ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

133 CHRISTIANS IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD 1/08 -2008 Dear Dr. Romano, There are difficulties invisible to Wester- ners that drive Christians to emigrate to the West. Ten million in the last century! A figure even published by Magdi Cristia- no Allam. I follow your column closely and I am saddened by the fact that with your diplomatic language you avoid the essence of the problem and the exam- ples you mention do not reflect reality. I understand that your contacts remain at a certain level that does not reflect the substance that would come to light if you were allowed contact with the people concerned. The presence of churches bu- ilt for the most part in pre-war time hides social oppression and discriminatory laws in force. One for everything: There is a ban on the construction of tem- ples and churches in Egypt, except after having fulfilled 10 conditions that are dif- ficult to implement. An edict by Caliph Omar 639 A.D. still regulates relations between Muslims and Christians and the permission to build Christian places of worship. A decree issued by the Ministry of the Interior in Egypt in February 1934 cited the 10 requirements to be able to is- sue a building permit. Repairing the boun- dary wall of a church requires the autho- rization of the President of the Republic; however, in most cases the prohibitions are deflected by the good will of local offi- cials but always susceptible to blackmail. Religious worship must in any case re- main discreet. The core of the contrasts between the West and the Islamic world, contrasts ap- parently invisible to the eyes of Italians, are the rights and duties of non-Muslim citizens as codified by the law on personal status. In fact, the divine source of Koranic law, freedom of religious choice, equality between citizens and women's rights are the most striking points of contrast betwe- en all Arab countries and Western culture. I personally believe that the real Cultural Revolution in the Arab world should pass through women and that us, immigrants in the West, have a duty to draw public attention to these contrasts that are invi- sible to the naked eye. Dr Romano, given the resonance of your column, I hope that when you return, you will be able to raise or better highlight the situation of human rights in the Arab wor- ld, not so much church-building or reci- procity, but human rights. Thank you. Let me mention to you my article on the subject published by Popoli on POPOLI in February 2005 reported here: http://www.ildialogo.org/dialogofedi/pa- triarcaticristiani21022005.htm The letter of the day |Sunday 3 August 2008 CHRISTIANS IN ISLAM RESPONSI- BILITY OF ITALY The statement that there are Christian churches in Islamic countries may also be true, as it is true that there are bishops, apostolic legates and priests. What, however, you neglected to specify are the living conditions that Christians in most Islamic countries are forced to suffer, par- ticularly in the Middle East. Some exam- ples are worth more than long speeches.