Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/576901
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2015 12 News MIRIAM DALLI MALTESE and Muslim. Maltese and black. But Maltese anyway. Right? Not in the eyes of the inter- net trolls who tell Sara Ezabe and Naomi Bugre to "prove their citi- zenship" by taking blood tests – which is hardly proof of anything – or who claim they are "adopted" as a way of playing down the fact that they speak Maltese. Welcome to the world of these two second-year law students. And it's not just the trolls. They have been spat at, insulted and threatened. Both girls, 19, have been active in school and youth organisations promoting diversity and integra- tion and advocating human rights. And their activism and subsequent backlash by certain quarters of so- ciety has even attracted the inter- est of both Labour and PN. But curb your enthusiasm, Bugre and Ezabe seem to want to say, sniffing the air of tokenism when the parties suggested they try their hand at the local elections. "We have been approached by both parties, and some even sug- gested that we start off at a local council level… but we prefer to continue doing what we're doing on other platforms," Naomi tells me steadily, refusing to 'colour in' the parties' bland palette. I meet them at Readers' Cor- ner at the University of Malta, a few days before the new semester starts. They look happy, laughing and excited to see what second year law has to offer. When she was five years of age, Sara thought she would become a surgeon until she realised how pas- sionate she was about politics and human rights… and how physics and maths were not her thing. At Maria Regina secondary school in Hamrun, Sara was also president of the school council and her par- ticipation in student politics con- tinued along the years. But their active participation in civil society doesn't come without its backlash: Sara's headscarf and Naomi's skin colour make them targets for xenophobic attacks. Only recently, the two were 'at- tacked' for their participation in the National Youth Parliament while talking about integration, portrayed on the Facebook par- lour as 'invaders' and 'a threat to the Maltese identity' by online groups such as self-declared 'pa- triots' Ghaqda Patrijotti Maltin. The organisation refutes to be labelled as racist and insists it is "fighting for the Maltese identity". "They think that being Maltese is just about being white, of Catho- lic belief and love feasts," Naomi, daughter of pastor and social worker Ahmed Bugre, says. "We're proud to be Maltese and to form part of our society. And I think this is what challenges them." To them it is also a question of self-awareness: "We can never see ourselves the same way they look at us. I am Maltese. I shouldn't be defending myself. However, this also shows that education is needed." But some of the Facebook attacks and racist memes posted online even included threats against their own life. Sara and Naomi say they understand what similar minori- ties, refugees and asylum seekers go through on a daily basis. And their biggest worry are children. "We are not just worried about us but also about other kids and what they are going to face when they grow up. How come no one sees the difference between freedom of speech and hate speech?" Naomi asks. Sara recalls a recent case of a young boy in a church orphan- age caught spreading toothpaste on his arms to try to look like "the other boys". What scares the girls most is that people who should be setting the example and educating others are the ones seeking popular attention. Like Labour MP Etienne Grech, the backbencher who came out as an opponent of "multiculturalism" writing on Facebook about his preference of "migrants who in- tegrate and adopt our culture, and not to have a multicultural coun- try", among other comments. Sara's reaction to the post – on her own Facebook wall – cap- tured the eye of other Facebook followers who in turn shared it on Grech's wall. Grech, thinking that Sara was a foreigner, replied in Maltese, commenting that "these Arabs want Malta to be multicul- tural". "What annoyed me is that he purposely chose to write his com- ment in Maltese, so that 'the for- eigners' wouldn't understand him. I always looked at politicians as not only representing citizens but also being in a position where they can educate others," she says. The girls say that multicultural- ism must be encouraged through real-life encounters and experi- ences that go beyond textbook education. They agree that Malta lacks multiculturalism in various social spheres: arts, music, politics. Football is the notable exception. Sara, a talented artist, concedes there are many people who are just not keen to come forward: "Some might be scared, others reluctant. Facilitating integration is a two- way process: increased participa- tion and less scaremongering." That's where football comes in, Sara says, pointing out how black footballers are "accepted". She ar- gues that it is all about encounters that change perception. "People fear integration because they think it won't succeed. All we have to do is try." Naomi says that it is fear which is causing tension between peo- ple. "You don't need to be scared of us… we really are not scary. If we want to live as Maltese and be proud of who we are, then religion or the colour of the skin shouldn't divide us." Sara admits she finds herself questioning whether it's her Mus- lim scarf or Naomi's skin colour that are to "blame". "But then I ask myself 'why shouldn't we be accepted the way we are? You can't change your skin colour and no one should think that there is something wrong with being black or wearing a scarf. "Let's appreciate diversity. The world is different in so many ways… look at the diversity in colours. We had TV in black and white and got bored of it and sought colours; yet we're scared of colours and we want everyone to be white and with blue eyes. I could have been in the position of those forced to migrate… let's just understand each other." Bright. Young. Maltese. Law students Sara Ezabe and Naomi Bugre are part of the changing face of the Maltese. But their challenges are unlike those of the average teenager. 'Minorities' in their own land, they still believe people can change... L-R: Sara Ezabe and Naomi Bugre Photos: Ray Attard