The Two Facets

Political and institutional activity, reflection on values and “cultural profile”: during the Plenary session of the Assembly of the Twenty-Seven (January 14-17) the two “facets” of community integration will meet. The “enthusiasm of neophytes”. The address of Slovenian Premier Janez Jansa, called to illustrate the next moves of EU’s Presidency was warmly applauded by Strasbourg’s Parliament. The premier spoke of the “programmatic priorities” of the forthcoming semester with “special attention” for the Balkans and the Year of Intercultural Dialogue. “We are committed in this assignment, which for the first time has been entrusted to a new Member State of Eastern Europe. It is a great challenge which we intend to address with great responsibility, optimism and, hopefully, far-sightedness. Ours is perhaps the enthusiasm of neophytes”. President Jansa reaffirmed the main points of his commitment, illustrated last week in Brdo (Slovenia) before the college of commissioners. “The EU is called to implement the delicate task of the National ratifications of the Reform Treaty; we are drawing close to the new phase of the Lisbon Strategy, through which the EU intends to face and shape globalization”. The “energy question” is thus the object of the Executive’s proposals expected for next week.The EU’s role is crucial in the Balkans. In addition to the neighborhood policies, where the Balkan region is the prime concern, Jansa announced a series of “urgent” foreign policy issues (starting from the Middle East) and probed into the situation in Kosovo: “there won’t be a new war in the Balkans. Recent historical events, marked by casualties, and by the many evacuees who remained without a home, should be seen as a warning to us and to Europe as a whole. I believe that the EU’s platform in December is excellent. We are now awaiting the creation of the European mission in Kosovo, to guide the transition and prevent all forms of conflict”. Jansa reaffirmed “the crucial role of the EU in the Balkans” along with “the commitment to prevent unilateral decisions” (the reference is to the announced declaration of independence of Pristina) “which would make the present picture much more complex”. He then spoke of the prospects for the Year 2008, The Year of Intercultural Dialogue. “The EU must respond to the global challenges and it can do so only if it doesn’t neglect the dialogue between cultures and peoples, inside and outside of its borders, a crucial element for integration”. A single civilization, the human one. “May peace be with you”. Ahmad Badr El Din El Hassoun , religious personality of the Sunni Muslim world, spoke these words in the Euro-Parliament hall, called to hold a speech in the framework of Intercultural Dialogue. The meeting was introduced by the President of the Assembly, Hans-Gert Poettering , who declared that “peaceful coexistence between cultures and religions, In Europe as in the Middle East and in the Mediterranean is not only possible, but necessary”. This is why an “open dialogue, founded on tolerance” is vouched for: “not complacency but attention and respect for diversity”. At the same time, “it’s important to develop joint initiatives to shorten distances” between cultures. Syria’s Great Mufti, (accompanied by the bishops of Syria’s Caldeans Antoine Odo), explained that peace should be built “in the name of the creator of human beings”, since “we are all creatures of God”. El Hassoun, who on several occasions addressed the MPs with the term “brothers”, quoted a number of times Abraham and Moses, and Jesus and Mohammed, pointing to the fact that “there cannot be a clash of civilizations. In this world different cultures and religions live together. However, there is only one civilization: the human civilization”. “There are no holy wars”. “Men of culture and men of faith – the Mufti explained – do not create a clash but an encounter”. El Hassoun firmly declared that “there are no holy wars. Peace is holy. Human beings are holy”. “It is necessary to speak of peace in Churches, in Mosques, in Temples”, so “there may be no more victims of a clash of civilizations”, he affirmed. “This is our duty towards Israeli, Palestinian and Iraqi children, who are all creatures in danger; all creatures of God; man cannot be allowed to kill”. The Muslim leader, who in a meeting with the press defended the positions of the Syrian government, denied that Islam makes a difference between man and woman, or that Muslim Countries don’t grant freedom of worship to other religions. He quoted the words of the Pope, explaining that we shouldn’t erect walls, “but love among mankind”. El Hassoun recalled that “also the Muslim world committed sins”, however he pointed out that “men are the ones who commit acts of violence and of terrorism, not religions. Islam is against terrorism”. Lastly, an appeal to Europe, “the true miracle of the 20th century”. “May it extend its hand to other continents in its peace-building endeavor”.