From today's Times of Malta:
"A magistrate yesterday ruled that there were sufficient reasons for the indictment of Norman Lowell, the leader of the far-right group Imperium Europa, who is charged with inciting racial hatred. Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera gave the ruling after the prosecution declared it had no more evidence in the case against Mr Lowell, 59, of Attard, who is pleading not guilty to using abusive and insulting words or gestures to incite racial hatred in Rabat on April 30 and in Qawra on May 8.
He is also charged with inciting racial hatred between December 2003 and March 27, 2006 through an article entitled Coming Cataclysmic Crisis, and insulting and denigrating the President of Malta on May 8. The magistrate heard Superintendent Peter Paul Zammit explain how on examining the article Coming Cataclysmic Crisis, posted on the website of Imperium Europa, he noticed references to German dictator Adolf Hitler as the "hero". Israel was referred to as "the tribe" and defined as a terrorist state while Jews were labelled as "parasites".
The website also contained recordings of two speeches delivered by Mr Lowell at Nigret, limits of Rabat, on April 30 and at Ta' Fra Ben, Qawra, on May 8.
During both speeches Mr Lowell was heard speaking about immigrants and saying, amongst other things, that he would be the one to give the order to shoot and that he would plant a harpoon between their eyes. In the May recording he also spoke about the President by using insulting words such as "lousy".
In light of the language used by Mr Lowell he was arrested and, on May 27, he released a statement in which he confirmed that the two online recordings where of his speeches.
Although he did not confirm who posted the recordings and the article on the website, he mentioned that he had delivered the speeches during a meeting with friends.
Police Inspector George Cremona added that during questioning Mr Lowell was asked whether he was aware that there existed a law against inciting racial hatred.
He replied that he could never accept that type of law unless it was proven in court.
Lawyer Emmy Bezzina represented Mr Lowell."
j'accuse asks:
- Is that all? Is the reference to the shooting of immigrants the only one they found? Have the police been through the recordings on Maltafly? About six speeches had been posted there. I am sure one of them included Lowell's global vision and his "oil for food policy with the arabs".
-Did Lowell really reply "that he could never accept that type of law unless it was proven in court"? I doubt it. He probably meant that the incitement had to be proven in court. Lowell is not so stupid as to allege that the existence of laws need be proven in court.
- No, but seriously. Do we have to get him on the word "lousy"? How insulting is "lousy"? For heaven's sake. I do not want to live in a country where I cannnot call the President, Prime Minister or Leader of Opposition"lousy". Really is that all? Is this a joke? What about his calls for "lampposts"? Do the police need help in identifying the implications of certain remarks by Lowell in his speeches? Do they need assistance to identify violent threats? Did we ever dream his remarks of "there aren't enough lampposts"?
There is room for improvement.
12 commentaires:
Lowell presents something of a lose-lose situation. It might once have been assumed that ignoring him would have left him open to exposing himself as the moron that he clearly is. As it is, we may end up in the ludicrous Lowell-as-martyr type scenario. The truth is that it is in effect pointless to apply sensible legislation to an individual like Lowell, because he is quite obviously foolish beyond all redemption. If anyone is indeed incited to racial violence by his remarks, it says more for this person's limited mental acuity and/or stability than it does for Lowell's capacity to disseminate trouble.
he is quite obviously foolish beyond all redemption
if by foolish you mean silly, i agree... but if, on the other hand, you mean stupid, i don't think so...
you remember IL-HANFUSA, that gozitan wannabee councillor, who made the headlines some years ago?... he WAS stupid, and in fact he disappeared into oblivion after a few weeks...
norman lowell has been here for years and i think for much more years to come... he knows perfectly well what he's doing and the effect that his antics have on the people...
he knows what makes people tick and is exploiting that for all he's worth...
Lowell has been here for years, and his speeches do incite racial hatred, however by convicting him, he's only being given more attention.
I agree with vlad re the 'Lowell-as-martyr' scenario. I've seen many posts on right wing sites depicting Lowell as a quasi-saviour who will stop at nothing to defend the purity of the white race (his words, not mine).
I still can't understand what is wrong with calling the President 'lousy'. Aren't we entitled to an opinion about our President?
*HAVE an opinion...
Kemm isiru touchy meta jridu, ċerti nies!
U kien hemm xi ħaġa simili b'George Pullicino jekk minix sejjer żball fil-ġurnali tal-Ħadd, fejn Gonzi qal li ħassu offiż ħabba l-kartellun li Claire Bonello kellha fil-protesta ta' l-ambjent. Mikkin.
Timmaġinaw lil Bush jagħmel taħtu bil-biża' għax xi ħadd qallu li hu tal-qamel?
U wara kollox, dment li għadda l-1 ta' Mejju, 2004 ċerimonjali, mhux li għad hemm wisq postu, ngħiduha kif inhi. Imma f'dal-pajjiż kulħadd jibża' jiftaħ ħalqu għad-daħk fil-wiċċ.
Kenneth: The point was not that some people get touchy. The point is that there are many more insults that Lowell has showered and could be used in court. Why have the police not used them?
On the other hand, yes, even stupid, ignorant and unashamed racists should have the right to call the President "Lousy".
I am also uncomfortable with the image being propounded of Lowell as a cunning political operator. He is an idiot. What he says is transparently stupid and mostly exercised for comic effect. The problem is that there are people in the country that are even stupider and who swallow every nonsense Lowell spouts, much of which even the most crazed fascist on continental Europe would not contemplate saying. The only difference between this crazed bigot and any other on the islands is that Lowell is consistently offered a platform on which to air his hysterical opinions.
Vlad: There are many Lowell's in Malta. Not all are political. The biggest business in Malta is that of abusing the ignorance and gullibility of the popolin. The Malta Labour Party were pioneers in this regard. Spinoffs now include the various: Borg Bonaci's, Montesin's, Puli's, Casa's and others. Our typical politician/public figure plays to the very low standards required to get a following. Montesin's programmes are incredible in this regard. She will sell you morality packaged in her teleserials and wrapped with advertisements (all using her voice) telling you what is best for you. If it's a foreigner (Nidal Binni) it's funny, if it's Eileen Montesin or those clowns on Tista' Tkun Int then its the god given truth.
All perfectly true, but one couldn't feasibly propose the arrest of Montesin on the basis of her viewers' stupidity... Or could you?
Incidentally, as an avid critic of di-ve's linguistic slip-ups, can you point out the misuse and non-use of apostrophes in the following quotes?:
"There are many Lowell's in Malta."
"... if it's Eileen Montesin or those clowns on Tista' Tkun Int then its the god given truth."
Tut tut...
Kenneth: The point was not that some people get touchy. The point is that there are many more insults that Lowell has showered and could be used in court. Why have the police not used them?
I definitely agree, and I am just as perplexed, although it might shed a light on the motives of the arrest.
Montesin's programmes are incredible in this regard. She will sell you morality packaged in her teleserials and wrapped with advertisements (all using her voice) telling you what is best for you.
You ain't seen Alfred Zammit yet.
To be quite honest, I think he used harsher words to describe the (lousy) President of the Republic.
Judging by the way he describes the local political parties, the immigrants and the majority of the Maltese population; I doubt he just stopped at lousy.
I found out it was probably "Il-president Lumumba" and "he is a very good gardener but a weak president". I'm not 100% sure on the exact quotes but it was something on those lines.
Still nothing to write home about.
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