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Financial aid to Mellieha’s musical organisations in tourism pilot project

Financial aid to Mellieha’s musical organisations in tourism pilot project
Sep 6 2021 Share

Speaking at a press conference, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced a pilot project which will give financial aid to the cultural organisations of Mellieha. This pilot project will be aimed at boosting the culturally iconic band clubs (kazini) and musical organisations following the pandemic’s massive negative impact. The Minister says that this project will not only impact the Maltese and their families but also the tourists who visit the islands and appreciate our buildings and culture. 

Bartolo described Mellieha as a cultural cradle and a tourist Mecca. The pandemic made the Maltese population refrain from cultural aspects which we deemed as normal, but this had its toll on the musical organisations and local and foreign tourists as well. The members of the musical organisations and band clubs kept these traditions alive through hard work and thus this financial aid will help them continue their essential efforts. 

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Photo Source: Clayton Bartolo FB

Incels and the manosphere | by Għajjejt u Xbajt

Incels and the manosphere | by Għajjejt u Xbajt
Sep 6 2021 Share

Let’s talk about incels.

 

This specific online world is vast and complex, but certain context needs to be provided in order to fully grasp the picture that these people paint around the internet – because only then will one be able to grasp the danger that they pose, and how – for a long time now – these internet hubs have seeped very dangerously into reality. If one is not so familiar with the internet at certain levels, the language and systems incels use online may seem strange or incomprehensible – but allowing oneself to recognise certain red flags when existing around the web equips one with the knowledge to be able to spot problematic behaviour before it sucks them or someone they know too far in.

 

Before we talk about incels we must establish a few things. To start off, what is an ‘incel’?

 

The word itself is a shortened term derived from the phrase ‘involuntary celibate’. These people are inexperienced when it comes to sexual intimacy, but not by choice, and generally place all their blame for being so on other people – primarily women (who they call STACYs) and men they have deemed too conventionally attractive to the point of being unfairly at the top of the social hierarchy (who they call CHADs). Incels quite often meet very specific demographic criteria, generally being cis-gendered young men who are technologically proficient and very visible in online spaces finely tailored to their supposed plight, and those who are active within the extended manosphere.

 

Another odd term. What is the ‘manosphere’?

 

The manosphere is a group of online spaces that promote hyper-masculinity and are often the sources of extreme opposition to feminism, choosing instead to focus on patriarchal values and misogynistic ideals. Amongst others, the manosphere includes hubs surrounding pick-up artistry, MGTOW (men going their own way), men’s rights ‘activists’ and – on the most extreme end of the spectrum – none other than incels themselves. Whilst the manosphere could be talked about in tomes, it is incels that we shall be focusing on here – and the manners in which this specific group of people operates, and how it affects people in the real world – sometimes even fatally.

 

Incels group themselves online according to a ‘pill system’. There are the blue pilled, the red pilled and the black pilled. ‘Normies’, or people who are not part of the manosphere, are considered to be blue pilled – meaning that they have not yet been able to see the full truth of society yet. Being considered blue pilled often entails following mainstream feminism, aiming towards equality and an intersectional society – to incels this is considered the most ignorant place to be. The next step is becoming ‘red pilled’, which is considered to be a person who is opening up to the truth about society. At this stage they are beginning to realise that women are not oppressed, and that it is actually men who are the most oppressed group in society – and feminism is a warped ploy to endanger all men. Being ‘red pilled’ to incels means you are ‘waking up’.

 

Finally, there is being ‘black pilled’ – this is where incels truly have the potential to become violent and dangerous. At this stage people are considered to have fully woken up to the truth of society – this ultimate truth being that conventionally attractive people will always win in life, and incels are doomed to suffer at the hands of them and those who reject them. This is the stage in which incels encourage each other to turn to violence and ‘stand up for themselves’ – generally through targeting women and even men who they feel are the source of all their pain.

 

Incels and the radicalised alt-right merge very often. Within these online hubs, one may find racism, homophobia and intolerance everywhere. They are the antithesis of equality and acceptance, which is what makes their ideologies so dangerous – and which is why their primary target is generally feminists, and those who believe in liberation for all people. This extremist line of thinking stems from various issues within these young men – and are in actuality issues that are mostly caused by the patriarchy itself. Loneliness and misunderstanding of boys, disallowing them from processing and sharing emotions in healthy manners; young boys being met with derision if they ever do express their emotions or their mental health issues with adults; pressure on boys and young men to be hyper-sexual and heteronormative; a lack of resources for mental health issues and personality disorders.

 

As a result of these societal issues and pressures, the world view of these young men has been shaped by warped images – particularly when it comes to their views on women. Whether it is viewing their relationships with women as transactional, considering gender-based violence as normal or being desensitised to it, or thinking they are entitled to sex and intimacy simply because they are men – their minds do not have a healthy way of forming relationships with others, nor are they equipped in any way for dealing with rejection. Any ounce of loneliness is instead internalised and funnelled into all we have gone over so far – anger, bitterness, hatred, and sometimes even violence.

