A multicoloured dream

A gradual integration of all 'people of goodwill' is the only way forward.

Do not be afraid. This was the first statement that was made by the man who came from afar, Carol Wojtyla. Pope John Paul II was quoting his Mentor. Soon after His crucifixion, Jesus appeared to his bewildered and insecure apostles and He encouraged them not to fear what was happening.

Over the centuries, many courageously confronted their anxieties, insecurities, life challenges and the unknown with determination.

In view of the recent unfortunate incident of the well-educated Hungarian chemical engineer, Jack Daboma, it is astounding how the same clinched arguments with respect to colour of the skin having any sort of impact on one’s worth as a human being still abound in our society. Skin colour is irrelevant when human dignity is at stake and should actually not even feature as a relevant topic of discussion. It is the reason behind this fear that has to be discussed at length.

Racism is based on the fear and, consequently, the hate of another race. Racism is based on lack of information and knowledge: the fear of the unknown. People unknown to us and who may have a different complexion or a different lifestyle can provoke a sense of insecurity. Diversity can cause anxiety.

People who are insecure in their own ‘small world’ feel threatened by those who are different in colour, race, religion or sexual orientation. On the other hand, those people who feel secure consider diversity as an opportunity to grow and a source of enrichment. Over the years, people in various high positions used the ‘fear card’ to manipulate people’s emotions and choices. Years back, during the European Union referendum, we were asked to cast a No vote out of fear of AIDS! More recently, during the spring hunting referendum, we were told to vote Yes out of fear that others will lose their pastime.

Using the ‘fear card’ in dealing with coloured people will only serve to strengthen the position of those who seek to promote the fallacious myth of the superiority of the white race. Nazism, fascism and apartheid regimes illustrate the horrendous atrocities committed in the name of a particular race over another. For the ill-informed, all coloured people are irregular immigrants or, worse, ISIS followers ready to strike. This is far from true.

Daboma was judged by the colour of his skin rather what he did or did not do. Although, in our context, irregular immigrants and coloured people are closely interrelated, in reality they are two separate distinctive issues and we ought to make a distinction. Labelling all coloured people as belonging to one single group is dangerous and insulting as much as labelling all Maltese as bad mannered or short tempered. The good and the bad are found in every race.

The problems posed by irregular immigration are complex with no clear-cut easy solutions. Although we all acknowledge that, due to our space, there are limitations, racism should never be considered as part of the solution.

As much as we moved from a ‘one faith, one country’ mindset and slowly embraced a secular and multi-faith society, we need to acknowledge that, like it or not, we are moving into a multicultural society like the rest of the world. We are not an exception to this movement of people.

Now, we may either foolishly resist the inevitable social change or else embrace it. A gradual integration of all ‘people of goodwill’ is the only way forward. Resisting or being in denial is not going to take us anywhere except in creating unhealthy ghettoisations and future social unrest, fuelled by some emerging far right movement.

It is quite ironic that racist sentiments are not shown towards other people of a different race which reside among us. So why do we feel so insecure and anxious in front of coloured people? My reading is that, over the centuries, our society identified evil and negative experiences with skin colour. We mourn our beloved departed in black attire. The Turks from the Great Siege were coloured. Remember the ‘black bogeyman’ to keep our children under control?

Even in our religious iconography, evil is personified in a coloured figure. St Michael, the blond archangel, standing over the black devil is the classical example. Although this might sound like a simplistic explanation, subconsciously this makes us wary of coloured people.

As a candidate for the coming general election, I was discouraged from writing about this issue. Such a topic is not vote catching, I was warned. I beg to differ. Our citizens have a right to know what values our current and future representatives hold.

I, together with others, stand firmly behind the respect and the dignity of each and every person whatever the colour, race, religion or sexual orientation. I make my own the words of Martin Luther King: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

Let us not be afraid to embrace this dream.

(This article was published on The Sunday Times of Malta – 19 July, 2015)