Vatican – 2013
Culture is an essential component to improve the synergy between production factors and decision-making powers; it acts as a bridge between the human resources of a company, especially if it is multinational operating on two continents or at planetary level. North Africa and the Middle East represent a market of over three hundred million inhabitants just a few hours away from Italy but which receives little investment attention outside the energy field. It is necessary to develop a strategy to favour the expansion of our medium enterprise towards these markets with a profitable return for the actors in terms of development of the exchange area, of the African society in this case Arab society, and of return on investment.
I intend to make our voice heard so that the Government together with the European Parliament will always be an effective promoter of justice, freedom and peaceful coexistence among the populations of the Mediterranean area. The vast majority of Arabs live in extreme poverty, because demographic development is not accompanied by adequate economic growth. We need a radical change in the formation of citizens, a cultural problem, in order to make everyone understand that they are equal and that violence is intolerable. It is essential to ask the Arab world to work on education, on the media, on textbooks in schools and even to invite to this line of education and peace, the imams who have in their hands the formidable instrument of preaching in mosques. The best response to extremism is to create a united international front that relies on universal standards of freedom of belief and religion as an integral part of the identity of the individual.
It is true that Europe and Italy in particular have an interest in a stable Middle East and North Africa, but such an objective is possible by promoting technological development, guaranteeing the flow of oil, curbing emigration, creating a climate of trust between populations and achieving the security of agreed and recognised borders. At a political level, it is important that the West, in technological or market exchanges, should also be able to unite or subordinate cultural exchanges with reciprocal criteria, especially for the simple people, the people, to the effective promotion in the country of the values of civil and religious freedom for all without any discrimination and that, in this regard, there should be intense monitoring. Social stability through culture will bring peace and consequently economic development in the Mediterranean area to the benefit of the actors concerned.
Comment sent
This morning’s broadcast on Sunday 17/10/10 was very interesting, especially the interviews with Muslim representatives, I would not say Islam. Sammakh has always been involved in dialogue; the mufti of Syria Hassoun was very logical. He also said that the practice of religion is conditioned by the culture of the people; we know that this is influenced by school textbooks! But one wonders: although the Mufti are recognized as religious leaders, they always remain paid by the state and the government (dictator) in office. So why is there a gap between words, intentions, wishful thinking, and reality? Al Khatami confessed it to me to the Gregorian: the moat depends on a political and not a religious problem. I wonder then, but if the religious depends on the political? It is a vicious circle on which Western politics should focus with more engraving. What do you think? What can we do about it?
Thank you and congratulations.
“Engage life for what worth and remains.”
Giuseppe Samir Eid
The Pope and the Muslim brothers
The immigration of Muslims has made us aware of the basic identity and values on which our civilisation has developed but to which many of us have become accustomed; I see this as an example of the wealth that can be generated by globalisation. Such a wealth can be achieved by offering the immigrant person dignity and the opportunity for human development for proactive integration, in contrast to exclusion. Inclusion, on the other hand, cannot mean moving a little to make room for the other, for any other. It means building with reason a framework of human values, a framework for the common good, and within this framework making room for those who share it, even if of different religion or culture. Without this, there is no true inclusion. This task is eminently political, and politics, if it were to be exempt from it, limiting itself to welcoming without inclusion, would not play its role.
I hope that every religious and non-religious communicator, Muslim or otherwise, will feel committed to being a tireless peacemaker and a strenuous defender of the dignity of the human person and his inalienable rights.
A last wish, no less important, is that those responsible for communication of the Holy See provide for the publication and circulation in the Islamic media, radio and print media, the good intentions exchanged at a high level of punishment that remain truly high without reaching the people.
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.