SHIFT mag [n°3] - Religions in Europe

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Religions in Europe

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CONTENT 04

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Complexities of Polish Catholicism Š

Let's talk about faith, baby

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Breaking new ground

Towards enlightened secularism in Europe 12

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Old religions in old Europe

Transitional religion in the Western Balkans

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European Muslims

The search for the Holy Grail

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He who must not be named?

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Religions in Europe

EDITORIAL He was no Nostradamus, but former French minister for culture André Malraux was famously credited with the following prediction: “the 21st century will be spiritual, if there ever is one”.

Seven years into the millennium and six years after the tragic events of September 2001, the prediction looks rather valid so far.

SHIFT Mag

Victor Fleurot SHIFT Mag Editor Brussels

EUROPE TALKS TO BRUSSELS Avenue de Tervueren 270 1150 Brussels – Belgium http://www.shiftmag.eu Publisher: Juan ARCAS juan.arcas@shiftmag.eu Editor: Victor FLEUROT • T. +32 2 235 56 21 victor.fleurot@shiftmag.eu Contributors to this issue: Mustafa AKYOL (Istanbul), Frédéric DARMUZEY (Brussels), Esther (islamineurope.blogspot.com), Joëlle FISS (Brussels), Vanja HAMZIC (Sarajevo), Matthijs KRONEMEIJER (The Hague), Jan KUBIK (New Jersey, USA), Patrick MCMULLAN (Brussels), David MONKCOM (Brussels).

Illustrations: Mi Ran COLLIN, Brieuc HUBIN, Wim TACITURN, François TACOEN, Raphaël TORELLI, Emmanuel TREPANT, Roberto TRIOSCHI, Christophe WANLIN Photography: Eric DE BEUKELAER, Mustafa KASTIT, Julien KLENER, François TACOEN, Getty Images (Clive BRUNSKILL) Production & coordination: Nadine SCHWIRTZ nadine.schwirtz@ascii.be Design & Graphics: ASCii Studio Printed by: Van Ruys, Brussels Administration & subscription: Gabriela OLSSON • T. + 32 2 235 56 44 gabriela.olsson@ascii.be To advertise in SHIFT Mag contact: Guy DE SAN • T. +32 2 235 56 75 guy.desan@ascii.be

After decades of secular developments (from the French Revolution to Atatürk and the communist regimes), Europe now seems to be caught in the eye of a religious storm. A new Pope in Rome, the rise of evangelical churches, the establishment of Islam in Europe’s landscape, the Polish government’s use of religion in public affairs, the successful struggle of Muslim democrats in Turkey: God is back on the old continent, and he is here to stay.

As pointed out by British magazine Prospect in their November 2006 issue, there is a very basic reason for taking Europe’s religious revival seriously: the "fertility advantage of the religious over non-believers” means that the ranks of European followers of all faiths will swell even without conversions.

In this third issue of SHIFT Mag, we draw a religious map of today’s Europe, looking at the big and small trends that shape the way we experience our faith and that of others. Our usual mix of serious analysis and light-hearted wit will take you from Bosnian churches to Liverpool’s stadium in search of spiritual dialogue and understanding.

Enjoy the read and see you on www.shiftmag.eu.

SHIFT Mag • 2007

ASCii Communication – A SWORD Group Company.

Avenue de Tervueren 270 – 1150 Brussels – Belgium.

Free quarterly publication (cannot be sold). Published by ASCii Communication.

Reproduction in any form is prohibited without prior consent. The views expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent those of SHIFT Mag.

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RELIGIONS IN EUROPE

LET’S TALK ABOUT FAITH, BABY

In Brussels' cathedral, there stands a wonderfully dynamic 18th century wooden pulpit. Adam and Eve feature in almost life-size statues at the bottom, as they are chased from Paradise; the tail of the Snake, representing the Devil, is still visible behind the forbidden tree. There is a very graphic skeleton to show the consequences of what Eve and Adam did when they broke God’s command, and a cross held up by an angel to show the path to salvation for mankind. On top of the whole structure there is the woman from the book of Revelation, traditionally identified as the Virgin Mary, “robed with the Sun, beneath her feet the Moon, and on her head a crown of twelve Stars”. As the Second Eve, she has her foot on the head of the Snake (whose body runs all the way up from the scene at the bottom) signifying its destruction by her son Jesus.

