The rape of our mother - Fr Joe Inguanez

It was in July 1969 that Peter Richardson penned an article in the prestigious Architectural Review entitled ‘Rape of a Village’.

To the shame of all stakeholders – most of all the government – Richardson was referring to new streets which were being built in the village cores of Żurrieq, Qrendi, Mqabba and Żebbuġ, which destroyed the texture and townscape of four typical Maltese villages.

In the same year, Quentin Hughes foresaw that Malta was “in danger of losing in one generation what was gained in nine centuries” (Fortress, 1969:276).

Imagine what these gentlemen would say if they were to visit Malta today.

There are few – poets and historians – among us who, every now and then, suggest that certain expressions in our national anthem should be removed.

The tragedy is that, now, we have several fat cats who, with impunity, shamelessly and without any qualms of conscience do not give a damn about the opening verse of this anthem, “Lil din l-art ħelwa, l-Omm li tatna isimha” (to this sweet land, the mother that gave us her name).

Instead of respecting this mother of ours, they have raped her. Worse than heinous pimps, they have betrayed and prostituted her for the proverbial...