The measure of justice” “” “

“We who know what war is…”: the words are those of the Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah , who is in Italy to participate in the general Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican. In recent days Sabbah took part in the Peace March from Perugia to Assisi. We asked him to give us his view on the current international conflict and on the dialogue between Europe and the Islamic world. What do you think of the Anglo-American attack on Afghanistan? “No war is good. War means killing, fuelling hatred, violating the dignity of the human person, whether it’s friend or foe. Humanity must be capable of resolving questions without recourse to this method. We who know what war is, have been able to verify that it doesn’t solve the problems. After countless deaths and disasters, eventually the point comes when you have to return to the negotiating table to find a solution. The Anglo-American attack on Afghanistan will also fail to produce results because there’s nothing there to destroy, except the population. Even the air-drops of food and medicine are a sign of human hypocrisy”. Where should the responsibility be sought for all the violence that the world is forced to put up with today? “Everything we experience today is due to big power decisions, whether they be just or unjust. I hope that those responsible for the world order open their eyes to see that terrorism does not have its roots in Afghanistan or in any other part of the world. Dropping bombs in Afghanistan means striking only one of the consequences of terrorism: its roots are in the injustices of the world system. If we wish to eradicate terrorism it’s not enough to crack down on its consequences. A reform of the whole world order is needed. And in that reform, the vision of God, that is absent from the world system, must be reinstated. We have money, weapons… everything, except God, who is the one measure of justice. The world system needs to be refounded, but for this we first need to believe in God, accept his commandments and promote the dialogue between cultures”. What advice would you give to Europe to promote a real dialogue with Islam? “There’s no real dialogue with Islam in the West. What is needed is a dialogue between Moslems, lay West and Christian West that may lead to the use of the same language. However, the lay West must understand that if can never speak with Islam if it fails to keep God present, because Islam places God at the centre”. What are the repercussions of the crisis in Jerusalem? “For years we have been living in a situation of oppression and injustice. But since the arrival of Sharon we have been living in a state of total siege and people are dying in every Palestinian town and village. Society is morally and socially disintegrating due to the lack of work, the lack of freedom, and constant bombardment. We are dying due to a vision of justice in the world that is not justice but self-interest”. May Europe be a valid interlocutor for guaranteeing peace at the world level? “Europe must assume an independent role. And then we need to have the courage to accept the challenges, to go against the tide, to sacrifice positions of power – and I don’t know if the politicians are able to do so – placing the common good, as a priority, in the forefront. Every citizen is responsible for himself and for his fellowmen, but this responsibility must also be far-sighted: the same weapons as those of the person being combated mustn’t be used. If we struggle against violence, we cannot use violence to do so. If we combat the selfishness of the world order, we cannot permit our youth and organizations to fuel their own selfishness”. Patrizia Caiffa