Interview with Khalil Samir, a Jesuit and an expert on Islam
Robert Cheaib
ROME, Wednesday, October 20, 2010 (ZENIT.org) .- The exodus of Christians from the Middle East is a dilemma, but it can also be a kairos , provided that Christians keep alive the fire of faith in their hearts.
In this second part of the interview, Father Samir Khalil, drawing on his extensive knowledge in the Middle East in its religious overtones, political and cultural, explains the necessity of Christian presence in the Middle East not only for the universal Church but also for Muslims themselves. The
The proposal for "positive secularism" can not succeed because secularism in the Islamic context - ' elmaniyya in Arab - sounds like separation from and abandonment of God in favor of worldliness. He believes that the other proposed concept, namely the "civic state" will have more luck, or orientation will choose the proposal Islamist whose slogan is " al-Islam huwa l- Hall," [Islam is the solution / answer], disappointed by the failure of religion, morality and identity of the West?
Samir Khalil: The West, in fact, has gone too far to dissolve the roots of their identity. Let us remember the Pope's speech in Regensburg in 2006, where the critical was essentially the western culture that has gone beyond the Enlightenment to identify with the culture of materialism.
Your question refers to the Islamic fundamentalist force. The reasoning of the fundamentalists is: the West has a vision of civilization, but its model is a model of corruption and debauchery sexual perversion, adultery, dissolution of the family, abortion is a project ... unacceptable to Islam, which sees it as corrupt and far from God Modernity preached by the West is now synonymous with atheism and immorality. For them Christianity, identified itself with the West, is over. Similarly, Marxism and socialism have failed in the eyes of all. The solution is Islam, and the proof is that when in the past we used Islam to the letter we got around the Mediterranean. This is the reasoning that made Qaddafi when he visited Italy recently: "Europe in 2050 will be majority Muslim." His prediction will come true if the attitude of Christians does not change.
Many Eastern Christians are tired of urging him to stay on their land, especially since these exhortations come from those who live in the West rich and free. Acts of the Apostles to speak the eighth chapter of the first persecution Christians, who dispersed the community (except the apostles). This negative event, it turned out later as a kairos that allowed Christians to spread the gospel elsewhere. He does not believe that the current situation that is causing the exodus and the flight of Christians may be a sign of the times?
Khalil Samir: So many people in the Middle East I say, "Stay here becomes increasingly difficult. And although we still do it, but we do not know how it will be for our children. " I give a reply in three points: first, no one can force you to stay. Every family has the right to decide where live and how. It is not for us because we are priests to tell them if they stay. I would add, however, a second point: if a personal level, maybe it's better for you to emigrate to Canada or Australia or France, it is not at EU level and thumb: If everyone did like you, this region was soon without Christians ; in the land of the birth of Christianity there would be no Christians. So we have a great vocation and responsibility.
The third point: if we are all in the diaspora, we can still maintain our Eastern identity? It is difficult to maintain the culture and tradition of origin more than two or three generations. And this, again, is not a personal problem but a problem with the universal Church: If an Eastern tradition disappears, this is for the whole Church a great loss. John Paul II said that the Church has two lungs, the Eastern Church and Western Church. If any of these actually failed, the Church would be reduced to only one lung and shortness of breath.
Therefore, I say to Christians: you emigrate or remain, that is not the real issue, the essential thing is to keep your faith. Offer your children the faith, and if you see where you go that many Christians have no more faith trasmettetegliela.
What you are saying from the book of Acts is that the mission came from an event unexpectedly difficult, and it revealed itself as an opportunity for faith itself. But this happened on one condition: they had the fire of faith in his heart. If we, however, are having in our hearts the love of money, our emigration will not lead anywhere. The main thing is that this fire remains within the heart of the Gospel. If you stay in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria hold this fire to send it to brothers of Islam. If you go to America or other countries trasmettilo your new fellow citizens.
Just give advice and pastoral guidance to Christians of the East to make them stay in the East? Do not you think rather than having to support them economically, knowing that in Lebanon, for example, the Shiites have been strongly supported financially by Iran and the Sunni Gulf states, and this enabled him to improve their social and political?
Samir Khalil: I think our problem in the Middle East is not financial. Take the case of Lebanon: the country of billionaires we have in every neighborhood of Beirut. There are so many charities in Lebanon run by Christians. The aid received from abroad, which she mentions are as part of a political propaganda that the Church can not do because it is not a nation. And there is no Christian nation to do so. Certainly immigrants can help, and we know that many immigrants contribute to the livelihood of their families. This help can be improved, but not what solves the problem. We need to design projects to provide clear and reliable, so that money from benefactors to ask Christians to have traced a path, and not be stolen on their way to the concrete works. And in this our clergy do not give good examples of reliability seen little evangelical attachment to appearances and wealth. Then again echoes the call to conversion, to purify our lives to make it more consonant with the Gospel.
The Synod was covered mainly by only two television channels Middle East (both Lebanese). He also laments the lack of coverage of the Italian media. What is causing this fact: the injury that what the Bishops say it will remain only ink on paper? Indifference to what he lives and the Church says? A lack of concern about the Middle East?
Samir Khalil: I wonder if maybe the fact is simply due to the presence of a few Arab journalists who follow the news in Rome. Or maybe you have asked: but what can a bishop to change the situation in Iraq, Palestine or Lebanon? Catholics are a tiny minority in Egypt, Copts and Muslims so they are apathetic. The only ones who can follow the Synod for both capacity and interest are the journalists in Lebanon.
For Western journalists believe that depart from a concept of consumerism: do not pack a product if they do not know who will sell and profit. The heads sadly do not assess the importance of topics and events in themselves, but allow themselves from the audience. One scoop or scandal sex sells much more of a Synod that seeks its way slowly. Sometimes the fault is ours. The people are not informed or events or on their way and even their relative importance. I think in this area do so in Lebanon: with ZENIT, Télé Lumière or Lbc. This contribution to Lebanon media gives her place of avant-garde for all Christians in the Middle East.
Finally, in your opinion what are the attitudes that make successful investment of human and economic resources in this Synod?
Samir Khalil: I think you should take the attitude that the main participants in both the sincerity and the critical sense to point with directness and clarity of what is wrong, what is and what can be improved. As for the attitude that I hope for the Christians of the East, I believe that a priori should have a look favorable. In the end, the Synod is investing a lot of positive resources, they speak of thousands of hours of work and effort that involving a large number of people involved to do their best. So I would say that the attitude of Christians must be the same seriousness, this is our future, not the future of the bishops, but the future of millions of Christians and not just Catholics.
In his address, Mr. Mohammad Sammak emphasized the role that Christians have played in shaping the identity of the Middle East, saying that without them our society would no longer be what it is. Christians have played in past and recent history a vital role by enriching the Arab society, culturally, sociologically, politically and spiritually. For this role is not a thing of the past but a present reality Christians - bishops and faithful - they must give priority to the community - not only among themselves but also with others, with the Muslims. It must also carry out the mission, not in the sense of a proselytizing faded, but the living essence of the Gospel is a proclamation, which is good news for us, modestly, we heralds.
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