ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

160 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 for the com- mon 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 wel- coming without inclusion, would not play its role. Religion and identity Religion and civil status of the Mediter- ranean peoples are inextricably linked to the identity of the person; the Arab citizen, Christian or Muslim, feels his reli- gious identity as a priority over his stable political loyalty. The mental and cultural horizon of populations is a religious hori- zon. Religions are therefore fundamental elements of national communities. It can be affirmed, for example, that the unifying element of the Arab populations is the re- ligious one, that is, the common Islamic religion within which some differentiations are inserted. They come from countries with laws that privilege Muslim citizens over adherents of other religious beliefs, forming mental prejudices in young peo- ple coming to Europe where equal rights and non-discrimination among citizens prevail. It is essential to ask the Arab world to work on education, media, textbooks in schools and even to invite to this line of education and peace, imams and prea- chers who have in their hands the formi- dable instrument of sermons in mosques, where it would be appropriate to proclaim also the verses of the Koran that empha- size "the will of God towards religious plu- rality and the commitment to compete for good in God's mercy". The best response to extremism is to create a united inter- national front relying on universal stan- dards of freedom of belief and religion as an integral part of individual identity. We need a radical change in the formation of citizens, a problem of culture, in order to make everyone understand that they are equal and that violence is intolerable. Media, communication and Inter-re- ligious dialogue. We must ensure that Muslims are able to grasp the distinction between religion and society, faith and civilisation, political Islam and the Muslim faith. It was Cardi- nal Martini himself, who encouraged the "dialogue" between different cultures and religions, who encouraged this dialogue between two people who have something to say to each other. I hope that every religious Communica- tor and not, Muslim or otherwise, will feel committed to being a tireless and stre- nuous defender of the dignity of the hu- man person and of his inalienable rights; ways should be found to pass this ideal in the formulation of the laws of states and that the good intentions exchanged at a high level reach the people of pain that remain truly high. As a member of ALDAI I intend to make my voice heard so that the political bodies, together with the European Parliament, will always be effective promoters of justice, freedom and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the Mediter- ranean area by implementing the necessary strategies.