The preacher would be in the middle between the two groups of statues, facing the cross – the theological heart of his preaching – with Death on his left as a warning.

He would be literally

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standing between the two ends of the Bible, so there could be no doubt about what his preaching would be based on. If this didn't inspire him, certainly nothing would.

When I discovered this impressive work of art on my last visit, I looked at it for a while, so that I can now describe it from memory. I would certainly urge all readers who live or work nearby to have a look. I am moved by this kind of art, because I can read it – I am religious, a theologian and a Catholic as it happens. But when I enthusiastically described what I had seen to my travelling companion, a PhD student studying European Muslims, she looked at me with visible embarrassment saying it struck her that I could be so moved by this type of thing (which evidently didn’t make any sense to her at all). This type of misunderstanding is what I get on an almost daily basis. Whenever I meet non-religious people, it’s the rule rather than the exception. Somehow it makes me wonder, though,

who and what is strange about the situation. Isn’t this kind of art our common cultural heritage well worth knowing about? Wouldn’t it be useful, to say the least, for students of a more recently established religion to have an idea about the myths

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position for columnists when they run out of things to say. Paradoxically, though, nobody seems to see the connection, or to realise that knowing about Christianity is still essential to understanding present-day Dutch culture and political society.

The good news is that religion can legitimately be measured in what it does to its believers. It should contribute to personal growth, fulfilment, friendships, happiness in marriage, preservation of culture, care for the poor and vulnerable, the strengthening of knowledge and education, etc.

and stories that make up the poetics and symbolism of our own religious tradition?

My country is one of the most profoundly and selfconsciously secularised in Europe – the Netherlands.

Our solid Christian PM has done more than any other for our political stability through various populist upheavals since 2002, but he is considered the odd exception. Pages and pages of ever more unreadable and hostile articles about Islam fill the newspapers, and to be serenely “above” Christianity seems to be the default

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No matter if one likes Christianity or not. For hundreds (or thousands) of years, state and church were closely intertwined. Would that change overnight?

To me it is a cause of great sadness that so many educated people react to religion in a strangely inadequate way. Now the preacher in me could mount an imaginary pulpit (hopefully an unpretentious one) and lash out against consumer culture that appeals to our primitive instincts and discourages us to be honest with ourselves, against popular music and

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games that poison our minds, or against certain trends in education. But I suspect that would not be very fruitful. More importantly, such an approach would obfuscate the real danger that arises from our not understanding religion and its most cherished thoughts and conventions. I, as a theologian, can do without being understood. But what can we expect from poor and undereducated migrants? Now as a Dutch national politician recently proposed to ban the Qur’an, how can they be expected to react with understanding and restraint?

We might consider showing a bit more gratitude to our minorities for their generally quite decent behaviour, in the face of vicious mockery and slander.

My suggestion is that religion should be accepted as something that involves and challenges the whole person and the relationships with friends and partners they maintain.

Religion cannot be refuted.

Having been through 15 years of talks and casuistry, I can safely say that attempts to refute religion will never impress believers. They may sadden them, infuriate and/ or scare them, but very rarely will they convince, even though they occasionally

point to real problems religious people have to solve. But these refutations do create alienation and distrust, and in some cases only heighten tensions in a political arena already awash with controversy.

This may be bad news for some. But the good news is that religion can legitimately be measured in what it does to its believers. It should contribute to personal growth, fulfilment, friendships, happiness in marriage, preservation of culture, care for the poor and vulnerable, the strengthening of knowledge and education, etc. Quite often contemporary religion is dysfunctional and has the exact opposite effects: alienation, prejudice, etc. It can legitimately be criticised for this. But that is where it stops.

