CADR AMBROSIANO – 31/01/2011
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have been committed to inter-religious dialogue for more than twenty years, starting from Milan but also throughout the country. We intend to convey to you our voice united with that of many other men and women who have already spoken out on the tragic events of Alexandria and beyond, so that the Members of the European Parliament may become increasingly effective promoters of justice, freedom and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the Mediterranean area. After the serious fact of the killing of Christians in Alexandria (it is now known that for years during the Christmas holidays this violence has been repeated in the country), we would like to state, first of all, that Christians in the Arab world are native citizens with duties and rights towards their own country and who govern regardless of the religious beliefs of the majority; instead, it seems that they are considered and perceived both inside and outside the country as a foreign ethnic group. It is not just a question of increasing protection measures through law enforcement: it is not a question of security, but of ‘culture’.
A radical change is needed in the training of citizens, both ordinary citizens and those with administrative or political responsibilities, in order to make everyone understand that they are equal and that violence is intolerable and must be promptly removed and eradicated. We believe that public and high visibility meetings should be encouraged, especially where there are more closures and where there is a mentality of opposition. It is indispensable to work on education, on the media, on textbooks in schools and even to invite to this educational line of justice and peace, the imams who have in their hands the formidable instrument of sermons in mosques, where it would be appropriate to proclaim also the verses of the Koran that underline God’s will towards religious plurality and the commitment to compete for good in God’s mercy. We welcomed the news that the aid of the European community to countries where there is violence against believers is subordinated to the effective promotion in the country of the values of civil and religious freedom for all without any discrimination. It is also hoped that, in this regard, there will be intense monitoring. We believe that this strategy must be drawn up and developed in order to create a culture of equal rights and shared duties. It is important to reach out to the European Parliament and the Italian Parliament that the West, in technological or market exchanges, should also be able to unite or subordinate cultural exchanges with reciprocal criteria, especially for simple people. In the hope that this voice of ours will also be welcomed and not remain a dead letter, we thank all those who work for Human Rights worldwide.
Giuseppe Samir Eid
Free web translation from the original in Italian
The published articles intend to provide the tools for a social inclusion of the migratory flow, shed light on human rights and the condition of life of Christians in the Islamic world from which the author come from. Knowledge of the other, of cultural and religious differences are primary ingredients to create peace in the hearts of men everywhere, a prerequisite for a peaceful coexistence and convinced citizenship in the territory.