CCEE/KEK: INTROVIGNE (OSCE), “WE CAN DO MORE” AGAINST DISCRIMINATION OF CHRISTIANS

A workshop in Rome and the celebration of a “Day of the Christian Martyrs of our time”, because “we can do more to raise awareness of the discrimination of Christians”. The two ideas were put forward by Massimo Introvigne, OSCE delegate (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) for the fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination of Christians and members of other religions, as he spoke today in Belgrade at the Ccee/Kek Joint Committee meeting. At the end of his speech, Introvigne announced that Osce will promote a workshop in Rome on May 4th about “Intolerance and discrimination of Christians”. The European organisation also put forward the idea to celebrate a “Day of the Christian Martyrs of our time” on May 7th. The date was chosen to coincide with the ecumenical commemoration of the witnesses of faith of the XX century, which was celebrated on the initiative of the venerable John Paul II at the Colosseum on May 7th, 2000. On that occasion, the main groups of Christian martyrs of the XX century, divided into eight ‘stations’, were commemorated. “This Day – Introvigne said – might be held every year as an opportunity for collective soul searching and for forcing Europe to get close to the problem of protecting the Christian minorities in several countries”.
Christians’ contribution to peace is to promote a “true notion of religious freedom” so as to combat “the two opposite errors of fundamentalism and laicism”. This is the line of thinking and common action proposed by Prof. Massimo Introvigne, OSCE Representative on Combating Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions, in his speech at the Meeting of the CCEE-CEC Joint Committee today. “Both of them – he said – deny the correct relationship between faith and reason. In fundamentalism, faith denies reason. In laicism, reason denies the faith. Both are foes of religious freedom: fundamentalism wants to impose religion with force, and laicism wants to impose non-religion with force. Actually only the equilibrium between faith and reason - without confusion, but also without separation – can guarantee religious freedom which is at the origin of moral freedom and thus of all true freedom”. Prof. Introvigne then focused on the “crystal clear attempt” of ultra-fundamentalist Islam “to put an end to the bi-millennial existence of Christian communities in the Near East, even by resorting to terrorism”. And he said: “It is true that governments distance themselves from ultra-fundamentalists. But the time of words not followed by deeds is over. It is now time to take effective measures for the protection of religious minorities”.

© SIR - 18 february 2011

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