2 - Reflections, Political Islam

R049 - MODERATE ISLAM

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Tuesday 26 July 2005

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‘Moderate Islam’ is an empty, meanin- gless word, inflated by our ministers. In Arab countries, Islam follows the line au- thorised by its own government or by its own financier. I would rather speak of the Muslims in Italy; a person, a citizen like us, like all Italians subject to the laws of the Italian state. Most of the media evade, consciously or unconsciously, the substance of the problem. In fact, they overlook an important aspect: the loyalty of Italian Muslims or residents and their guests to the State and its laws. I would like to stress that the majority of Muslims in Italy come from the Middle East, i.e. Arab culture, and have found in our democracy a guarantee and a free- dom that they did not have in their coun- tries of origin. One wonders: do they want to live in the West importing customs, tra- ditions and worship as practiced in Arab countries? In two words: The state and its institutions should apply the laws and enforce them. Wavering plays into the hands of those who want to violate them or create their own space of privileges.

2 - Reflections, Islamic cult centers and Mosques

R050 - Islamic Centres

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What message do the Centres propose in the face of specific problems that separate us, such as:  Religious freedom, mixed marriage, willingness to observe the laws of Italy and the willingness to live together?

Mosques and centres continue to teach a traditionalist Islam that conceives the Western (i.e. Christian) way of life as contrary to Islam and therefore proposes a West to be Islamised. The consequences on the behaviour of millions of people are foreseeable. It is enough to look at cassettes, books, sermons and various materials that circulated in the Centres or their libraries (at least until a year ago). We have even protected people sought in their countries for having undermined the stability of their states.

The reference to Islamic identity, however, is not always compatible with the legal and socio-cultural structure of European countries. From this arise potential situations of conflict that require to be faced with the necessary awareness to maintain an institutional and social order that is, of course, open to cultural pluralism, but within the framework of a system of values, shared and legally defined, which all social components, including immigrants is desirable to adhere to.

Giuseppe Samir Eid

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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.

2 - Reflections, Acceptance and integration, Articles

R051 - Dialogue with Islam

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This is an issue that is often discussed. I would not like to create a confessional state; I would rather talk about dialogue with citizens without differentiating religious adherence.  The dangers of wanting to identify “one Islam” representing a million Muslims are obvious and have already been pointed out in the Corriere.

  1. Why create ghettos for Muslims and thus discriminate against non-Muslims?
  2. Why want to create an Islamic institution? Does the secular state renounce its prerogatives towards its citizens?
  3. Many Muslims have chosen Italy for its non-discriminatory laws and its way of life: why disappoint them by recreating a social model from which they fled?
  4. With what logic would the state or the municipalities want to finance centres of worship for Muslims with the money of all citizens? At least that the centre remains the property of the institution with the right of control in management.
  5. Muslims don’t mean Arabic: why not favour the management of Italian centres? Monitor foreign preachers?

I ask you instead a question to which I cannot give an answer:

20 or 30 years ago, the European citizen did not know of the existence of Islam, if not vaguely. In the last thirty years, Islam (Muslims and, in their wake, in various centres) has been established in Europe, helped in this by certain of our political forces for reasons that I do not know.

Some local voices have warned against the contrast of cultures that could arise from the arrival of millions of people with customs and traditions clearly in conflict with European legislation, not least, Cardinal Martini in 1990, Us and Islam.

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.

2 - Reflections, Articles

R052 - Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) and the Vatican

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2013 Vatican, IOR and Pope separate functions?

The separation between the Vatican State and the universal Church could open the way to eliminate the interweaving between the Vatican State and the universal Church.

Spirituality and an earthly Vatican that descends into materiality like any other State.

Separating Peter’s legacy from the management of the State and the powers of Finance seems utopian, but it is not.

 

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.