Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/911593
maltatoday SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER 2017 News 17 1.0 % OPEN A 3 MONTH FIXED TERM DEPOSIT NOW SAVINGS ACCOUNT SAVINGS ACCOUNT 0.5 % START SAVING MORE TODAY POWER UP YOUR SAVINGS BOO T YOUR RETURNS % Visit our website, open your online bank account and start beneting from competitive interest rates on your savings and xed term deposit accounts. 2132 2102 helpdesk@easisave.com www.easisave.com FIMBank p.l.c. is a licensed credit institution regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority and is listed on the Malta Stock Exchange. The Bank is a participant in the Depositor Compensation Scheme in Malta. are problem The tricky tangle of 'hate speech' Responding to the study – which she called "well-written and timely" – Maria Pisani of Integra (an NGO aiming to facilitate the integration of migrants into Maltese society – commented on how the fear of migrants as characterised in the report and elsewhere, appears to exclude concerns about non-African migration. "This is ludicrous. And so, for example, by this premise, the shift in the indigenous Maltese religiosity is somehow ignored or blamed on the 'dark invader'? My point is, yes, of course, the 'Maltese' way of life is changing, and chang- ing fast, and it's a conversa- tion we need to have, but let's have an informed debate about globalisation – including the economic model – and the impact it is having on 'Maltese culture'," Pisani said, observ- ing how the government re- cently announced that in or- der to "maintain the level of economic growth", a further '20,000' migrants will need to be brought in. "And to my knowledge, no one batted an eyelid." Pisani also lamented the lack of accountability by public figures who make discrimi- natory statements in public – a sentiment echoed by Neil Falzon, director of the human rights NGO aditus. "Measures should also be taken to address the lack of accountability of public fig- ures, since they do not usually face any consequences when using language that is offen- sive to any social group," Fal- zon told MaltaToday. This concern tallies with an- other important underlying concern of the CONTACT UM report – the enforce- ment of anti-hate speech laws. Asked about this, Vella Muskat and Assimakopou- los acknowledged that a key problem is the percep- tion that any measures taken against hate speech would be perceived as measures that stifle hate speech as a whole. "This stems from a mis- understanding of what hate speech really stands for not only in legal, but also in ethi- cal terms. When it comes to actual hate speech, in the sense of speech that incites discrimination and violence against an individual or group of individuals who share a particular characteristic that render them vulnerable to such attacks, characterising it as acceptable under the rubric of free speech is not just ille- gal, but also particularly dan- gerous," according to Vella Muskat and Assimakopoulos. Falzon also acknowledges the inherent challenge here. "Not all negative opinions or negative expressions of opinion are hate speech, and as such they are permitted in a democratic society. How- ever, hate speech fosters ha- tred, usually against people or groups who are already mar- ginalised or vulnerable and therefore lacking the capacity to respond and react. From our perspective, hate speech legislation requires states to extend its protection to these people and groups," he said. treljic@mediatoday.com.mt Culture clash or integration? Muslim men pray outside in Msida in a symbolic demonstration over the lack of alternative mosques and prayer rooms Not all negative opinions or negative expressions of opinion are hate speech, and as such they are permitted in a democratic society