Tourist’s holiday ruined by newspaper

A Somali holidaymaker is complaining of having his trip to Malta “ruined” after a photo of him relieving himself was published in a national newspaper.

Mohamed Abdi Ibraham arrived only yesterday on the island, courtesy of the Armed Forces of Malta, and already is receiving “funny looks” from the locals, he said this morning.

“It’s an invasion of my privacy. I had no idea that within minutes of arriving I would have my photo plastered on the front page of the Times,” he said. “Now I’m afraid to take my family outside.”

Mr. Ibrahim had originally intended to spend his summer vacation in Lampedusa, Italy, but after a suggestion from one of Brigadier Carmel Vassallo’s representatives, he changed his plans at the last minute.

“I wasn’t sure about coming to Malta in the first place,” Mr. Ibrahim, who is staying with 22 members of his family at the Hal-Far detention centre, said. “Now this has happened I probably won’t be coming back.”

The local backlash has been fierce. Many residents are “stunned” that Mr. Ibrahim chose to act in such a manner. “It’s a disgusting abuse of hospitality,” said one Birkirkara resident. A spokesman for the Malta Maritime Authority said that Mr. Ibrahim’s behaviour was “thoughtless”. “Normally, you would hang off the edge of the boat, submerge yourself to the waist and pee whilst pretending not to,” he explained.

Despite the shock of the unwanted attention, Mr. Ibrahim has no plans to return immediately to Somalia, saying it was “pretty shit over there.”

(With thanks to the Times of Malta)