FAX – 17/9/2006
La clarté de Magdi Allam doit être encouragée à tous points de vue : elle exprime ce que beaucoup pensent mais peu disent à voix haute, c’est pourquoi elle est critiquée par ceux qui se sentent coupables : ce sont les musulmans qui nient le fait historique et qui ignorent le contenu spirituel du Coran. L’histoire continue de se répéter. A mon avis, seule une prise de position ferme de sa propre conviction culturelle et de son identité nous fera respecter par nos “adversaires”. Sans hésitation et sans excuses. Au contraire, je suis convaincu que de nombreux intellectuels des pays arabes auraient souscrit aux vérités historiques déclarées par le pape Ratzinger, mais ils ne peuvent le faire ouvertement : tout le monde n’a pas le désir de vivre sous escorte.
En conclusion : il faut rappeler que le pape est le chef d’un Etat qui entretient des relations diplomatiques avec presque tous les Etats du monde, sa structure diplomatique devrait exiger de leurs gouvernements respectifs qu’ils dénoncent publiquement les campagnes de haine de certains prédicateurs contre un chef d’Etat le menaçant même de mort. Question : (a) quelle était l’attitude de nos politiciens européens ? B) Quel intérêt le prestigieux New York Times aurait-il eu à allumer le feu ?
La vérité de l’histoire
Article courageux qui souligne l’ignorance de nombreux personnages qui font des déclarations qui enflamment les gens simplement sur le ouï-dire ou sans approfondir leurs pensées basées sur les titres des journaux. Au moins que certains, de mauvaise foi, veulent se protéger de tout prétexte pour être les détenteurs de la vérité. Il serait intéressant de connaître les réactions des médias arabes face au rejet de la motivation religieuse pour la violence. J’espère que les appréhensions de Magdi Allam ne se réaliseront pas.
Je me propose de mettre en évidence dans le Corriere ces réactions des intellectuels musulmans qui font audience :
“Et j’ai peur de constater que même les musulmans dits modérés ont renoncé à leur sagesse et se sont alignés sur la “guerre sainte” dont ils seront les principales victimes”.
Je vous remercie
Dimanche 1 octobre 2006, 20h30
Dear Galal,
I have received the article you sent me from Chief al azhar which I read while in Egypt. While in Egypt i read regularly al Ahram and the daily comments from moslem intellectuals about the speech of Pope Benedict XVI’s.
A day later this week I was struck by Mohamed Salmawy comment of, I did not keep the papers, that he found writers of high profile who wrote their attacks on the Pope based on “entendu dire” or on extracts from other journals. None of them read the original text fully! I found that very childish and a superficial way to educate the readers, knowing how students and others are influenced by religious leaders.
Galal, I am not familiar with theology, esegesi or philosophy, neither is English my mother tongue, but I am able though to summarize my understanding of the Pope speech as follows:
The context of the speech is high academical; free to express his opinion although not acceptable to many people but still free to express his belief without fear of retaliation. Although he subsequently explained in simpler words his thinking, he received increased attacks from “offended” Islam: threats, demonstrations, burning in effigy, governments demanding retractions, the recall of ambassadors, churches burned, a religious sister killed, arab Christians denigrated, examples are numerous, etc.
This freedom of expression is repeatedly retaliated by the arab world under the cover of “religious offense” and mobs moved by national institutions, leaders etc. only too glad to find a pretext to accuse somebody else for their own weaknesses.
I did not find in al ahram or publicity made to the explanations given by the pope to the ambassadors from the arab league, except that al ahram cited the council of ulemas as still requiring and excuse.
In reality, a major part of Benedict XVI’s lecture was addressed to the Christian world, which in his view are so have lost the “fear of God.” But here as well the pope’s words found their confirmation in the facts. Hand in hand with the swell of verbal and physical violence on the part of Muslims, on the other side, the pope was the target of criticism from Christian area.
