1 - Articles, 5 - Political Islam, centers of worship, prescriptions, 6 - know each other, cohabit, converse

009 - IMMIGRATION FROM MUSLIM COUNTRIES: AN OPEN PROBLEM

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01/15/95

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1. Demographic gap
Italy and Europe are transforming themselves, due to the migration phenomenon, into multicultural contexts, where people of different languages, religions and cultures live side by side. Islam is a reality increasingly present in our cities, although in many ways unknown.
One of the reasons for immigration to Europe is the strong population growth that occurred on the other side of the Mediterranean. The population of the North, at the end of the Second World War, was about twice that of the South of the Mediterranean basin. 50 years later, North Africa and the Middle East have bridged the gap with Mediterranean Europe: the proportion is currently 1 to 1.In the southern Mediterranean, demographic development has not been accompanied by as many economic improvements. In addition, the European population, richer but also older, has offered space for the peaceful invasion of people from countries that are geographically and culturally distant. These immigrants, who grew up in countries where there is no conception of separation of religion and state, where, as in nations of Islamic culture, freedom of religious choice is severely limited, and if allowed it is only in a unilateral sense, will inevitably end up to cause serious cohabitation problems. And the flow from South to North seems destined to grow again.

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010 - Christians and Muslims on their way: Future Prospects

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During these years, the importance of dialogue between Christianity and Islam was underlined as a fundamental component of a new religious humanism. Many suggestions were also given to translate this wish into practice, drawing on the centuries-old history of the Christian communities present in the Arab countries.

In these pages I would like to reflect on some fundamental attitudes, within which everyone can orient their commitment.

Common values ​​and differences

The basic element from which to start, in a relationship between Christian and Muslim population of cultural horizons so different, is the effort to get to know one another including the Jewish community even if the emphasis here concerns, mainly, Islam. All believers must become accustomed to looking at other faiths with the attitude of those who want to discover the religious and spiritual values ​​they contain. This behavior will highlight their common values. Without belittling what distinguishes us, we are united in faith in the one God, in listening to the Word revealed through the prophets, in the conviction that the world has had an origin and is destined to end. The common faith in the final judgment and in the reward in the afterlife can be the seed of a new type of relationship between Jews, Christians and Muslims. While respecting the identity of each one, believers of good will can thus find themselves witnessing together faith in the one God.

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014 - The brothers who don’t know each other, but who may love one another

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On 7 April, Muslims will remember the sacrifice of Abraham who was ready to submit to the will of God, sacrificing his only son Ishmael if he had not stopped at the last moment.

It is the festival Aid el adha (feast of sacrifice) and it is the most important solemnity of Islam that follows, after two months, the period of fasting of the “ramadan” and starts the period of pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam. This year the Islamic festival falls in our Holy Week; moreover, other Islamic recurrences are concomitant with our Lent, time of fasting and spiritual and material sacrifice which ends with the great celebration of the Resurrection on April 12th.

These two religious recurrences, even if in different ways, intend to prepare the faithful for the ultimate purpose of life: the resurrection in the world promised by God. We want to quote Cardinal Arinzo who in his message to the Muslims says: “We, Christians and Muslims, are seekers of God, engaged in a search that is a sign of hope for every man. We can work together to give more hope to humanity. Therefore, we must accept ourselves as different, respect one another and love one another, under the gaze of God who bestows his mercy on all. We want to present ourselves to the world as believers in God and faithful to man, to his dignity and to his rights. ”

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015 - THE ROLE OF LASALLIANS

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L’Oasi Agende – pag.  89 – 12-1998

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Lasallians of Arab culture, a dream?

I send you my contribution to the role of the former Lasallians in the context of the opening of the relationship with Libya.

The restoration of official relations between Italy and Libya could open new horizons to the Lasallian movement in terms of dialogue and mutual knowledge of the cultures of the two shores of the Mediterranean sea.

Until not too long ago the educational mission of the Brothers was directed mainly towards the foreign community and more specifically the Italians, in a country of Arab culture, Libya. The living conditions imposed the deepening of the culture of the Motherland while the culture and traditions of the host country were not given the weight they deserved.

The phenomenon of migration is transforming Italy and Europe in a broad sense into a multicultural society, where people of different languages, religions and cultures coexist. Islam, in particular, is an increasingly present reality, although in many respects still little known.

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