In a week which has seen extensive local press coverage of the visit to Malta by a delegation fro m Majlis Ash Shura – a consultative assembly to the Saudi Arabian monarchy, loosely equivalent to the country’s “parliament” – Malta’s two main political parties studiously avoided any reference Saudi’s human rights record, especially insofar as women are concerned.
The Saudi delegation’s official visit to Malta unfolded against the backdrop of the recent, shocking case of a woman sentenced to 200 lashes for being in the company of an unrelated male companion, despite having herself been the victim of a heinous crime (see Pamela Hansen’s column on page 15).
But while the case made headlines around the world and attracted international opprobrium, discussions between the Saudi delegation and local officials were limited to the subject of possible future financial collaborations between the two countries, especially in the health and information technology spheres.
Human rights were painstakingly avoided throughout… at least, in all public fora. But according to Nationalist MP Dr Jason Azzopardi, chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, the issue was raised privately with the Saudi delegation during an “informal meeting”, of which little or nothing is actually known.
“Malta, like the other members of the EU, is concerned about the exercise of the death penalty and human rights violations wherever they occur. Such concerns have been expressed by EU delegations, speaking on behalf of Malta, among others, on numerous occasions,” Azzopardi said yesterday. “The subject of human and civil rights also came up during one of the informal discussions that has taken place with the Saudi delegation this week. The aim of the formal meeting you refer to (i.e., the parliamentary committee meeting held on Monday) was to focus on bilateral economic relations.”
But when pressed for details of this informal meeting, Azzopardi refused to elaborate any further.
Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman Leo Brincat was similarly evasive on the subject: “In an official meeting with the delegation on Monday, the Labour party outlined its own core values and principles, including social justice,” was all the former foreign minister would say to MaltaToday.
At the same meeting, Opposition leader Dr Alfred Sant also reminded the Saudi dignitaries about the Labour party’s ongoing efforts to strengthen relations between Malta and Saudi Arabia, with a view to creating job and business opportunities for the benefit of both countries.
Similar concerns were raised during Monday’s parliamentary committee meeting with the Majlis Ash Shura delegation, which focused almost exclusively on the chances of improved economic relations between Malta and the Gulf monarchy. Dr Azzopardi himself spoke of double taxation and financial services agreements, while hinting at an “improved synergy” on the issue of medical tourism: a subject also tackled by committee member Dr Michael Axiak.
Azzopardi also praised Saudi Arabia for its continued efforts in the war of terror: “We salute His Majesty’s strenuous efforts to establish a more stable and secure Middle East,” he said, adding that it is in Malta’s interest to also hear Saudi’s views on the situation in Iran.
Significantly, no mention was made of the three-day public fundraising telethlon on Saudi Arabia’s national TV and radio stations in 2002, when over USD$100 million was raised for Palestinian charities, including – according to CNN – compensation for the families of suicide bombers.
For his part, Leo Brincat was full of praise for a new project being promoted in Saudi Arabia: King Abdullah’s University of Science and Technology, which – like all Saudi educational institutions – admits only male students. Brincat also reiterated his party’s determination to turn Malta into a Mediterranean hub for Islamic banking.
In the past days, the Saudi delegation met with numerous public officials including the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Malta Labour Party and various other public figures. Unlike the UK, where a similar delegation was boycotted by the Liberal Democrats in protest against the country’s human rights violations and crimes against women, none of these public institutions took advantage of this visit to reaffirm Malta’s supposed commitment to human rights.
After all, money does not only talk; it is also fluent in Arabic.

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Clarification over MPs’ comments on Saudi delegation (27 November 2007)

The following comments were inadvertently omitted from this article on the visit of the delegation to Malta from Saudi Arabia’s Majlis-ash-Shuria.

Labour MP Leo Brincat
In our MLP meeting with the Saudi parliamentary delegation at party HQ (CNL) we emphasized that as a social democratic party affiliated to the Party of European Socialists and the Socialist International we believe strongly in both social justice and human rights.
We also stressed that while respecting the Palestinians’ right for a viable independent and sovereign state we also fully respect Israel’s right to live in peace and security.
As far as I am concerned given the time constraints we had during our foreign affairs committee meeting I personally only had time to raise two questions about economic/touristic/health care and educational co-operational as well as the forthcoming Annapolis conference on the Middle East although I had far more questions that I wished to raise. 
Obviously I am not in a position to state whether the issues you mentioned have been or will be addressed by government officials including the PM in their separate meetings with the delegation.

Nationalist MP Michael Asciak
There is a place and a time for everything. I often bring the subject up in the Euromed parliamentary Assembly where there is a committee on women's rights. I also brought it up in other occasions.