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Last week, after numerous threats of violence and vandalism posted on the web forum of the hunters and trappers’ federation (FKNK), a number of individuals attacked and defaced two areas of sensitive natural and cultural importance.
Of these, the pollution of the Ghadira nature reserve with used oil was the most serious in its immediate impact. But for its long-term implications, the open threat “Mnajdra RIP”, daubed in paint on the roadside leading to the temples of Qrendi, is quite frankly unacceptable in any civilised society.
We know from past experience that some individuals are perfectly capable of carrying out even the most heinous acts of desecration on the temples; admittedly, not just because of the hunting issue. However, the timing of this latest incident, coupled with the slogans themselves, makes any other interpretation at best naïve.
Faced with threats of this magnitude, we must wake up to a new Maltese reality called “cultural terrorism”. Strange as it may sound, there is in our midst number of individuals who have openly declared war on cultural heritage, and are now holding the temples and other sites to ransom. The threat is both real and serious, and the time has come to counter it with real and serious action. Unfortunately, though, it seems from our report of the recent Parliamentary Group meeting that, while finally acknowledging the existence of this threat, our Prime Minister is once again being ill-advised by his closest aides, who argue that Malta should continue fighting its corner in Brussels.
This newspaper thinks otherwise. Not only does the Maltese government clearly not have any case to make for spring hunting, but there is every reason to strike out in the opposite direction. In order to extricate itself from this unsightly mess, government must radically alter its attitude towards the hunting lobby. It is clearly time to take off the kid gloves: rather than constantly giving into blackmail, government should communicate to the FKNK that any future dealings with the federation will be made conditional on a total and unequivocal condemnation of the recent acts of violence in Valletta... as opposed to the FKNK’s risible statement that thousands of hunters had been “provoked” by a handful of journalists.
The Prime Minister should also make it clear to the hunters that no discussions or agreements of any kind shall take place, unless the federation also undertakes a firm commitment to fully cooperate with the police in controlling and bringing to justice those of its members who pose a threat to national security.
This would also be welcomed by the majority of FKNK’s own members, who, judging by comments posted on its own website, do not appreciate being tarred with the same brush as the criminal vandals in their midst.
When it comes to dealing with individual troublemakers, government would be wise to take a leaf out of the British police’s book on controlling football hooligans. Admittedly the two issues are unrelated; nevertheless, both involve small but violent minorities whose lawless behaviour ruins a sport or pastime for the peaceful and law-abiding majority.
After the Heysel disaster in 1985, the British police conducted a nationwide exercise to identify individuals known to be violent hooligans. Coupled with heightened security in stadiums – including empowering match stewards to bring charges against offenders – these measures have eventually paid dividends, and the problem of British football hooliganism has been greatly reduced in recent years.
In much smaller Malta, a similar exercise can easily be conducted to draw up a register of known troublemakers: those few among the hunting community who would have no qualms in defacing a historical monument, or polluting the entire ecosystem of a nature reserve, simply because they were not given exactly what they wanted, when they wanted it.
Naturally, this would have to be done in full observance with the Data Protection Act, and with maximum respect for individual privacy. But coupled with greater security at well-known vandalism targets such as Ghadira or the temples, and a much-needed increase in manpower for the ALE, a register of known hunting offenders could prove an effective deterrent to the would-be vandal.
The benefits would be twofold: rather than constantly bowing to hunters’ pressure, the government would finally be exerting some pressure of its own to safeguard the interests and concerns of the overwhelming majority of law-abiding citizens, who are understandably frustrated at being overlooked in favour of a grossly unpopular lobby. On another level, this unequivocal commitment to protecting our cultural heritage will also serve as a much-needed boost to the image of the heritage monuments themselves: all too often undervalued by the public at large.
Above all, though, it would finally impart a message that is now patently overdue: enough is enough.
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