Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/890548
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2017 Opinion 24 24 I am as shocked and angry as many others on the execution of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Most of us never imagined that Caruana Galizia, or any other journalist or writer, would ever have been executed. It is only in the late 1970s and 1980s that Malta began experiencing some form of deadly political and civil violence after Independence, and yet this was nothing comparable to the scale and troubles of other independent and post-colonial countries. Since the tense period of the 1980s, it never passed anyone's mind that someone would execute a murder for political reasons, let alone imagine a journalist or a writer being executed in such a brutal manner. The assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia is abominable and treacherous, cowardly in nature yet so rotten that it has scarred our peaceful way of life. The peaceful calm in this country has been broken as someone, somewhere has crossed a line that should not have been crossed. No one actually showed any outrage at the car bombings which took place during the recent years. It's ok, we thought, as we assumed that as long as the criminal gangs blow up each other, we, as law-abiding civilians, have nothing to fear. Now, this has changed. The fact that this line has been crossed by the assassination of a journalist and writer makes it even more outrageous and terrifying. Criminal groups are directly threatening not only our peace, but even our democracy and way of life. In this moment of outrage and mourning to a slain journalist and writer, our society needs a lot of ref lection as well especially since we never expected such an outcome in the first place. The State should be able to create a safe environment for journalists and writers free from any harassment and intimidation, so it should go without saying that the government should quickly send the right response by re-drafting its proposed and sloppy press reform and abolish criminal libel, lower civil libel damages, and increase fines for vexatious libel. Undoubtedly there is a large and overwhelming feeling in society that the police commissioner is not doing his job, especially since there were no police investigations in the Panama papers matter. Police commissioners in Malta have since colonial times always protected the strong and powerful, and this is why in our recent history, no politician from either side of the political spectrum has ever gone to prison over corruption, despite the fact that cases of corruption by governments from both sides of the spectrum are numerous and well-known. It is about time that politicians are held accountable by the law. A new police commissioner chosen by a commission of judges could increase trust in our institutions. If there are reasons for the Prime Minister and the Labour government to resign, this is not one of them. If Labour were to resign from government right now after having won the elections with a clear mandate, it would be sending the message that violence can actually dictate our democratic process. Clearly we have to stick together as a country in this moment of crisis as we cannot allow bombs and violence to affect our way of life, to divide us and cripple our democracy. Mark Camilleri is chairman of the National Book Council Mark Camilleri Upholding human decency No bombs can condition democracy A s we heard the news of the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia on Monday, each and every one of us experienced shock, horror and disbelief. This is not about just one journalist, it's an affront to the liberties and freedoms we all hold dear, as long as we are not selective in our definition of freedom of expression. Winston Churchill defined free-speech thus: "Everyone is in favour of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people's idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage." The air we breathe got heavier, and that was what the murderers wanted to achieve. How we reacted was important. I am sorry to say the PN leader got it very wrong. The fact that a man with a recent history of insulting her, and five libel suits outstanding, tried to use her killing to gain political capital, just hours later, is shameful. It shows how far we have to go as a country. She was a student of mine way back. In those days, we talked about how to write a good story, how to investigate, follow a lead and build a narrative. Like many journalists after her, we'd end up on different sides of the debate, to put it mildly. As a former journalist but also as a politician, fervent contestations and debates there were many in these circles but nothing undermined the respect in the profession or what it stands for. I was one of her targets, like many others. The criticism, even the unfair bits, are part and parcel of public life. From an early age, her saying-it- as-she-sees-it attitude was predominant. Over the years she displayed an exceptional devotion to the role of the journalist, with unrelenting force and a strong-willed pen. In some cases, her writing was of a high quality and penetrating, in others it was gossip, f lowing with rumours that she did not check and verif y, especially when her prejudices got the better of her. Whatever her opinion, there were no two-ways about it. In a world of grey, she was either black or white. The intensity of how she was absorbed in a story showed a passion which is rare. A quote which comes to mind, often attributed to Voltaire but actually written by a relatively unknown woman (the irony), Evelyn Beatrice Hall, goes something like this: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. This is an important distinction which, knowingly or unknowingly, became mixed up in recent days. There is a difference between the content that was written, and her right to say it. You are not being inconsistent when you disagree on the writings, but still support her right to publish. The attack on Monday was designed to create the highest level of what is called 'a chilling effect' on media and society. Even the manner in which it was planned strengthens this notion. The aim was to destabilise and freeze you as a journalist or individual, from writing, saying or even thinking something. The attackers want to paralyse the freedoms we should all hold dear. That is why, in these difficult times, we must support journalists, and their close ones, who may now have to fight off the urge to think twice before delving into a subject, such as the criminal underworld. Their ability to write without restraint should be supported by each one of us. There are no 'ifs' or ' buts' in free speech. You should be able to say and write whatever you want, with the only exceptions being very precise in their definition, such as inciting violence. If someone wants redress there are libel laws. We are a relatively young nation. We've passed through very turbulent times before and this dark chapter in our history must strengthen our values, rather than divide us. It must nourish our ability to voice whatever opinion we might have. It must solidif y our values as a society, and as with any set of values, work to make sure the next generations are appreciative of the freedoms and democratic benefits we enjoy. This was a terror attack, not just on a family and a profession, but on the nation and its values. We must ref lect on the role each one of us plays in upholding these values and unite as a society to reject this despicable act. We must do all we can not to descend into tribal politics where the first casualty is basic human decency. We must continue recognising the humanity of each other and treat others as we would want to be treated in the same situation. Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo There is a difference between the content that was written, and her right to say it. You are not being inconsistent when you disagree on the writings, but still support her right to publish