Youth Charged With Offending the Catholic Religion
On Wednesday, 30th September, the local courts have again reminded us about the theocratic obligations of the Maltese citizens, by charging a young man with offending the Catholic Religion and handing him a six month prison sentence, suspended for three years.
The young man was showing an artistic, visual compilation he made at home while playing a live set at Microfest in May, when police officers came up on him, stopped the set and confiscated his laptop.
The visual included a clip of the current Pope followed by a naked woman.
The young man pleaded guilty and Magistrate Silvio Demicoli handed out the sentence.
Comments
Offending Catholic Religion?
I wonder whether Malta's archbishop and Gozo's bishop have said anything? Or is this a secular matter in which they conveniently opt not to interfere? From the perspective of religion, this is one way to alienate Malta's youth. From the perspective of any enlightened person living in the twentieth century, the action of ther police is an affront to democracy and liberty. Benedict XVI is a joke and everyone but hardnosed Catholics knows it. All these laws need to be updated but Malta's parliament is lazy made up of part-time members who are more interested in advancing their careers. The problem here is that the young man should not have pleaded guilty. He took the easy way out. He should have pleaded not guilty, be found guilty and then, eventually, had the matter referred to the European Court of Human Rights. Joseph Carmel Chetcuti
Oh come on...The pope is much
Oh come on...The pope is much more dirty and provocative than a naked woman. If anything, the naked woman should be offended for being shown next to the pope...not the fucking pope.
Democracy or what?
Democracy at its best!
anke bicca party irnexxilhom ifottu
when the pigs are away the people come out to play.
Seriously Malta, its time to grow the hell up.
What we need to understand here in Malta is the fact that the state and religion are two different entities.
Religion is only a matter of opinion, just as you have the right to say i believe in god, someone else has the right to say god doesn't exist. Just like when you say, i like coke, someone else can disagree and say i do not like coke! Religion is something you feel to be true or not. some people have the gift of faith while other have not yet received it, but being punished for not by law is insane and shows how far Malta, its people and their mentalities still have to go to keep up with the rest of the world (and to start showing some true freedom of speech). Its so stupid and insanely contradictory to actually arrest someone due to such actions, im sure if someone put up a pic of Buddha or Allah and showed a pic of a naked lady after that most maltese people (with their brains the size of peanuts) would roar with laughter at those pics. We are no better than the Muslims we hastily condemn for using brute force and violence to punish those who offend their religion. Malta is actually doing worse for instead of a few people using force against an offender, the actual Maltese state is punishing them, by law!
Seriously Malta, its time to grow the hell up.
Seriously Malta... - agreement
I think the point you have brought up is very valid, and Maltese people in general are not aware of it. While I would not ridicule any religion myself, I am not prepared to take legal action against anyone who does. As you have correctly pointed out, if the same person had shown a picture of Buddha, Mohammed or any other religious figure, I am sure he would not have been brought to 'justice'! For the Maltese it is all right to ridicule other religions publicly (as often happens), but it is the end of the world if someone ridicules Catholicism. Being a Catholic, I do not enjoy lurid jokes about Jesus, Mary and saintly figures, but I would not condemn those who enjoy them. Everyone is entitled to his opinion and beliefs. Furthermore, the Pope is a huge public figure, and as such should accept criticism and ridicule as the norm.
This countrys so shit
This countrys so shit
Freedom of expression does
Freedom of expression does not mean that we can ridicule or offend anyone. This applies to religions whether muslim, catholic etc. Art does not mean offending people. Everyone should be responsable for his attitudes. Let's imagine this person decided to show a photo of your wife followed by a naked man. I am sure that anyone could have been offended. This guy should consider himself as lucky, cause if he had to offend another religion in another country, I am sure that he would get much more than just a suspended sentence.
I would love to see this be taken to extremes
Indeed, i'd want to be the first person to witness it. Some poor sod had to pay the price for exercising his freedom of expression - i'd love to see such uptightness to be exercised in the regards of all religions, legally recognised and otherwise. Offending another's belief doesn't need to be graphic, you don't even need to swear to be offending the religious beliefs of others - just being close-minded about it is enough offense.
