R008 - THE POPE AND OUR MUSLIM BROTHERS

17 August 2013

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Following the uproar caused in some circles by the Pope’s good wishes at the end of the fast described by the Koran, I believe that globalization and Muslim immigration have created close contact
with other civilizations and have made us aware of the basic identity and values on which our civilization has developed but to which many of us have become accustomed; instead, I consider it an example of the wealth that can be generated by globalization.

A wealth that can be realized by offering the immigrant dignity and the opportunity for human development for a 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 me- ans building with reason a framework of human values, a framework of the common good and within this framework ma- king room for those who share it, even if they are of a different religion or culture. Without this, there is no real inclusion.

This task is eminently political and poli- ticians who wish to exempt themselves from it, limiting themselves to acceptan- ce without inclusion, do not play their role adequately. I hope that every religious and non religious communicator, Muslim or otherwise, will feel committed to being an untiring peacemaker and a strenuous defender of the dignity of a human being and his inalienable rights. Last but not least, I hope that the persons responsible for the communication of the Holy See will ensure that the good inten- tions exchanged at the highest level, whi- ch remain truly high without reaching the people, are published and circulated in the Islamic media, both radio and print.

R012 - If Islam is at school

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Date: 9 November 1998

To: Dr. Ernesto Galli Della Loggia

FROM : G. Eid

Number of pages: 1

Subject: If Islam is at school – Monday, 31 August 1998

The approaching of the celebrations for the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved by the United Nations on December 10, 1948 allows me to expose some thoughts. The first one is that the Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights issued by the Islamic Council of Europe at the headquarters of UNESCO September 11, 1981 19 is in stark contrast to that of the U.N. … This explains some behaviours and proclamations by Islamic centres established in Europe.

It is well known that Islamic law (Sharia) includes different customs and traditions from those of the Western world and it might seem normal that Islamic leaders want to import into Europe. However, the laws of the Arab world are not the same in all countries: with the exception of Saudi Arabia and Sudan, the Arab countries apply the Sharia only for the part concerning the family and succession, that is, the personal status, and not all in the same way.

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R013 - Islamic Center defends the figure of Jesus

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TELEFAX MESSAGE of 19/10 – 2002

To: Dr. Paolo Mieli

From: Giuseppe Eid.

OBJECT: Islamic Center defends the figure of Jesus.

The weekly Rose el Youssef of 11 October 2002, p. 82, reports on a fatwa issued by the British Islamic Court in defense of the figure of Jesus the prophet for Muslims, considering blasphemous the recitation “the body of Jesus” by the American author McNeill.

The fatwa is similar to that issued against Salman Rushdie with the difference that they ask for the killing not to be carried out because he will be subject to referral to the Islamic courts if he passes through an Islamic country that will take charge of imprisoning and hanging him.

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R014 - Arabic school in Milan. Why?

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Letters to the Corriere of 3/09/2005 and 23/10/2005

Back in Europe: 20 or 30 years ago the European citizen did not know of the existence of Islam other than vaguely.  For the past thirty years, Islam has been established in Europe with good or bad manners, helped in this by some of our political forces for reasons that I do not know and that I would like to know. I would like to understand their motivations.

Voices coming from our country have warned about the clash 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. We even protected people sought after in their own countries for undermining the stability of their states.

Dear Director, you are certainly aware that the majority of Muslims in Italy are of Middle Eastern origin, that is, Arab culture; they have found in our Democracy, a guarantee and a freedom that they did not have in their own countries. One wonders: do they want to live in the West importing customs, traditions and worship as practiced in Arab countries? Obviously a distinction must be made between official Islam, Muslims and fundamentalism.

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