ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

164 2014: Dear Monsignor, dear Raoul Immersed in the peace of a pine forest far from Milan I reread what I wrote on the subject, finding the cue to expose some situations that in my opinion give a diffe- rent light on some of the points you made about wars of religion. Not all wars label- led religious wars are referred to speci- fic religious teaching and not all religions are equal to each other both in teaching and in practice. The fact remains that re- ligions are considered "ways" to respond to man's deepest longings. I write conci- sely so as not to sound like boring rheto- ric while I turn the spotlight on facts that seem to have gone into oblivion following the saying "The world is dangerous to live not so much because of those who do evil, but because of those who watch, let go and remain silent". 1. The Crusades so called religious wars have been successive to: a)The conquest of Sicily in 827 by the Muslim Arabs, continuous acts of pi- racy and kidnapping until the sacking of Rome and St. Peter's Basilica in 846. b)Blockade of pilgrimages to Jerusalem by the new occupants, the Seljuk Turks. How would the Muslims react today if, for example, the Americans occupied Mecca and prevented the Muslims from making a pilgrimage? c) Back in the distant year 1076, 20 years before the First Crusade, Pope Gregory VII wrote without acknowledgement to the Governor of Algeria, El Nasser: ...We believe in the same One God even if in a different way, we raise our prayers and venerate Him every day... and he referred to Abraham's spiritual descent and faith in a One God. 2- The Christian evangelization of the last hundred years, 20th and 21st century is done by example, works, charity wi- thout the obligation of conversion, nor by sword or coercion. And a procla- mation by example at most creates in Christian citizens a mentality different from the majority with the risk of being discriminated against if the laws do not respect freedom of religious choice. 3-Enlightenment and peacemakers in in- ter-religious dialogue: most have been eliminated from the Muslim public scene, assassinated or simply ignored even Taha Hussein famous minister of culture and education in Egypt in the 1950s and other distinguished men of letters have been opposed by the Azhar cast aside or forced into exile. 4- Universal Declaration of Human Rights of December 10, 1948: it has not been recognized and is not applied in the 57 States adhering to the Conference of Islamic States that refer to Sharia law. 5- The root of evil is found in our hearts: It is true as long as it is fed by sermons, textbooks in schools that we praise the victory (always conquest) of a certain ideology called religion. 6- Extenders of the historic letter from 138 Muslim theologians to Pope Bene- dict XVI: most have a university chair in the Western world with little grip on the people within the Islamic states. 7- Today the majority of the massacre wars and the like in the world refer to the Muslim "religion" and have their foundation in the parts of the Koran that lead to discrimination between men similar can be said to the fascism that provoked the wars of the 20th century. The economic aspect may be the un- declared reason, but the driving force behind such actions remains always the teaching in the name of Islam addres- sed to people from a younger age. Sin- ce there is no single authority represen- ting the Islamic religion, similar to the Christian Churches Pope or Patriarchs,