387. Egypt: Put Your Money Where your Mouth is
You have to laugh so as
not to cry when you see people writing headlines of condemnation on the events
taking place in Egypt. Blogs and newspapers are full of denouncements against
such tragic circumstances and all in favour of protecting and aiding those
under threat of massacre.
Yet the moment these
refugees appear on one’s shores, borders or inland what do these well-meaning
European neighbours who have so much empathy to offer, do? Malta launches their
military in full steam to push back or deviate them to Lampadusa in Italy as
happened not even a week ago. Spain has better use for their military and
employ them to tramp on the immigrants knuckles so as to make them lose their
grasp on the rocks of the Spanish shores, as happened a year or two back with
the previous government. Germany shout out their adamant “No”, they are full to
the brim with immigrants. France slams down shut their borders and don’t even
offer a piece of bread or a bottle of water to those pushing against the barriers.
Britain’s politician educate their people by saying that aid to immigrants means
one less vote for each immigrant.
So, fine, instead of
filling your blogs and your newspapers in educating your own country, your own people,
against the indifference shown towards immigrants, one writes about how tragic
the events in Egypt are because so long as one talks about being “nice” to
people who are horizons away, it’s ok… but the minute these people, be they
from Libya, Somalia, Egypt, it doesn’t matter, get close to one's doorstep, I
have not yet seen one blog, one article in solidarity towards these immigrants.
The only and I mean only
solidarity shown to these immigrants come from the people in the small sea-town-port
of Lampadusa in Italy. Where all other countries in Europe have railed and clammed
down on these refugees who flee from war and famine struck nations, the people
in Lampadusa have shown years and years of patience, solidarity and above all
emanating an attitude of good-will to a humanity which other countries have
turned their backs upon.
It is not about the
occasional boat-load of immigrants, but continuous boat-loads of refugees, year
in and year out incessantly. The people of Lampadusa have regularly and without
flinching turned up their sleeves, and not their noses as other EU member
states have. They have fed these refugees, smiled at them, offered solidarity
and at times even flung themselves into the sea to save another human life. It
seems the only thing Members of the European Community are all agreed upon to offer
in support is- a one way ticket back to their country of origin!
So when I see all
these blogs and dramatic headlines on the tragedy of Egypt, how do you expect
me to react if not with a sense of indignation or not view such writers as
master hypocrites? It is only when these writers put their money where their
mouth is that they will gain, in my eyes, any credibility at all.
The people of Lampadusa deserve
a Nobel Prize for their unfailing
patience which they have shown throughout these many and arduous years and for
the promotion of good-will among people of all stations and nationalities, not
to speak for having saved numerous lives from sure death. A Nobel Prize which
would make the white-sepulchral faces of indifference of their European
neighbours blush in shame.
