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A
propos des "Caricatures"
FAX - 17/9/2006
La clarté de Magdi Allam doit être encouragée à tous
points de vue : elle exprime ce que beaucoup pensent mais peu disent à voix
haute, c'est pourquoi elle est critiquée par ceux qui se sentent coupables : ce
sont les musulmans qui nient le fait historique et qui ignorent le contenu
spirituel du Coran. L'histoire continue de se répéter. A mon avis, seule une
prise de position ferme de sa propre conviction culturelle et de son identité
nous fera respecter par nos "adversaires". Sans hésitation et sans
excuses. Au contraire, je suis convaincu que de nombreux intellectuels des pays
arabes auraient souscrit aux vérités historiques déclarées par le pape
Ratzinger, mais ils ne peuvent le faire ouvertement : tout le monde n'a pas le
désir de vivre sous escorte.
En conclusion : il faut rappeler que le pape est le
chef d'un Etat qui entretient des relations diplomatiques avec presque tous les
Etats du monde, sa structure diplomatique devrait exiger de leurs gouvernements
respectifs qu'ils dénoncent publiquement les campagnes de haine de certains
prédicateurs contre un chef d'Etat le menaçant même de mort. Question : (a)
quelle était l'attitude de nos politiciens européens ? B) Quel intérêt le prestigieux
New York Times aurait-il eu à allumer le feu ?
La
vérité de l'histoire
Article courageux qui souligne l'ignorance de nombreux
personnages qui font des déclarations qui enflamment les gens simplement sur le
ouï-dire ou sans approfondir leurs pensées basées sur les titres des journaux.
Au moins que certains, de mauvaise foi, veulent se protéger de tout prétexte
pour être les détenteurs de la vérité. Il serait intéressant de connaître les
réactions des médias arabes face au rejet de la motivation religieuse pour la
violence. J'espère que les appréhensions de Magdi Allam ne se réaliseront pas.
Je me propose de mettre en évidence dans le Corriere
ces réactions des intellectuels musulmans qui font audience :
"Et j'ai peur de constater que même les musulmans
dits modérés ont renoncé à leur sagesse et se sont alignés sur la "guerre
sainte" dont ils seront les principales victimes".
Je vous remercie
Dimanche
1 octobre 2006, 20h30
Dear Galal,
I have received the article you sent me from Chief al
azhar which I read while in Egypt. While in Egypt i read regularly al Ahram and
the daily comments from moslem intellectuals about the speech of Pope Benedict
XVI's.
A day later this week I was struck by Mohamed Salmawy comment of, I did not
keep the papers, that he found writers of high profile who wrote their attacks
on the Pope based on “entendu dire” or on extracts from other journals. None of
them read the original text fully! I found that very childish and a superficial
way to educate the readers, knowing how students and others are influenced by
religious leaders.
Galal, I am not familiar with theology, esegesi or philosophy, neither is
English my mother tongue, but I am able though to summarize my understanding of
the Pope speech as follows:
The context of the
speech is high academical; free to express his opinion although not acceptable
to many people but still free to express his belief without fear of
retaliation. Although he subsequently explained in simpler words his thinking,
he received increased attacks from “offended” Islam: threats, demonstrations,
burning in effigy, governments demanding retractions, the recall of
ambassadors, churches burned, a religious sister killed, arab Christians
denigrated, examples are numerous, etc.
This
freedom of expression is repeatedly retaliated by the arab world under the
cover of “religious offense” and mobs moved by national institutions, leaders
etc. only too glad to find a pretext to accuse somebody else for their own
weaknesses.
I did not find in al ahram or publicity made to the explanations given by the
pope to the ambassadors from the arab league, except that al ahram cited the
council of ulemas as still requiring and excuse.
In
reality, a major part of Benedict XVI’s lecture was addressed to the Christian
world, which in his view are so have lost the “fear of God.” But here as well
the pope’s words found their confirmation in the facts. Hand in hand with the
swell of verbal and physical violence on the part of Muslims, on the other
side, the pope was the target of criticism from Christian area.
Freedom of creed and religious practice
and adherence: this does not exist in the Arabic world, except in
Lebanon. All citizens have not the same rights and duties under one country
law: non Moslems have a different legal treatment, I add, same between women
and men.
During my attendance in Cairo at the world Conference on population in 1994,
the Vatican had closer views on bioethics and family values with Moslem
representatives rather with the Occident countries. Links between Christian and
Moslem leaders started to be tight and no offence is intended. It is
unfortunate that no moslem leader speak high against violences perpetrated on
the basis of religion when such is being perpetrated.
Killing in the name of Allah is
another point raised by the pope . The dialogue with Islam that he wants to
create is not made of fearful silences and ceremonial embraces. It is not made
of mortifications which, in the Muslim camp, are interpreted as acts of
submission. He proposes to the Muslims that they separate violence from faith,
as prescribed by the Qur’an itself.
He proposes to the Muslims that they separate violence from faith, as
prescribed by the Qur’an itself; John Paul II, who prayed humbly in Assisi
together Muslim mullahs, and when visiting the Umayyad mosque in Damascus
listened in silence to the invectives his hosts hurled against the perfidious
Jews. No fatwa was issued for the slitting of Karol Wojtyla’s throat. It was a
mere coincidence that Ali Agca, who shot him, was a Muslim – and that all
terrorists as I call them are Moslem. Although they do not represent islam of
course, but disclaimers by religious leaders are not being publicized, that I
know.
Reason and religious belief: this
covers a large part of the conference but I am not in a position to discuss as
outside my intellectual capacity
I submit a comment I read that “Benedict XVI is hopeful. He would not have
been so daring if he did not believe in the real possibility that an
interpretation of the Qur’an that marries faith with reason and freedom can be
reopened within Islamic thought. (reading Qoran in today’s context) But the
voices in the Muslim world that are accepting his offer of dialogue are too
weak and too few, and almost not to be found. And the pope is too much alone in
a wayward Europe. And then there is the violence that hangs over Christians in
Islamic countries, and also outside of them – when, to silence the pope,
members of his flock are killed, and all the better if they are innocent, like
a religious sister, a woman.”
Dear Galal :
I am grateful to yr mail as it obliged me to reflect
and to think over a major problem of this century. But people like us who know
rather well both sides of the Mediterranean sea can help to eliminate the
misunderstandings. I am convinced that the core of the spirit of the Pope,
other than the philosophy, could be summarized into a friendly voice to Moslem
leaders to exchange opinion with full reciprocal respect about:
freedom to express his opinion, Freedom of creed and
religious practice and adherence, bioethics and family values, Killing in the
name of Allah no offence is being intended.
Please feel free to
circulate this message to whom you think useful and also to the writers
mentioned in this message.
As a conclusion I report what M. Salmawy has written:
L’essentiel n’est pas de
savoir si un fou ou non a commis les attentats d’Alexandrie. Le fou est une
personne qui laisse libre cours à ses pulsions déraisonnables. Mais
malheureusement, les motifs malades qui ont conduit le criminel à commettre son
acte ne sont pas propres à lui. Ils sont répandus chez les membres de notre
société, enracinés par l’enseignement religieux vétuste, enseigné pendant de
longues années et cristallisé par la suite par nos médias ignorants. Tout ceci
a été confirmé par l’actuel message religieux vétuste de notre institution
religieuse. Agirons-nous différemment cette fois-ci, ou nous contenterons-nous,
une fois de plus, d’arrêter le criminel et de dire qu’il est déséquilibré, pour
finalement classer l’affaire ? Comme toujours.
Giuseppe
Samir Eid
Libre traduction de l’italien par internet
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