Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/457075
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 2015 8 News Education and the media are at the core of changing inter-faith relations MARTINA BORG AN inter-faith forum was organ- ised by the Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, aiming to provide representatives of vari- ous religions with the opportu- nity to discuss ways in which Maltese society can become more tolerant and accepting of different religious faiths. The forum was held in oc- casion of the United Nations' World Harmony week, which oc- curs annually in the first week of February, and carries the motto "love good, love thy neighbour". President of Malta Marie Lou- ise Coleiro Preca, who oversaw the forum, said that the aim of the foundation is to bring the people of this country together, whatever their faith or race. "So- ciety's wellbeing holds dialogue at the core of creating acknowl- edgment and respect for each other." Coleiro Preca added that this attempt to move towards better inter-faith relations is a new task for Malta, and the subject isn't familiar to Maltese people. "We need to dispel these fears in our people, particularly at a time when misconceptions about other religions are so rife," she said referring to the horrible at- tacks being carried out by Islam- ic extremists around the world. The chairman of the founda- tion, Prof. Martin Zammit, said that the aim of the foundation was not to convert people to dif- ferent faiths, but to encourage leaders of various faiths to en- gage in dialogue and understand each other. The forum was attended by many leaders and representa- tives of various faiths including a representative for the Imam, who reiterated his condemnation of the recent attacks committed by Islamic extremists in Paris. "These attacks have done an in- credible amount of damage to our faith." He also emphasised that Islam in Malta has found no interference in the past and that the Islamic faith accepts all other beliefs. However, he also commented about the prev- alence of discrimination in some members of society, and he called for more inclusion of the faith. Coleiro Preca also expressed her optimism that the Maltese peo- ple would eventually strengthen their reputation as a peaceful and accepting nation despite the fact that it might not currently seem so easy. "I believe that all religions hold one quality at their core, and that is love. Once we learn to recog- nise that, acceptance will be much easier." Attendees of the forum made several suggestions about how to achieve more inter-faith accept- ance, including efforts to include the media in discussions about dif- ferent faiths, educating children about different religions, and hold- ing such fora on a more regular basis. In her concluding remarks, the President praised the Mellieha and St Paul's Bay primary schools and used them as a model for the harmony and peace we can have in society once we learn to accept each other. "I urge teachers and leaders to bring forward a greater awareness of diversity and to in- stil a sense of acceptance in chil- dren from the very start." Kevin Ellul Bonici sacked from EP group KEVIN Ellul Bonici has been sacked by his European Parliament group for distributing controver- sial books about Lithuanian Presi- dent Dalia Grybauskaité to post boxes of EP members. Ellul Bonici, husband of former Labour candidate Sharon Ellul Bonici, has been implicated in the unauthorised distribution of the highly critical biography that was placed in the pigeonholes of all 751 MEPs last December. Ellul Bonici is a member of staff in the secretariat of the eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Direct De- mocracy, led by UKIP leader Nigel Farage. According to delfi.lt, Ellul Bonici returned from sick leave on Mon- day morning and disciplinary ac- tion was taken. "This morning the person re- turned from sick leave. Discipli- nary action has now been taken and the person has been notified of his dismissal," Kelly Herman of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group told the Lithua- nian media. The security probe was ordered by the European Parliament's College of Quaestors after a com- plaint by Lithuanian MEP Antanas Guoga. The book is an unflattering bi- ography of the former European Commissioner, containing allega- tions of Soviet and KGB collabora- tion, and which was translated into English and reprinted without the authorisation of its author, jour- nalist Ruta Yanutene. Supporters of Grybauskaite say the smear campaign was orches- trated by the Kremlin in response to the Lithuanian President's out- spoken views of Vladimir Putin's Russia, which she accused of act- ing as a "terrorist state" during the Ukrainian crisis. In a confidential letter to Euro- pean Parliament president Martin Schulz, the director-general for security and safety Francesca Ratti said that Ellul Bonici invited a Rus- sian citizen and a Polish citizen born in Moscow, as well as another unidentified fourth person, into the EP, to distribute the books. The EFDD has denied that it was behind the book hand-out after El- lul Bonici was caught distributing the book on surveillance cameras. Ratti said that following verifica- tion, it transpired that on 10 De- cember, 2014, at around 1:30pm, Ellul Bonici and three other men placed the 'Red Dalia' books in the MEPs' pigeonholes on the third floor of the Altiero Spinelli build- ing "without previous consent or authorisation from the competent service". Ratti said that it was Ellul Bonici who brought the books into the parliament and distributed them, together with the three other men. "My services have not confronted the identified individuals. Howev- er, we remain available for any ad- ditional steps you deem necessary," Ratti told Schulz. Sharon Ellul Bonici, who spoke for husband Kevin, had denied with MaltaToday that he was behind the book's distribution: "I hope the EP investigates the matter thoroughly. This is news to him and he said he wants his name cleared." Red Dalia in blue: Grybauskaite's alleged past as a KGB collaborator featured in an unauthorised English translation of a book that Ellul Bonici is accused of distributing in MEPs' pigeonholes without authorisation William Mangion's search for bands' rehearsal spaces at an 'advanced' stage TIM DIACONO THE location of a rehearsal place for local bands is at an 'advanced' stage, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici confirmed yesterday. Singer and Labour 'billboard activ- ist' William Mangion has been on a €20,000 contract since 2013, shortly after Labour's election victory, to identify a location where bands can meet for rehearsals. Speaking in Parliament during the second reading of a draft law for changes to the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, Bonnici said that the government will soon announce this location where rock bands will be able to rehearse. Bonnici also said that Malta should start hosting a major rock festival. "The major concern of local rock bands is that they don't have enough places where to perform," he said. "I believe that a rock festival in Malta will not only be able to attract tour- istic niches like Isle of MTV, but also important names in the rock world." He also said that the designs for a 'Carnival Village' will be announced in the coming days. "This won't only be a museum for carnival enthusiasts, but even for artists who want to explore the carnival narrative," Bonnici said. "I don't want carnival to remain a crib but rather become a laboratory for new ideas where artistic expressions can run wild." He said that the Malta Arts Coun- cil will focus heavily on the interna- tionalisation of Malta's artists. "A lot of people think that Malta exports only Twistees, Kinnie and local feasts," Bonnici said. "I'm proud of our heritage and I want to protect it. However, we must also start exporting artists like Joseph Calleja and others. If we want Malta to become relevant on the global map, then the cultural sector is the best key." He said that cultural growth will ultimately help Malta grow both socially and economically and that his ministry has provided a total of €787,254 to aid artists in their projects over the past two years. "3,300 businesses, employing 10,000 people, are currently in- volved in the cultural sector, and in total they contribute 5% of the country's GDP, which is no joke," Bonnici said. "We'll be stupid if we try and sell our country as a centre of excellence for financial services, without understanding that those investors are also attracted by cul- tural palates. Valletta is a Ferrari of cultural palate but it needs funds to boost it, which is exactly what has been done in recent years." Singer and Labour 'billboard activist' William Mangion has been on a €20,000 contract since 2013 President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca (centre) at the inter-faith forum