ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

234 FLASH COMMENTS / MILANO 2 30/11 - 2006 Some on the evening of 30 Nov 2006 in Milan 2: On the basis of my personal experience, I would like to bring some corrections to some of the statements made by those who have intervened with you: Infibulation and similar practices: Is this a religious duty? During the UN Con- ference on Population in Cairo (1994), under pressure from NGOs, the Egyptian powers pronounced themselves as follows: The mufti (Tantawi) still in office said no. The Azhar sheikh said it was a religious duty. Who is right? What is the dictum of Islam? The government then prohibited it but the practice continued especially in rural circles. (Most of our immigrants come from the countryside). Islam in Italy: This is a vague term. Muslims who are here do not attend Islamic centers: why does the government choose some pe- ople to be their representatives; in the name of what reasoning? There is no uniform voice from the religious point of view. So let's apply Italian law without hesitation. Our worst enemies are certain Italians. (Have I told you about the attitude of Minister Livia Turco towards Dachan?) The Islamic centers are financed by Wahabite sources and therefore reflect their thinking that is only one of the voi- ces of Islam: perhaps the most powerful financially, however not culturally. Isla- mic laws are applied in quite different ways depending on what country they are based on and also by the government in office. Religious power, the mufti, is a functioning state and depends on the mi- nister. Therefore Islam in Morocco or Tu- nisia is not similar to the Saudi one: which one to take as an example in Italy? And does it really fall within the competence of an Italian magistrate to decree what is an Islamic religious duty? They should sure they law is applied to everyone without exception. Quran: There are two ways to read the Koran: The first approach is to read and apply the text to the letter without correlating it with the text as a whole: "Cut the hand of the thief" without considering the Koran's in- sistence on Forgiveness! The second approach is to take the Koran in its entirety! The believer does not seek the truth in the single sentence but in the general context, they do not get upset by isolated contradictions. Despite the existence of contradictory verses, the Modernists assert that the Koran should be read as a single Chapter and not in the reading of a verse taken in isolation as our own do. Polygamy: It is not much practiced in Arab cities, especially in environments equivalent to the Italian population. It is even prohibited in some countries. The Koran specifies four wives but it also says "You will not be able to be impartial with your wives even if you want .... And do not neglect some and if you are afraid not to be fair, marry only one.