Dear Mr. Cassar,

I’m addressing you in this letter because I was always taught to never discuss the individual but to discuss the message or topic and in this instance you’re the song writer, so this was your message.

When I’m writing to someone I tend to use a quote which I would have come across previously in my readings and I’m going to do the same in this instance.

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” – Dalai Lama

It should be a simple statement, one which I believe that in the bottom of your heart and in the hearts of all those that share your same line of thought about this song; strongly feel that you agree with what the Dalai Lama said. With that in mind I would like to refer to your song titled “Iffriżajt” which I’m going to dissect its lyrics as well as some other parts of it too.

Before addressing the lyrics I would like to first and foremost question your reasoning as to why you chose to use an 8 week fetus in the mother’s womb as a background, instead of a picture of how the real frozen cells would look like. After much thinking about this I came to two conclusions; either you would like to intentionally mislead people into thinking that embryo freezing is some sort of cryogenic freezing of a fetus, or else you lack the required knowledge to know the difference. I will not try and determine which one of the two it is as its certainly note my duty to try and assume what was your reasoning.

In regards to the song’s lyrics I would like to start with the very first paragraph. You’re assuming that a bunch of cells, and I mean bunch because we’re talking between 50 to 200 cells, are conscious enough to know that they are being frozen. Can you kindly explain how this is possible? Are you trying to make anyone believe that these group of cells can actually already think and feel different emotions? It’s important to keep those questions in mind all through the song because each line becomes laughable when one remembers that it’s supposed to be sang by a bunch of cells.

Moving forward, your 2nd paragraph is actually one of the most offensive things I’ve read in a very long time. Addressing the parents that chooses to opt for embryo freezing you actually went on the offensive and accused these parents that they don’t care, they’re heartless and they don’t value life. The first time I heard that I was actually flabbergasted. Do you have any idea who you’re addressing? Do you know that some of these parents have suffered for many years and have been trying to procreate for as long as they can remember? Do you have any idea about the pain that a couple goes through when they’re trying to become parents and unfortunately they cannot? The only reason why these couples are trying to procreate is because they have so much love to share with someone that they haven’t met yet, that they are willing to try everything possible and spend as much money as they can afford (and sometimes more), only to become parents and give all they have to their child. Can you please tell me how that makes these parents careless, heartless and doesn’t value life? This is offensive to all those parents that have tried everything in their power to become parents and opted to utilise embryo freezing in order to increase their chances of becoming parents.

You go on to say that these cells don’t want to be examined in some abandoned laboratory. I mean, seriously? Do you know that embryo freezing is done at professional hospitals with the latest technologies and not in some butcher’s freezer?! I suggest you do your research before trying to use the shock factor in this manner because it doesn’t help your already flawed argument.

After this paragraph you go on to say that these cells are protesting that they don’t want to stay in the dark because they’re already a born human. Once again, this is an outright lie. We all know that an embryo can’t live on its own thus its definitely not already a born human. Later in the song you say that these cells want to breath and their heart wants to beat, once again it’s factually wrong. These cells neither have a heart nor can they breath because as we have already established before, they are just a small number of cells. Ironically you end the song with a heartbeat and here I question you, who’s heartbeat is that?

May I kindly refer you back to the quote I stared with. Please make sure that before you write and publish something, please go through it and see if you’re going to do any good with it. If you’re not going to do any good at least see if you’re going to do any harm. If you’re going to harm anyone, please refrain from doing so because no one deserves to be insulted for trying to bring a child to this world. These parents have already been through a lot, spent all their had, had their hopes lifted and shattered multiple times and have cried for countless amount of nights. Some of these parents can’t go through this and end up separating. If anything, these parents doesn’t deserve all the hate that this song is directing towards them.

I would like to end my letter to you to point out one other thing. Please refrain from playing on people’s emotions. Making anyone go through a guilt trip doesn’t work and it certainly won’t convince anyone to change their reasoning. Let’s discuss the morality of embryo freezing in a healthy and mature way without making anyone feeling guilty. Let’s discuss any issue that anyone wants, however in a respectful way not to hurt anyone. I urge you and anyone else to please always keep the people on the other side of the argument in mind and remember that they have feelings too.

I hope that this letter reaches you and that you will keep these dear parents in your mind the next time you decide to write a similar song.

Wishing you all the best of luck in the future,

Regards,

Alan