Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/884700
17 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2017 plex, if not thorny, subject. I ask Omar what this loaded term re- ally means to him. "For me, it boils down to re- specting an individual's rights. But then, that individual also needs to accept that they cannot impose their rights on anyone else. For example, I can strongly believe that Arabic coffee is the best coffee in the world. But if you think that Brazilian coffee is in fact the best, it's not up to me to convince you otherwise." Omar then supplements this with a more serious example that cleaves more closely to his per- sonal experience. "If I want to go to the mosque on Friday, leave me be; let me go to the mosque then go back home in peace. Just like I would never question any- one who goes to mass on a Sun- day..." Unsurprisingly, religion has al- ways played a big part in Omar's formative years; and continues to do so in many ways. Raised in the Muslim faith – a mutual deci- sion by his parents – Omar had to grow a thick skin during his schooldays. "My parents couldn't afford to send me to the Maryam al-Ba- tool school," Omar tells me, po- tentially lifting the lid on an in- teresting class distinction among Maltese Muslims, "so they de- cided to send me to government school instead, while my father continued to instill the Muslim values in me at home". The school in question was St Paul's Bay Primary – now famous for being among the most mul- ticultural schools on the island. However, that wasn't the case in Omar's day. "Back then, the only 'minor- ity religion kids' were two other classmates of mine – a Jehovah's Witness boy and a Russian Or- thodox girl... then there was my- self." I can't help but find this im- age endearing: a trio of outsiders from entirely different cultures, brought together by circum- stance and pitted against a world that barely understands them. But outsider chic was certainly not the forefront of Omar's mind while growing up in such an environment. After all, the sur- name – 'Rababah' being as loud a tell tale as 'Reljic' – is already a strong enough tell to get preju- dices up and running. "They would ask where I'm from. And then it would start. 'Your father married your moth- er just to get citizenship'. 'You're going to marry four wives'. 'You Arabs don't wash'... and I was al- ways labelled as 'the Arab' – as if that's something to be ashamed of." With a wry smile, he adds, "You know what I always used to tell my mother? Thank God I was born white! If my complexion were any darker, things would have been a lot worse..." Omar is not ashamed to admit that this situation led to some- thing of an 'identity crisis' when he was growing up. But he man- aged to get through it thanks to the values instilled in him by his family. "Which, incidentally, are not the values portrayed by the media," he is quick to add. In fact – and true to the nature of his dual nationality – Omar puts his Muslim faith in a specific context. "The values I really appreciate have to do with simple things... like going up to your parents to greet them when you're at home. That sense of respect is some- thing which stuck with me. But then, I don't agree with the ston- ing of homosexuals, for example, or with equating homosexual- ity with mental illness... I cannot condone that in any way, shape or form. And even if I did, I have to come face-to-face with the fact that I'm living in Malta, and that Malta follows certain values. Again, that's what integration truly is..." As a counterpoint, he brings up a common rebuttal. "Sometimes people tell me, 'Well, in Saudi Arabia if you say you're Chris- tian you'll be persecuted'. This is true, but I don't like to look at countries that are worse than us in terms of human rights. I like to look up to those who are better. So I don't look at Saudi Arabia. I look at Norway. I look at Swe- den." For Omar, the work ahead lies with ensuring that more people meet up with migrants at a regu- lar basis. He mourns the fallout of the recent 'protest march' in Marsa, asking, "Did any of the mayors or councillors who had originally planned to go on that march visit shops and bars run by Africans, Syrians or other mi- grants? Did they speak to them, to maybe try to understand why some individuals within their communities are acting in prob- lematic ways?" Whatever the case, Omar strongly believes that racism should not be a short-cut reac- tion – much less a solution – to anything. And in line with his proudly-adopted mixed heritage, he succinctly articulates the ab- surdity of Maltese racism. "We are the result of so much intermixing. Even our language is a complete melting pot. So how can you even think about utter- ing racist remarks while using a language so imbued with the in- fluence of different races?" treljic@mediatoday.com.mt Malta's sustainability guardian is championing 'marvellous building boom' actually lauded the government's deregulation in planning and the "benevolent" allowance for higher hotels. Indeed Mizzi – whose remit at law should be to promote sustain- able development at both private and public levels – boasted that his Mizzi Organisation was reaping the benefits of Malta's "bubbling economy" with planning permits for several construction projects and hotel additions. The key to this success? The La- bour government's relaxation of planning rules: "The Authorities have opened their doors and are giving building permits without delving too deeply into the parameters of building regulations they are meant to be upholding. "Whereas previous administra- tions were possibly too careful and too strict in granting building permits, the policies of this admin- istration have resulted in an enor- mous array of lifts and building machinery…" (Mizzi owns Titan Industrial Supplies). "The present administration has been quite quick in their re- searches and avoided dotting the Is and crossing the Ts. The most indicative of their benevolence is the granting of the addition of an- other two floors to most hotels." (This includes Mizzi's Waterfront Hotel). Indeed, Mizzi says, "Mizzi Or- ganisation has not stood by and just stared in awe at this new sce- nario", before going on to list how his company has benefited from the relaxation of planning rules and policies. "Malta is definitely on the crest of a wave," said the guardian in his concluding remarks: "With a pro- business Prime Minister like Jo- seph Muscat, the end of this mar- vellous building boom is nowhere in sight." One of the critics who flagged Mizzi's commentary in his blog was former PN policy advisor Ma- nuel Delia. "Future generations can live in the squalor and congestion caused by over-development and can forget the natural and historical landscape their ancestors enjoyed (unless they live in Bidnija)," Delia wrote, referring to Mizzi's home in the rural village. "The Guardian of Future Gen- erations is right royally shafting his wards for the straight profit he is getting today from a government's benevolent indifference to our en- vironment." Was it just a sardonic take on the construction frenzy Labour ushered in since its election to power from the man who for years penned regular columns on gar- dening for the Sunday Times and MaltaToday? Mizzi, contacted on Saturday, suggested that the in-house maga- zine was not for public consump- tion when asked about a reaction to his critics. "I have no comment to make," he said when asked whether he felt he should resign the guardianship if it is at such odds with his entrepre- neurial role. Responsibility for the appoint- ment of philanthropist Maurice Mizzi (his remuneration is do- nated to the Spiro Mizzi Founda- tion, a child poverty charity he administers) ultimately rests with José Herrera, the minister for the environment. For how can the chairman of a conglomerate that is a major player in car importation and construction and real estate, be the guardian of future genera- tions? When Michael Zammit Cutajar was appointed to the post, he de- scribed his role as that of a "look- out post, a sounding board and a source of independent criticism and advice." Mizzi's worship of Labour's pro-business mantra is anything but. mvella@mediatoday.com.mt Mizzi Organisation chairman Maurice Mizzi: his message to employees praising Malta's construction bonanza jars with his role as 'Guardian of Future Generations' "Malta is definitely on the crest of a wave... With a pro-business Prime Minister like Joseph Muscat, the end of this marvellous building boom is nowhere in sight"