The whole island would end up being arrested.
Seriously though, in Malta unless you're catholic, you're discriminated against - and as these things go, they'll find any other topic to justify the discrimination.
Youth Charged With Offending the Catholic Religion
ma tantx ghandna ghalfejn nitkellmu ghall estremizmu religjuz specjalment Iranjan. Qed naghmlu bhalhom. Nahseb li dan pajjiz demokratiku immexxi mill-knisja kattolika minn taht. Jekk joghgobkom hawn iktar affarijiet importanti fuq xiex jittiehdu passi perezempju il-korruzjoni fil vat department u il mepa. Ma nhallux ir religjon tmexxina minn imnihierna. Hija xi haga personali li tadura lil xi alla ikun liem ikun. Ghandu jfittex bil qorti dak li gie offiz mhux il- pulizija. !!! come on inkunu realistici ..qeghdin nighxu fis seklu 21 ta mhux fi zmien l-inkwizizzjoni Spanjola
people shouldn't take things
people shouldn't take things so seriously.... grow up guys... everyone is entitled to their own opinion...... i honestly cannot see anything wrong with what this guy has done... in malta we've been brought up (brainwashed) to believe that anything that is marginally against the norm should be banned... progress can never happen this way.. grow up, shut up, let the guy speak. if you like it - listen, if you dont - ignore it, no biggy.
....
Fuck You all... Fuck your insane religion, you motherfucking Catholic Freaks
you are a sad sad person.
you are a sad sad person.
I'm just another sad person, i guess, ay?
Anon who replied by denouncing the other as 'sad', I have to admit you are right, in actual fact. It is sad to be angry for living in an island where creativity is suppressed. Sad to see that Malta is in the EU, and this is the 21st century, and yet, despite all this, certain art forms are still taboo. You know what is the saddest thing of them all, anon? Is that we are still living in the Marquis de Sade's kind of society, a society that compelled the said author/philosopher to actually be outrageous in order to enlighten people who denounce anger and rage without seeing the reasons behind it.
Tell me, who is really to be cast aside? Is it the anon whose anger is clear - and who is only a reflection of what many out there feel? Or is it society itself, who just accepts these legal sentences without too much ado? Sure - there is freedom of speech. And people of your creed can say that it is unacceptable to actually show publicly these pornographic images. Well, in the first place, let me remind you that freedom od speech should be stopped only when there is hate propaganda. I doubt that a pair of bouncing tits constitute such a propaganda. Further more, there is a definite distinction between art and pornography - and the audience itself is an integral part of this difference. I really doubt that anyone in there was with his or her pants down and - apologies in advance for my French - masturbating in front of the public. Much less a whole audience. It was art, set up to give a message, for after all, that is what artistic media are about.
But - who am I to write like this? I am a sad person too, so, please, do not mind these few lines. An enlightened individual like you are is surely something to reckon, unlike people of my kind, who get sometimes emotional at knowing that a young man's freedom was choked because of the narrow mindedness of a democratic EU country. And, lest I forget, let me not write about all the others out there who are now thinking twice before making a short film, or painting or sculpting - being expressive in short - that might offend your so refined sense of morality.
I have only one question to you, Anon. It is - how about the ethics of understanding and justice? Or is your all-seeing-I a different set of justice, perhaps one that you and your fellow compatriots would bless us in due time with yet another court sentence.
But, hey, I'm just another sad person, am i not?
lol
you're all pathetic....for defending some tasteless moron (art work involving a naked woman chasing an old man? HILARIOUS AND PROVOCATIVE RIGHT?? wrong) and the other guy is lame for defending this sort of stuff. two dunces make a douche :)
you're contradicting urself pfft
you're agreeing that a person should be arrested just for "offending" a belief and yet if u believe in that religion u should know that ur taught not to jugde. really [b]FUCKED up[\b] system no different than nazi's!
so right
takes one to know one. We might be 2 dunces, but you end up being the douche lol =))
and two douches make....?
and two douches make....?