Pope Francis has condemned the “complicit silence” that surrounds the massacre of so many Christians throughout the world. Yesterday, on Easter Monday, he asked the world not to stand by, mute and inert. What do you think of his words, Minister Paolo Gentiloni?
“There is a very serious threat to so many Christians in different parts of the world. And more needs to be done. But for years now, there has been a sort of European malaise, a mixture of narrow self interest and laziness that led people to look the other way rather than confront events beyond the borders of our own ancient little world. By that token, if you propose to take action against terrorism, you are making a mistake. If you invest in cooperation activities on behalf of Christian refugees, you’re wasting money. If you adopt reception policies for immigrants, you’re simply being foolish”.
On Sunday 5 April, in “Corriere della Sera”, Ernesto Galli della Loggia spoke of the fragile identity of Christians and underscored that the only possible response seems to be silence…
“Sadly, we already witnessed that European silence 20 years ago, when the troops led by Ratko Mladic massacred 8000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica. Now the persecution of Christians is requiring us to question ourselves even more closely because it concerns our identity and our roots. We must do more. We cannot stand by in silence. We must speak up and speak out”.
What does “doing more” mean, and what does it involve? In an interview in “Il Messaggero”, Matteo Renzi said that people are too timid about this topic and that there will be an initiative by the European Socialist party.
“These initiatives to mobilise people are vital. Some are already under way, without much attention from the media. I am thinking of the special session of the UN Security Council on 27 March, where Secretary General Ban Ki-moon proposed that religious intolerance should be included in the parameters used to determine accusations of genocide against individual countries. I am thinking, too, of the decision by the Dioceses of Rome to dedicate all the Easter collections received in churches during the Easter services to the Christians of Iraq.
And I also think that after the appalling massacre of students at the University of Garissa, the Christian community in Kenya should be given immediate signals of support, including from Italian universities. What does ‘doing more’ mean? On Italian territory, it means protecting the symbols and places of Christianity and safeguarding religious minorities. I am thinking for example of Italian Jews and their communities, which could be seen as targets. And then there is another truth: the military dimension is inevitable if we are to combat terrorism. Some people may be scandalised by this, but these groups need to be tackled, including at the military level. I won’t use the word fight, otherwise I’ll find myself being shod in the Crusaders shoes…”
So diplomacy isn’t enough, there’s also the military option…
“We are part of an anti-Da’esh military coalition engaged primarily in Iraq and Syria. But in future we could evaluate whether it’s appropriate to help combat terrorism in Libya, or take action against phenomena like Boko Haram in Nigeria, for example. Italian Carabinieri are engaged in Somalia to help train the local armed forces who now have to fight those responsible for the massacre in Garissa. In short, there is a military dimension”.
You use the name Da’esh rather than ISIS. Why?
“I feel it’s a form of counter-information against people who have taken upon themselves the role of Islamic state and proclaim themselves caliphs. Speaking to me a few days ago, King Abdullah II of Jordan told me that ‘For us, they are renegades’. And on this point there’s another dimension that we cannot ignore.
We need to firmly support those who, in this enormous political and cultural challenge within the Islamic world, are committed to combating terrorism. ‘You can help us but we ourselves must defeat the renegades’, King Abdullah told me. The Egyptian president, al-Sisi, and the Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, have used the same words. For the same reasons we must seek, as far as we are able, to foster peaceful co-existence between Sunni and Shiite”.
Returning to Ernesto Galli della Loggia, he has proposed that our country should extend due generosity towards Christian refugees by building hospitals, schools and homes.
“I could get out of that one by saying that we’ve already doing that. That just last Wednesday I visited an Italian-built hospital for Syrian refugees, just 80 km from Amman. But we need to realise that Italy isn’t doing enough because the resources made available fall well short of the standard of civilisation we represent”.
How can we find more?
“That brings us back to that mixture of self-interest and laziness, to the instinct to look the other way, to the feeling that everything can be resolved with great indignation but well away from our own backyard. We need to decide whether we want to take on new responsibilities and play our role, or whether we will continue to keep these problems outside our own little world – something that is, ultimately, simply an illusion. But all this entails costs, and also involves the military option. The important thing is to have a clear idea of the nature of this persecution”.
What’s your analysis?
“Two questions are intertwined here. In the first case, Christians are identified with the West and seen as targets, even when they are in the majority. As in Kenya. In the second case, Christians are a minority, the victims of intolerance, as in Pakistan. Let’s take the case of Iraq. 10 years ago there were one and a half-million Christians in the country. Now there are fewer than 300,000, with the risk that they will disappear altogether in regions such as the Nineveh plains. When the Pope places the emphasis on the Christians of the Middle East and defines them as a little flock over which a great responsibility lies, he’s referring to this drama”.
Do you think that the rumours of Al Qaeda possibly converging with Da’esh represent a further danger?
“As far as we, and the major Western countries, are aware, it’s too soon to imagine different Jihadist groups converging into in Da’esh. What is definitely happening and I’m thinking here of Boko Haram, is that the dark flags of Da’esh are being used by different groups in a sort of macabre franchising of terror, because that ‘brand’ has a clear media impact”.
One last question on Israel’s concerns after the agreement with Iran on the nuclear issue. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, claims that the agreement will result in billions of dollars financing global terrorism in future. What’s your opinion?
“Through all these years, Italy has been in favour of achieving a good agreement, certainly not from any abstract love of negotiating. I agree with the opinion held by the United States: the foundations have been laid. I understand Israel’s concerns, but I would rule out any feelings of nostalgia for Ahmadinejad on Netanyahu’s part. If the agreement is completed in June, I’m sure it will stabilise Iran and foster its development – in a less dangerous direction for Israel”.
