and is looking forward to seeing that all those interested in the wellbeing of the club to attend and to join “this historic club founded in 1956”. In the state of Victoria, Sunshine George Cross (SGC), officially launched as George Cross on March 12 1947, will be holding their annual general meeting at the WestWaters Hotel & Entertainment Complex in Caroline Springs, Victoria on November 25 with an agenda that includes the election of a new committee. When it comes to Parramatta FC (Melita Eagles), they were formed in 1956 as Melita Eagles United Soccer Football Club by Maltese immigrants, after the amalgamation of two Maltese clubs, Malta Eagles (Established 1956) & Melita Soccer Football Club (Established 1952). Prior to their amalgamation, these two clubs were the fiercest of rivals, competing in the Eastern Suburbs Soccer Football As-

sociation (ESSFA). Melita Eagles’ origins are strongly linked to the Maltese community and stretch back to the formation of the original NSW Federation of Soccer Clubs in 1957. They were previously known as Melita Eagles Utd SFC, Melita Eagles-Newtown, Parramatta Melita Eagles, Parramatta Eagles, and PCYC Parramatta Eagles. In 1978 the Parramatta City Council agreed to lease part of Everley Park in South Granville for a home ground. The ground proudly named Melita Stadium was officially opened by the then Premier of NSW Neville Wran on July 5, 1981. Then club president Lawrence Dimech said the new stadium’s name has a deep meaning, “It reflects its roots and symbolises its aspirations in a new country.” On April 6, 1986 the same Premier opened the covered grandstand that cost the club $500,000 to build. q Meanwhile, in their bid to move into a new era and regain their status in the NPL, Sunshine George Cross have announced the appointment of 35-year-old Corey Smith as senior head coach, and David Clarkson as senior assistant. Smith's playing career has been mainly in Tasmania where he played for championship winning side University during the 1999-2000 Tasmanian State League seasons. The following two seasons he played for Metro Claremont where he won the club's Best and Fairest medal. He also collected five championship winning medals between 2004-2010 with Ho-

Premier Wran (left) at the Melita Stadium to open officially the grand stand accompanied by the then President of the club, Lawrence Dimech.

SGC’s newly appointed senior coaching staff, head coach Corey Smith and David Clarkson as assistant bart Juventus and Glenorchy Knight and represented the State at every youth level. Smith's aim in his first season with George Cross is to rebuild the side and to be at the right end of the league table at the business end of the season. He realises it is going to be a tough season with the many stumbling blocks and challenges ahead that need to be overcome. Smith said, “My challenge is to confront them head-on. My long-term vision is to get the club back to being one of the powerhouses in Victorian football. This is going to take time and a collective effort is needed. As to what Georgie fans can expect, he said: “My teams always play with a distinctive styles and are very organised. I cannot stress the importance of getting good early results and the style may be determined by many varying factors”. In 2019 the club would be moving into state of the art facilities at Taylor’s Hill where it is building modern facilities. As such, for the first time in their long history George Cross will have something to offer their supporters. Our correspondent Victor Brincat told The Voice that the infrastructure being put in place would once again help launch the George Cross FC into one of the leading clubs in Victoria “This club is my life. Would dearly love to see many former followers get back supporting the team like never before. Good times ahead for this historic club, Victor said.


24 The Voice of the Maltese

Sports on 2 pages...

Tuesday November 20, 2018

Malta’ worst home defeat since 2004

N

obody expected Mata to win its first match on Group D3 of the UEFA Nations League last Saturday at the Ta’ Qali Stadium against Kosovo; but then again, nobody expected such a humiliating defeat either. The 5-0 loss was Malta’s worst defeat for 18 years, since being at the end of a 70 thrashing at the hands of Sweden in a World Cup qualifier in September 2004. The football lovers were given to believe that as the team was aware of the quality of Kosovo the national team squad had “prepared well” for the task ahead. Rowen Muscat (in red) is outnumbered Photo: Dominic Borg After last month’s, 3-1 defeat in Kosovo, national coach Ray Farrugia expected a better showing from his team. However, it to add more punch to the attack, coach Farrugia made a double subseems that the Maltese players have still not learned the basics. They stitution, but the team lost its momentum, and things turned for the were guilty of fatal errors, particularly in defence, that in the end worst when another defensive slip, when Ryan Camilleri and Zach proved fatal as they paved the way for Kosovo’s easy victory. Muscat got into each other’s way on 70 minutes allowed Benjamin Up front, created very few clear-cut chances and in fact it was only Kolloli a free passage for goal No. 2. on two or three occasions that they had managed to find the target. Malta’s morale took a dive and let in three more goals through deOtherwise, haphazard finishing left much to be desired. fensive errors by Donis Avdijaj (78th and 81st), and Rashica (87th). Malta found themselves in arrears after 15 minutes when Muriqi Malta play their final group match this Tuesday s Faroe Islands. picked up Mbong’s short square pass to score. Up till the end of the half Kosovo dictated the game, but were denied by goalkeeper Hogg. efore the stoppage for the international Gzira suffered the loss of their best striker Malta improved on the change-over and matches, football enthusiasts in Malta Amadou Samb, with an ankle injury after 35 most of the first 20 minutes penned the op- witnessed Day 10 of the Premier League, minutes. He will be out for three months. position into their half of the field. In an effort particularly the top clashes between leaders Hibernians defeated Birkirkara 2-1 in a Gżira United and defending champions Val- match with two phases, the first half was letta, and Hibernians against Birkirkara. At rather shabby; the second passable In other matches, Sliema Wanderers and our matches into the A-League season, the end of the day, Hibernians managed to Balzan returned to winning ways after backPerth Glory have jumped to the top of the join Gżira t the top of the league ladder Against Valletta high-flying Gżira pre- to-back defeats to keep up the pressure on Day 4 RESULTS leadgue lad1-1 served their unbeaten run but by dropping the teams just above them. der two poi- Newcastle J v Sydney FC Sliema did not have to sweat too much to 0-2 two points allowed Hibernians, 2-1 victors nts ahead of Adelaide v Perth Glory defeat Qormi who days earlier parted with d e f e n d i n g Melbourne C v Wellington P 2-0 over Birkirkara to join them at the the top. Gżira’s clash with Valletta was a drab en- their coach Brian Spiteri. After their surprise c h a m p i o n s Melbourne V v CC Mariners 4-1 counter with very few goal-scoring oppor- defeat against St Andrews Balzan returned W. Sydney W v Brisbane Roar 2-2 Sydney FC tunities created at both ends. to form to beat Tarxien 3-1

Hibernians now joint top with Gżira Utd

Perth top A-League

F

B

Results Day 10

0-0 Gzira U. v Valletta Hibernians v Birkirkara2-1 2-0 Sliema v Qormi 3-1 Balzan v Tarxien Ħamrun S v Senglea 1-0 St Andrews v Pieta H. 3-3 1-0 Floriana v Mosta

Premier League ladder

Teams

Gżira United, the revelation side of the Premier League

Gżira U Hibernians Valletta Sliema W. Balzan Ħamrun S. Birkirkara St Andrews Floriana Tarxien R. Pieta H. Mosta Senglea A. Qormi

P GD Pts

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

12 10 22 6 5 5 0 -2 -3 -6 -4 -12 -16 -17

24 24 22 19 18 18 15 13 12 12 10 7 4 4


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