Taliban-like laws apply within the EU
As the world argues over yet another motion from the Islamic bloc at the UN Human Rights Council that seeks to restrict free speech by introducing a global blasphemy law and little old Malta quietly interprets a religious law so oppressive it might put the Taliban to shame.
Last week, six young people narrowly escaped a prison sentence because they dressed up as nuns at a carnival. They had been charged under Articles 163–164 of the Malta Criminal Code, which provides that:
163. Whosoever by words, gestures, written matter, whether printed or not, or pictures or by some other visible means, publicly vilifies the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion which is the religion of Malta, or gives offence to the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion by vilifying those who profess such religion or its ministers, or anything which forms the object of, or is consecrated to, or is necessarily destined for Roman Catholic worship, shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term from one to six months.
164. Whosoever commits any of the acts referred to in the last preceding article against any cult tolerated by law, shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term from one to three months.
The Magistrate who heard the original case against the carnival-goers said the youngsters were not wearing crosses and the costumes did not constitute a “sacred garment” and therefore the law didn’t apply. However, the Attorney General didn’t agree and appealed the Magistrate’s decision to the Court of Criminal Appeal, which ruled:
The mere fact of dressing up as nun, even if for carnival, but without wearing any religious symbol, cannot reasonably be considered as amounting to public vilification of the Roman Catholic Religion, or of those belonging to such religion, or of its ministers, or of anything which forms the object of, or is consecrated to, or is necessarily destined for Roman Catholic worship. However, if the wearing of such a habit were accompanied with such circumstances of fact, words or gestures which objectively amount to vilification, then there would be an offence in terms of article 163. Cross reference: The Police v. Rokku Abdilla et Criminal Court 13/01/1962.
The Catholic Church, therefore, retains its special right to persecute and silence its critics on the island of Malta – which, incredibly, is a member of the “we-support-free-speech-equality-and-diversity” European Union.