Religion may shrink further but will never disappear, and it should in any case be treated with respect. What we need is a u-turn against the “right to insult believers” as it has now developed, and cultivate the opposite values: decency, humility, willingness to learn, willingness to appreciate the “dignity of difference”, as British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks put it. To this end, the contribution of believers cannot be overlooked.

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> Matthijs Kronemeijer Catholic chaplaincy service, Defence Ministry The Hague, Netherlands Dutch [[ N° mag N° 33 ]] > > SHIFT SHIFT mag

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RELIGIONS IN EUROPE

Complexities of Polish Catholicism Polish Catholicism is poorly understood outside the country, particularly in Western Europe. Accustomed to the progressive marginalisation of religion in public life, Western secular observers seem to be completely unable to grasp a phenomenon of intense religiosity and the multi-faceted links between religion and politics in a modern European country. Frequent pictures of a “conservative” and somewhat “backward” Poland are usually composed from fragmentary observations of spectacular if bewildering events (Prime Minister choosing to communicate with the electorate through the anti-Semitic, xenophobic Radio Maryja), flamboyant if repulsive personalities (Father Rydzyk, Radio Maryja’s director), and positively weird institutions (the Radio itself).

What is usually missing is a more rigorous attempt to comprehend the day-to-day reality of faith in a country inhabited by staunchly religious people and the complex intertwining of their political and religious practices.

Poles are predominantly Catholic (around 96 percent of the population). Well over ninety percent say they are “believers” while 10-15 percent define their religiosity as “deep” (2004 figures). Over

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fifty percent attend Catholic mass at least once a week.

Only one in ten Poles admits to not attending Church services at all. Importantly, since the fall of communism in 1989, there has been no noticeable decline in the level of Polish religiosity. Yet only 55% of Poles profess to be both religious and following the Church’s directions; 39% admit to “believing in their own way”. Polish religiosity is not as monolithic as it is usually portrayed.

A closer examination immediately reveals that Polish Catholicism is quite heterogeneous if not polarized.

Doctrinally, the Church spans from the tolerant, cosmopolitan, philosophically sophisticated programme of its many intellectuals (creatively articulated by such major publications as Tygodnik Powszechny or Wiez), to the largely xenophobic, intolerant, and defensive ideology of its “plebeian” wing, most visibly represented by Radio Maryja and its founder, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk. What unites Poles is their unwavering adoration of John Paul II: 72% of them claim to know his teaching, though clearly not all of them understand it, particularly those who flaunt anti-Semitic sentiments and views. Some do not seem to realise also that the Polish pontiff was a great supporter

of the European Union; many of those who declare to be very religious tend to express anti-EU views.

Catholicism today: to some an aesthetic monstrosity, to others an object of awe and devotion.

The institution of the Polish Catholic Church is also split, though of course not formally. A segment of the Episcopate and several institutions, including assorted seminaries, cultivate open, reflective Catholicism vigorously embodied by John Paul II. Radio Maryja, TV station “Trwam” and another segment of the Episcopate espouse the more traditional version of the faith. Its practitioners congregate at Radio Maryja events and seem to be the majority among thousands of pilgrims visiting the spectacular Marian Sanctuary in Lichen, the biggest church in Poland and the twelfth largest in the world, built from scratch between 1994 and 2004. This imposing structure can be seen as the face of Polish

Polish Catholics are not a homogenous group. While traditional Catholicism is practiced with genuine ardour by less educated, older inhabitants of small towns and villages, the more cosmopolitan, intellectualised, and open version is observed with equal passion in major urban centers, by students, intellectuals and professionals. On Sundays, churches in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, Gdansk are packed with young, passionate

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While traditional Catholicism is practised with genuine ardour by less educated, older inhabitants of small towns and villages, the more cosmopolitan, intellectualised, and open version is observed with equal passion in major urban centres, by students, intellectuals and professionals.

