Avoiding Culture Clash with Islam is a Priority,says italian FM
Avoiding a culture clash between the West and Islam is one of the world's top priorities and the pope's upcoming trip to Turkey is an important step in that direction, Italy's foreign minister, Massimo D'Alema, said in an interview published Friday.
On Thursday, police in Istanbul detained a man who fired shots into the air outside the Italian consulate to protest Pope Benedict XVI's visit at the end of this month, and said he wanted to "strangle" the pope with his bare hands.
"The pope's visit to Turkey is a sign of strong attention to a country where Islam is growing," D'Alema told Rome daily La Repubblica. "It's a gesture toward dialogue between civilizations and we express all our appreciation for it."
It would be Benedict's first visit as pope to a predominantly Muslim country, just two months after he provoked widespread anger by quoting an emperor who characterized the Prophet Muhammad's teachings as "evil and inhuman."
The pope has since expressed regret for offending Muslims and called for dialogue with Islam.
A top Vatican official expressed optimism over what the pilgrimage could do to improve relations with Muslims.
"I have a lot of hope that this trip will launch a dialogue and comprehension with Muslims," said Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, who heads the Holy See's office for Catholic education.
"Together with Jews we are the three big monotheistic religions. We all believe in one God, we have many common values and on the basis of these common values we have to work together," the cardinal told Associated Press Television.
The cardinal was accompanying Benedict on a visit to the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome.
While making no mention of the Turkey trip, Benedict told an audience at the university that relations with other religious could be constructive "only if every ambiguity is avoided which in some way could weaken the essential content of the Christian faith."
D'Alema in the newspaper interview argued that allowing Turkey into the European Union is a necessary step.
"Today's most important global challenge is to avoid a clash of civilizations," D'Alema said.
"Opening the doors to integration into the EU of a great Islamic country is the true strategic answer to the theme of a clash of civilizations," D'Alema said. "The idea that 60 million Muslim citizens could become integrated in Europe's democratic values of democracy and freedom sends a very strong political and cultural message."
Turkey opened membership talks with the EU in October 2005. But since then opposition has grown — notably in France and Germany — to bringing a large, poor, Muslim nation to the bloc, especially one that is slow to embrace basic political reforms and effectively refuses to recognize EU member Cyprus.
International Herald Tribune
"The pope's visit to Turkey is a sign of strong attention to a country where Islam is growing," D'Alema told Rome daily La Repubblica. "It's a gesture toward dialogue between civilizations and we express all our appreciation for it."
It would be Benedict's first visit as pope to a predominantly Muslim country, just two months after he provoked widespread anger by quoting an emperor who characterized the Prophet Muhammad's teachings as "evil and inhuman."
The pope has since expressed regret for offending Muslims and called for dialogue with Islam.
A top Vatican official expressed optimism over what the pilgrimage could do to improve relations with Muslims.
"I have a lot of hope that this trip will launch a dialogue and comprehension with Muslims," said Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, who heads the Holy See's office for Catholic education.
"Together with Jews we are the three big monotheistic religions. We all believe in one God, we have many common values and on the basis of these common values we have to work together," the cardinal told Associated Press Television.
The cardinal was accompanying Benedict on a visit to the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome.
While making no mention of the Turkey trip, Benedict told an audience at the university that relations with other religious could be constructive "only if every ambiguity is avoided which in some way could weaken the essential content of the Christian faith."
D'Alema in the newspaper interview argued that allowing Turkey into the European Union is a necessary step.
"Today's most important global challenge is to avoid a clash of civilizations," D'Alema said.
"Opening the doors to integration into the EU of a great Islamic country is the true strategic answer to the theme of a clash of civilizations," D'Alema said. "The idea that 60 million Muslim citizens could become integrated in Europe's democratic values of democracy and freedom sends a very strong political and cultural message."
Turkey opened membership talks with the EU in October 2005. But since then opposition has grown — notably in France and Germany — to bringing a large, poor, Muslim nation to the bloc, especially one that is slow to embrace basic political reforms and effectively refuses to recognize EU member Cyprus.
International Herald Tribune
