Who is the bigot?

Father Joe Borg wrote a piece called “The Mullah of Mosta” in his Times of Malta blog. http://www.timesofmalta.com/blogs/view/20080207/fr-joe-borg/the-mullah-of-mosta. It is purportedly a piece against bigotry. First of all “The Mayor of Mosta” is wrong, very wrong. But isn’t the writer himself a bigot?

The Father Joe Borg chose to call the Mayor of Mosta a “mullah”. A “mullah” according to Wikipedia is “a title given to some Islamic clergy, coming from the Arabic word mawla, meaning both 'vicar' and 'guardian.' Depending on the circumstances it can be either a term of respect (a learned man) or abuse (a bigot and fanatic).

In large parts of the Muslim world, particularly Iran, Turkey, central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, it is the name commonly given to local Islamic clerics or mosque leaders.”

In other words he is the equivalent of a “priest”, “monk”, “Father”, “Monsignor”, “archpriest”, “reverend”, “dun”, “patri” or whatever. Why didn't the learned Father not describe the Mayor of Mosta as “The Arcipriet of Mosta”?

Furhermore and I quote “He treated the Local Council more as a madrasa than as democratic and popular structure”. Again according to Wikipedia a “Madrasa” is ”the Arabic word for any type of school, secular or religious (of any religion). It has been loaned into various other languages… In common English language usage, the word madrasah has been taken to refer to an Islamic religious school, and usually carries a loaded political meaning.”

In other words it is a school or a “seminary – minor or major”. Why didn’t Fr. Joe Borg compare the local council to a “seminary” rather than to a “madrasa” or are seminaries “democratic and popular” structures?

I am afraid that besides the Mayor of Mosta, the Reverend Fr. Joe Borg is another bigot. As an expert on the media Fr. Joe Borg should know the value of “loaded words”. As a “man of God” he should know better.