Freedom of creed and religious practice and adherence: this does not exist in the Arabic world, except in Lebanon. All citizens have not the same rights and duties under one country law: non Moslems have a different legal treatment, I add, same between women and men.
During my attendance in Cairo at the world Conference on population in 1994, the Vatican had closer views on bioethics and family values with Moslem representatives rather with the Occident countries. Links between Christian and Moslem leaders started to be tight and no offence is intended. It is unfortunate that no moslem leader speak high against violences perpetrated on the basis of religion when such is being perpetrated.
Killing in the name of Allah is another point raised by the pope . The dialogue with Islam that he wants to create is not made of fearful silences and ceremonial embraces. It is not made of mortifications which, in the Muslim camp, are interpreted as acts of submission. He proposes to the Muslims that they separate violence from faith, as prescribed by the Qur’an itself.
He proposes to the Muslims that they separate violence from faith, as prescribed by the Qur’an itself; John Paul II, who prayed humbly in Assisi together Muslim mullahs, and when visiting the Umayyad mosque in Damascus listened in silence to the invectives his hosts hurled against the perfidious Jews. No fatwa was issued for the slitting of Karol Wojtyla’s throat. It was a mere coincidence that Ali Agca, who shot him, was a Muslim – and that all terrorists as I call them are Moslem. Although they do not represent islam of course, but disclaimers by religious leaders are not being publicized, that I know.
Reason and religious belief: this covers a large part of the conference but I am not in a position to discuss as outside my intellectual capacity
I submit a comment I read that “Benedict XVI is hopeful. He would not have been so daring if he did not believe in the real possibility that an interpretation of the Qur’an that marries faith with reason and freedom can be reopened within Islamic thought. (reading Qoran in today’s context) But the voices in the Muslim world that are accepting his offer of dialogue are too weak and too few, and almost not to be found. And the pope is too much alone in a wayward Europe. And then there is the violence that hangs over Christians in Islamic countries, and also outside of them – when, to silence the pope, members of his flock are killed, and all the better if they are innocent, like a religious sister, a woman.”
Dear Galal :
I am grateful to yr mail as it obliged me to reflect and to think over a major problem of this century. But people like us who know rather well both sides of the Mediterranean sea can help to eliminate the misunderstandings. I am convinced that the core of the spirit of the Pope, other than the philosophy, could be summarized into a friendly voice to Moslem leaders to exchange opinion with full reciprocal respect about:
freedom to express his opinion, Freedom of creed and religious practice and adherence, bioethics and family values, Killing in the name of Allah no offence is being intended.
Please feel free to circulate this message to whom you think useful and also to the writers mentioned in this message.
As a conclusion I report what M. Salmawy has written:
L’essentiel n’est pas de savoir si un fou ou non a commis les attentats d’Alexandrie. Le fou est une personne qui laisse libre cours à ses pulsions déraisonnables. Mais malheureusement, les motifs malades qui ont conduit le criminel à commettre son acte ne sont pas propres à lui. Ils sont répandus chez les membres de notre société, enracinés par l’enseignement religieux vétuste, enseigné pendant de longues années et cristallisé par la suite par nos médias ignorants. Tout ceci a été confirmé par l’actuel message religieux vétuste de notre institution religieuse. Agirons-nous différemment cette fois-ci, ou nous contenterons-nous, une fois de plus, d’arrêter le criminel et de dire qu’il est déséquilibré, pour finalement classer l’affaire ? Comme toujours.
Giuseppe Samir Eid
Libre traduction de l’italien par internet
Les articles publiés visent à fournir les outils d’une inclusion sociale des flux migratoires, à mettre en lumière les droits de l’homme et les conditions de vie des chrétiens dans le monde islamique dont l’auteur est issu. La connaissance de l’autre, des différences culturelles et religieuses sont des ingrédients essentiels pour créer la paix dans le cœur des hommes partout dans le monde, condition préalable à une coexistence pacifique et à une citoyenneté convaincue sur le territoire.