PL Leader Joseph Muscat has pledged to waive the €400,000 loan to Muslim school Mariam al-Batool should the PL be elected.

The PL Leader was addressing members of the Muslim community at the Mosque in Paola where he said that the school, which was heavily affected by the Libyan crisis, was in the party’s heart.

Mariam al-Baltool is the sole Muslim school on the island which offers both primary and secondary education. He emphasised that the school received special attention in the PL’s Manifesto. The PL Leader proceeded to speak about unity emphasising that this was the key note of the Labour movement.

Dr Muscat mentioned the PL pledge to set up a consultative council for foreign communities however did not commit to Imam Mohammed El Saadi’s request for Muslim women to be allowed to wear the hijab in school or at work. He also didn’t commit to the Imam’s request for a piece of adjacent land to be given to the school or for Muslims to be allowed a two hour break on Friday for prayer.