'Europe's 9/11':
If this is Islam, Here is what we'd Like (Corriere Della Sera, Italy)
"The
problem is this combination of religion, culture and history that concerns
about a billion and a half human beings, where on the whole different rules are
in force and - this is the decisive point - are in most cases incompatible with
those in force in every other part of the world. … Where women don't possess
the same rights and duties as men; where the social distinction between the
religious and civil spheres is ephemeral if not absent; and where - as
yesterday’s victims learned with their blood - satire against the authorities is
unknown, and against religion is thought inconceivable. … If Islam is this,
then we want to have the opportunity to criticize it as we like, as we have
learned to criticize Christianity, Buddhism and thousands of other things. We
want the opportunity not risk our lives for that."
Establishing which group of the galaxy of Islamist terrorism
the assassins who carried out the massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo
belong and deciphering what the strategy was of their crime will be the
task of police and analysts.
At this moment what resonates in our ears is only what,
according to reliable witnesses, they shouted while carrying out their mission of
death: "Allah is Great … We have avenged the Prophet Mohammed." Today
all that counts for public opinion in the civilized world is that they said
these words and appealed to Islam while killing.
In order to exorcize a thought this disturbing and thousands
of others of the same tenor over the last few years, the most educated and
politically-correct elements of the public have for some time, in Europe, adopted
the term "Islamophobia" - as if thinking so
would help resolve the problem. Instead, the problem remains. Despite all the goodwill and every edifying speech, it is a rock - and it is precisely the
problem of Islam.
That is to say: the
problem is this combination of religion, culture and history that concerns
about a billion and a half human beings, where on the whole (on the whole
because there are exceptions, and it would be stupid to ignore them) different
rules are in force and - this is the decisive point - are in most cases
incompatible with those in force in every other part of the world. Where women
don't possess the same rights and duties as men, and for the former, it can be
considered a crime to even drive a car; where the social distinction between
the religious and civil spheres is ephemeral if not absent; where to open a
Christian church is usually forbidden; where political regimes almost always
have a despotic character and rarely recognize freedoms, starting with the
freedom of the press, which almost everywhere else is taken for granted; where
- as yesterday’s victims learned with their blood - satire against the authorities
is unknown, and against religion is thought inconceivable.
More than that: it is a religion, culture and history in
which almost every one of these things is widely perceived or interpreted as
blasphemy: a blasphemy against the Almighty to be paid for with death.
If Islam is this, then we want to have the opportunity to
criticize it as we like, as we have learned to criticize Christianity, Buddhism
and thousands of other things. We want the opportunity not risk our lives for
that. It is a right that, among other things, we'd like to see recognized by more
of the world's most influential voices.