 

Needless to say, once groups of incels have been radicalised to the extent that they are willing to consider said violence, it is important for society to take these threats seriously – particularly when incels and groups within the manosphere have led to the deaths of people before. Only recently, the murderer in Plymouth, UK who went on a shooting spree, which ended with six people being murdered – including himself,  held to the ideology of being ‘black pilled’.

Elliot Rodger. Chris Harper-Mercer. Sheldon Bentley. William Atchison. Nikolas Cruz. These are just a few names of self-proclaimed incels who went on killing sprees, only to go on to reference their being ‘involuntary celibates’ as reasons for murdering. The more society ignores the fact that these groups pose a real threat to others, the more the violence that results from them is going to grow. Knowledge is power, and we must equip ourselves with it – and being aware of who these people are and what these people can do, is the first step.

 

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Malta Police Union vouch to lift tattoo and beard ban for officers

Malta Police Union vouch to lift tattoo and beard ban for officers
Sep 6 2021 Share

Posting to their Facebook page, the Malta Police Union issued a comparison between Maltese police and those abroad. They highlighted how apart from observing their uniforms, vehicles and equipment, a clear difference were the noticeable beards and tattoos on some officers. The post stated; ‘Luckily for them they are not in Malta as this is considered unclean by definition of law.’ The statement ended with the union revealing how it is dealing with this issue to ensure that Malta’s officers ‘are at par with their counterparts within the EU.’

A rhetorical but powerful question was posed by the union: ‘Are we sure it’s 2021 we are living in?’ The ban of beards and tattoos has been a contentious issue on the island, with many on either side of the argument. Previous news indicated how the lacking amount of new recruits was attributed to many factors, but the ban on tattoos seemed to be another hinderance to police officer hopefuls. Do you think Malta’s laws should allow for beards and tattoos on its police officers? 

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Following the above statement, tattoo artist Dylan Agius shared an experience had had with a person seeking employment. Dylan’s story tells all about the perception of tattoos in the Maltese work space. Watch below:

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Photo Source: Malta Police Force FB, Malta Police Union

4 Religions you didn’t know existed

4 Religions you didn’t know existed
Sep 5 2021 Share

Jainism 

Jainism is often considered one of, if not the most, peaceful religions in existence. A descendant of Hinduism, Jainism preaches ‘ahimsa’ (non-violence) as one of its core principles. Some Jain ascetics are so adamant on this principle of non-violence that they carry broom sticks and brush the floor ahead of them as they walk lest they step on any insect.

Jainism has many tenets similar to Hinduism and to a certain extent Buddhism. They believe that the soul reincarnates into four levels of existence – human, god, animal/plant or demon depending on the karma one acquires throughout their life. Mahatma Gandhi grew up in a Hindu and Jain context which possibly influenced his peaceful worldview. 

Jediism 

If you thought Star Wars fans weren’t obsessed enough, there is a whole religion dedicated to George Lucas’ world. The philosophy attracts public attention in 2001 when a number of people recorded their religion as ‘Jedi’ on national censuses. Followers do not hold the world of Star Wars to be real but instead focus on the moral and spiritual codes demonstrated by the fictional characters. 

Followers of Jediism thus follow the 16 teachings based on the presentation of the fictional Jedi. Some of these include being mindful of negative emotions which lead to the Dark side and being guardians of peace and justice. the Temple of the Jedi Order was even registered in Texas in 2005, despite being neglected in other countries. 

Yazidi

Yazidi is a monotheistic ethnic religion which has roots in Indo-Iranian tradition. It is followed by Kurmanji-speaking Yazidis and believe in one God who created the world and entrusted it to the care of Angels. One of the more important figures in Yazidi is Melek Taus, an angel who takes the form of a peacock and has authority over the world. 

Yazidis have no central book or text which records their beliefs, instead opting to pass their religious ideas through oral traditions. There is a larger focus on practice and community rather than on belief. The angel Melek Tawus even convinces Adam to eat the forbidden fruit (yes, Adam from Genesis!) and this is viewed as a positive step for humanity rather than a catastrophe. 

Pastafarianism 

This is one of the more bizarre faiths out there. To understand the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, we need to back to 2005 yet again. When the Kansas State Board of Education decided to include the idea of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public school science classes, a satirical letter writing by Bobby Henderson demanded equal time in science classrooms for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism. 

Pastafarianism is therefore an attempt at debating against religion. It has thus received limited recognition as a religion, but some adherents still wear colander when taking their driver’s license card photos. If not a legitimate religion, Pastafarianism has become an internet sensation among non-believers and scholars of religion. Like Jediism, it tests on what grounds a religion can be approved by the state. 

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