048 - FOREIGNERS IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES

Dear Dr. Landi,

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I’m referring to your expert intervention on the subject of citizenship.

Unlike the European citizen, and in particular the Italian, it should be remembered that the Arab citizen, both Christian and Muslim, has an identity intimately linked to his religious belief in his community even before the state he belongs to.

Between the 19th and 20th centuries, millions of Europeans migrated and settled in North Africa and the Middle East, contributing substantially to the economic and cultural development of African countries without almost ever taking root in the social fabric, and then found themselves expelled by returning to their countries of origin.  At the same time the European powers competed to stand up as protectors of Christians before the Ottoman authorities in order to exempt them from the application of Islamic laws that discriminated strongly against non-Muslims in order to gain influence over the governability of these countries. Some Catholic communities, a minority of local Christianity, have used this influence to try to escape the discrimination of the legal system that still exists in our 21st century. This state of affairs has influenced the attitude of Muslims towards local Christians in the broad sense of the term, considering them foreigners in their own country.

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049 - UNITED MEDITERRANEAN

ROTARY – 2014
A Synopsis

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A United Mediterranean for an economic union with or without a union of hearts? It is necessary to obtain the accession of the coastal peoples; to create a bridge that unites peoples who are very different from each other in terms of religious beliefs, the laws of the states and their constitutions. Unlike the European citizen, and in particular the Italian, it should be remembered that the Arab citizen, both Christian and Muslim, has an identity in- timately linked to his religious belief and his community even before the state he belongs to.

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050 - DIFFERENT CIVILIZATIONS: WAR OR PEACE?

EXCHANGE VIEWS, ROTARY – 2014

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I reflected on some of the concerns raised at last night’s meeting: war or peace, dialogue, the positivity of religion, how a religion is identified is a label of belief common to a group of people or something else.

Until the Second World War the regions of the globe were inhabited by people in a given territory, a country, linked by a common denominator same culture, religion, creed habits and the like for example: countries of Arabic language and culture with a majority Islamic creed, Europe the West, India and Pakistan, Japan, China, etc., each fairly uniform within itself without the drive of revolutions caused by diversity. See the case of the Armenians in Turkey. It can be said, for example, that the unifying element of the populations is the religious one, that is, the common Islamic religion. I do not know of populations without a creed, religion even atheism after all is a label similar to a religious creed discriminating against those who believe.

There was not this range of crossbreeding of cultures that we find today in a given territory. An invasion of populations attracted by economic pressures, ease of movement, the internet, the media and the like that put us in front of a fait accompli. They bring the cultural and sentimental baggage that has come to them through the teaching of their religion through the education they have received in their families and schools.

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051 - DIALOGUE AND INTEGRATION

ROTARY – pages 38-45 – 1/ To know and understand each other to co-exist and build peace- 2014

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MUSLIM CHRISTIANS DIALOGUE FOR A BETTER WORLD

The mobility of people is a right that is now considered primary in every corner of the planet, and how it involves the necessary creation of intercultural relationships is certainly one of the hottest issues of the moment; Rotary International is well aware of how important this issue is and addresses it through the “Service for Peace. Dialoguing to live together, what rules? In order to live together in a fruitful dialogue, we need to know each other; knowledge starts with truth, respect for others, and the ability to overcome prejudices. Rediscovering one’s identity, a term that is sometimes used inappropriately, is a fundamental affirmation to make oneself known and understood, never to prevail, to bring one’s presence and knowledge across continents. Consider the immigrant first of all as a man with his own dignity, rights and duties. This is the starting point of the small contribution to the understanding of the Arab world, an important component of immigration in Italy, to reach a real and lasting peace in the Middle East.

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