” “Willing to listen

“Interreligious Dialogue – The Teaching of the Catholic Church”, the new book of Msgr. Kevin McDonald, chairman of the episcopal committee for dialogue with other faiths, was presented in London on 28 February. The participants at the book launch also included Father Justo Lacunza Balda , director of PISAI (Pontificial Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies), one of the most accredited study centres for dialogue with Islam. Also in London, a conference dedicated to dialogue between Islam and Christianity was held several weeks ago; it was attended by some 40 representatives and experts from over a dozen countries. Meanwhile news has broken of an Islamic Charter drawn up by the central Council of Moslems in Germany, with the aim of making a contribution “to the objectivity of the political and social debate” (cf. SirEurope no.7/2002). To understand this world better and what transformations it underwent after 11 September, we spoke to Father Lacunza Balda . What’s particular about the Anglo-Saxon experience? “The Anglo-Saxon world has a realistic approach which knows how to go to the crux of the questions without letting itself be swayed by prejudices and ideologies. The effect of this attitude is that the English – and by reflection also the Catholic Church – want to know exactly what happens and, in the case of Islamic communities, want to know who the Moslems are, where they come from, what are their traditions, and the mainstays of their faith. So dialogue is aimed not an abstract, but a visible and concrete integration. And this sense of realism ensures that the experience of the Anglo-Saxon Catholic Church is a very positive one”. And the Islamic community? “Moslems are now part of the social, cultural and economic fabric of the UK. They form part of the lifeblood of this country. The English experience teaches us that difficulties must be tackled and problems discussed together. But this requires centres of dialogue and encounter where each can clearly speak his own mind”. What do you think of the Islamic Charter published in Germany? “We don’t have any need for new Constitutions and new programmes. The framework must be the Constitution of each individual country within which there is space for all cultures, customs and traditions. But this is on condition that no one deprives someone else of his scope for freedom. Religious and cultural freedom end where the freedom of others begins”. One has the impression that the Islamic communities are now making an effort to make themselves better known. What do you think of that? “Yes, it’s true, especially after 11 September. The mistake would now be to discuss who’s wrong and who’s right. The problems must be listed, analyzed and studied. But what is needed above all is clarity: to understand, in other words, whether the problems being discussed are religious, economic or political. People often don’t know what’s being spoken about”. A Europe little interested in others? “Not just that. The problem is that the political and economic question has gained the upper hand and culture and religion have been shelved in the European debates. And now we’re dusting them off again because we’ve grasped that we cannot do without them. We speak of them not because we are convinced of them, but because we have realized we have no other option”. Are the Islamic communities ready to enter into dialogue? “I would say rather that society in general is not accustomed to dialogue. The fact that today everyone is speaking of dialogue does not mean that people are really speaking together. The Moslem who wants to live in Europe must be willing to listen. And this means learning the language, history and culture of the host country, as only in this way can a process of integration be begun. Real integration is achieved through education and learning”. Maria Chiara Biagioni