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Why Did Lassana Get A Church Painting, And Not A Maltese Victim?

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A painting in tribute of Lassana Cisse, the man who was murdered a racist attack, was unveiled in Gozo’s St. George’s Basilica.

Plenty of reactions poured in on social media, ranging from loving support to outright hatred. One question seemed to be on many people’s minds: why is there a church painting of this black man, and not of a Maltese murder victim?

The straightforward answer is this: the image, painted by Gozitan artist Manuel Farrugia, is part of a series under the church’s Opri tal-Ħniena programme, which encourages people to not turn away from the vulnerable in times of need.

Each of the eight images depicts a theme, such as prisoners, the poor, and the environment. Many of the other paintings also include generic images of people.

The theme of Lassana’s painting is foreigners, implying that we should lend a helping hand to foreigners rather than looking away.

The ‘Fejn hu ħuk?’ project, of which Lassana’s painting forms a part, is a project inspired by the question God asked Cain following the murder of Abel: “Where is your brother?” It aims to create awareness and practical proposals on how one can live the acts of mercy.

It also encourages people to open their hearts to outsiders and to place themselves in their shoes.

Another painting in the series

Another painting in the series

But what else is behind having representation of a fatal victim of racism, and black people in general, in a Maltese church? Lovin Malta spoke to a black Maltese woman and NGO SOS Malta in search of answers, and here’s what we found.

The painting’s message

SOS Malta said that the painting has a strong message regarding racism. “The message is the important part, which is that we should welcome those who come to us with open arms.”

The NGO said that we need to care for the lives and well-being of the hundreds of migrants that live with us, and not consider them to be any lesser nature than the “Malti”. 

“The painting highlights the tragedy of a man living and participating in Maltese society being murdered for the simple ‘crime’ of being black. The horror of this is understated.”

“He was hunted down like an animal. Having this painting acts to counter that narrative. There is no ‘us’ and ‘them’!”

“Such an act should not be considered to be bold, but simply the situation in Malta.”

Elizabeth Neal Portelli, a Maltese woman with a darker coloured skin, agrees. After moving away from her home country due to the racism she faced, she finds representation very important.

“The reason I think representation is so important is that, even when we are part of the community, we’re often still being seen as outsiders – whether it’s because of your skin tone, disability or gender,” she said.

“Just like we’re fighting for domestic abuse awareness, racist issues need to be represented too. It is one of the multifaceted issues that we have as a country, and we need to show that.”

“It’s such an intrinsic deep rooted issue, that it needs more referenced representation than it’s had so far.”

Lassana Cisse

Lassana Cisse

Why was there a negative response to the painting?

But she understands where the negative responses came from. “I can empathise, because people want to protect the integrity of history, and I understand that sentiment of wanting to keep things as much as possible. Malta understandably has an island mentality, and its own little bubble that wants to protect, but that’s not realistic.”

“In today’s world, where we have technology and travel, I think it’s important to learn from history rather than stick to it. We can’t live in the past. We are part of something bigger than us. We joined the EU, we’re part of a world community.”

SOS Malta thinks that the public responded negatively for two main reasons. “Firstly, people didn’t understand the message; that we must be better and work on ourselves, so no such horror should happen again.”

“Secondly, it is plain and simple racism of the ultra-nationalists who believe they have some right, often in Malta mixed in with religious fanaticism which automatically puts faith before every human and civil right.”

“Hence when “their” faith was taken from them, by having someone they believe not to have the right to exist let alone be immortalized in a painting in a church “their” holy place. These people bring forward an anger that stems from lack of education, which breeds ignorance and this in turn fear,” SOS Malta said.

Elizabeth adds onto that: “It’s important to learn that there is racism, and to move away from it. You can’t hold the Christian belief of acceptance, love, bringing people in, and then hate on people.”

Moving forward

In an attempt to move away from racism, Malta’s first anti-racism strategy will focus on law enforcement, fake news, and racially motivated hate crimes.

SOS Malta says it’s often an issue of ignorance, superstition and lack of a general education. “The few who preach hate take advantage of this and scaremonger, propagate misinformation and fake news to ensure they have a base of people who will follow them.”

“However, this can be combated by a reform in the education system allowing for inclusivity and understanding of other cultures, not just our own.”

“When we all learn that it is not dak “l-iswed”, but rather Lassana, “missier”, “ragel tal-familja”. This will change a lot of the attitudes that many have. Language plays a fundamental role in understanding each other, let alone tackling such a delicate subject as this.”

Elizabeth agrees that issues can be tackled. “It’s happening in the UK and other places, where the tolerance of racism is low. There need to be stricter policies on criminalising the behaviour, and that needs to be enforced.”

“I also believe that education is key. Having chats with children in school to show that that kind of behaviour is not tolerated. We need to promote diversity and inclusion, showing that being different is okay.”

What do you think Lassana’s painting?

READ NEXT: From Parking Lot To Public Square: The On-Going Makeover Of Sliema’s Annunciation Square

Belle dives deep into seas and stories. She’s passionate about mental health, environmental sustainability and social justice. When she’s not out and about with her dog, she’s more than happy to hear from you on Instagram @belledejong or at [email protected]

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