Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/497863
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 APRIL 2015 News 9 TIM DIACONO ARCHBISHOP Charles Scicluna has welcomed a project to construct a church, a mosque and a synagogue under one roof in Gozo. In a brief statement to MaltaToday, Scicluna said that his views echoed those of Gozo bishop Mario Grech, who had described the project as an "interesting" one in the context of a globalised world with a growing level of cultural and religious overlap and dialogue. Earlier this month, Sunday news- paper Illum revealed the Ministry for Gozo's plans to construct this place of worship on the outskirts of Xewk- ija, close to the Gozo Stadium. The newspaper also revealed the early plans for the building, designed by architect Richard England, designer of places of worship such as the Mil- lennium Chapel in Paceville and the Church of St Francis in Qawra. "Catholics, Muslims, and Jews are all brothers since we all recognise the same God," Grech said. "As Catholics, we respect all religions, but Islam and Judaism in particular. "We are living in a society in which, for some reason or other, people appear to have grown fed up of religion. It is clear that some of these people have mistaken under- standings of God, while others have a great thirst for God in the hope of finding answers to their profound questions. "One can only hope that this pro- posed place of worship can some- how help people fill up their existen- tial vacuums." The idea behind a church-mosque- synagogue is not the first of its kind, with a similar project in Berlin, the 'House of One', expected to open its doors next year. The House of One's design incor- porates a church, a mosque, and a synagogue circling a central meeting place to be used for inter-faith dis- cussion. Laiq Ahmed Atif, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Malta, believes that the Gozitan version should take it a step or two further. "I hope that it will be a fully inclu- sive project that brings all religious communities on board, and not just main strands of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism," he told MaltaToday. "If it proves to be a truly inclusive project, then I think it will bear won- derful fruit. "If there is true conviction towards promoting inclusivity behind this project, then I'll consider it a very positive step and will fully support it. I don't believe in image-building, but rather in doing something because you have a clear conviction in it." He pointed out that the concept of people of different faiths praying under one roof is by no means alien to Islam. "The life of the Holy Prophet Mu- hammad is filled with examples of how he always advocated freedom of religion and worship. To give one example, when a delegation of Christians from the city of Na- jran came to visit Medina, the Holy Prophet happily gave them permis- sion to worship in his own Mosque, in their own way and to give worship not towards the Kaaba but to wor- ship in a westerly direction as was their method." "Prayer is common in all three re- ligions," he said. "Rather than fight- ing amongst us, why don't we create a place of worship for all? I'm very hopeful that this project will help create an atmosphere of mutual re- spect and harmony." JAMES DEBONO NO feedback was requested from the public before the issue by the government last week of a contro- versial legal notice allowing the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to discount fines imposed on planning illegalities. The law obliges MEPA to seek pub- lic consultation before any changes to planning policy are approved by the government but in this case MEPA claims that the changes were directly proposed by the government. However, the legal notice issued in 2011, which introduced the strict daily fines being tweaked by the new law, had been issued for public con- sultation before it was approved a year later. Through the new legal notice MEPA will be given the power to accept or refuse requests by owners of illegal buildings to pay a "com- promise penalty" instead of the daily fines which under the law can reach up to €50 a day. Prior to 2011 the maximum fine envisioned by law amounted to just €2,300. The Environment and Planning Act stipulates that planning policy approved and adopted by MEPA is subject to public consultation. "However, this is a legal notice which is issued by the minister and is not subject to such provisions," a MEPA spokesperson told MaltaTo- day. Legal notices drafted and approved by MEPA have been issued for public consultation in the past. In this case the legal notice was not issued for public consultation simply because it was directly drafted by the govern- ment. But this defies the usual procedure adopted in changing planning laws. For example the legal notice im- posing daily fines itself was first is- sued as a draft legal notice by MEPA in January 2011. The public was given six weeks to submit its comments and feedback. This practice had continued so far under the present administration. In October 2013 MEPA had issued a draft legal notice on changes to leg- islation regulating the change of use from one category of development to another. In October 2014 MEPA amend- ments to a legal notice meant to exempt owners from seeking the consent of 75% of neighbours when seeking a change in zoning or street alignment, was also issued for public consultation. The new law explained The new legal notice states that the authority can consider written requests from persons served with daily fines to pay a "compromise fine" instead. Any such request must specify "the impelling reason" why the penalty established by law is not to be paid, as well as "the manner in which the fine" is to be changed. The new legal notice also foresees the creation of a new committee composed of three board members, one of whom is the chairman of the authority or a chairperson of one of the two Environment and Planning Commissions. "Procedure to allow flexibility" – MEPA According to the spokesperson for the authority the Legal Notice is in- tended to address situations where the fine imposed would not be "pro- portional to the illegality commit- ted". MEPA claims that the present law does not allow for any flexibility to reflect the circumstances of particu- lar cases. Those who feel that fines are unjust can already appeal to MEPA's Envi- ronment and Planning Review Tri- bunal – which serves as an appeals tribunal. But according to MEPA this is "an additional financial burden" which "further protracts the time taken for a final solution to be sought". Moreover, according to MEPA, the provisions of this Legal Notice al- lows for a swifter and more stream- lined process. An additional benefit of these amendments according to MEPA is that in the case of the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal ap- peals on fines are decided without the tribunal knowing the general thrust of the board's original deci- sion, whereas "review of fines un- der the latest provisions will be de- cided by a sub-committee made up of members of the same board who would thus be aware of the circum- stances of the original decision". The MEPA spokesperson also pointed out that those who make a request for a "compromise penalty" will be renouncing their right to appeal against the fine imposed on them in front of the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal. But while the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal cannot reduce fines, but only remove them if these are deemed to be in breach of the law, the new MEPA subcommit- tee will have wider powers including that of reducing the fine. Moreover no clear guidelines exist to regulate the actions of the new committee. When asked whether MEPA is guided by any policy document in assessing requests for lower fines, the MEPA spokesperson replied that "the sub-committee will decide on the review of fines requests based on the current penalties in force and other material considerations that are brought forward within this con- text". The MEPA spokesperson con- firmed that the proceedings of the subcommittee shall be held in public and the decisions will be made pub- lic "in a similar manner as per other authority decisions". jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt No consultation on MEPA's new 'compromise penalties' Archbishop gives blessing to ecumenical house of worship The new legal notice states that the authority can consider written requests from persons served with daily fines to pay a "compromise fine" instead MEPA claims the present law does not allow for any flexibility to reflect the circumstances of particular cases MOSTA – situated in a quaint location, a large house of character with lots of natural light, set on two floors with high ceilings, central courtyard, spacious garage, entrance hall, kitchen, living room, laundry room and spare toilet at ground floor level. At first floor level one finds three large double-bedrooms (circa 5.6m x 4m per bedroom), en-suite bathroom, separate main bathroom and study. This property is complemented by a second courtyard with four additional large rooms which can be converted into an extension to this already spacious property or a separate flatlet. - €435,000 freehold. Call on 99434606, no agents please.