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One of the outcomes of this religious fervour is the complex relationship between Catholicism and Polish politics. The 2005 success of the right-wing Law and Justice party (27% of the votes cast) would not have been possible without the support of Radio Maryja and the more traditional wing of the Church’s hierarchy and believers. However, the political views of the “cosmopolitans” are diverse: the majority tends to support more liberal political programmes. A substantial portion of Poles say they practise Catholicism according to their own “interpretation” (39%) and these more “open” Catholics constitute the base of the more liberal, centreright Civic Platform (24% of the vote in 2005). The three percent difference between the electoral results of these two, presently dominant, parties, shows that Poland is not teeming with xenophobic, poorly educated, religious zealots, but rather a religious country whose population is diverse both in terms of its religiosity and political sympathies. No doubt, however, that Polish electoral choices are driven more by a “rosary” than a “pocketbook”. This apt contrast drawn by Prof.

Jasiewicz encapsulates the essence of his studies showing the dominance of religious over economic motivations among the Polish electorate.

What troubles many foreign observers – Poland’s excessively traditionalistic religiosity – may be misconceived.

True, Poland is a deeply religious country, but its religiosity is multi-faceted.

What should be troubling, therefore, is not religiosity itself but the present strategic exploitation of the traditionalist religiosity by shrewd political operators.

They achieved temporary political success (that is already unravelling: Poland entered a serious governmental crisis in August); more importantly, however, they managed to give a robust facelift to the “uglier” visage of Polish Catholicism: intolerant, unreflective, ritualistic, and xenophobic. As demonstrated by Prof. Ireneusz Krzeminski and his associates, by and large, Polish anti-Semitism in 2002 was more intense than in 1992. Particularly troubling is that the association between higher levels of religiosity and anti-Semitism intensified; it was far more pronounced than in 1992.

But, on the other hand, other researchers find that Poles “as a group, are highly tolerant of religious minorities” (Ewa Golebiowska).

It may be true that in no other European country does the Catholic Church have more influence over politics, but it is also true that most Poles support the separation of church and state, detest the political instrumentalisation of religion, and as a recent poll indicates two thirds of them want the vile Father Rydzyk to quit his post. The reality of Polish Catholicism is complex – different studies illuminate its various facets – and we should avoid trafficking in stereotypes.

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© Mi Ran Collin

urbanites; a phenomenon long forgotten in Paris, London or Prague.

> Jan Kubik Associate Professor of Political Science Rutgers University, NJ, USA American/Polish

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BREAKING NEW GROUND: ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY IN TURKEY One of the main lines of argument against Turkish accession to the EU is that Turkey is an overwhelmingly Islamic nation, and that the inclusion of 70 million more Muslims into a continent which already has problems with its Muslim minorities is unrealistic. However, such objections lose much of their value when we look at the political and social realities of Islam in Turkey. In fact, other arguments arise that favour Ankara’s effort to join Brussels.

To fully understand the role of Turkish Islam in the country’s political situation and perspectives, let us explore the argument that Turkey is not democratic enough to meet EU standards. This argument still retains a certain degree of truth. Unfortunately, Turkey has an authoritarian state structure which, over the past 80 years, has resulted in five military interventions, the suppression of religious minorities and ethnic groups such as the Kurds, and many human rights abuses. However, since the early 2000s Turkey has been reforming itself and getting rid of this authoritarian tradition, thanks in great part to the EU process itself. In the past five years, many fundamental reforms have brought more freedom to Turkish citizens of all faiths, cultures and ideas, to a large extent through the incentives of the EU negotiation process.

In recent years, Turkey has in fact witnessed a major internal struggle between the proponents of democracy and openness, and the adherents of autocracy and xenophobia. And what is so striking is that the former camp is headed by Turkey’s observant Muslims, who have for decades been regarded by the secular establishment as “the backward-minded”.

The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which is led by devout Muslims and has been in power since 2002, also winning the recent elections on July 22 with an unexpectedly resounding success, is the most pro-EU party on the Turkish political scene now. On the other hand, the main opposition party, the People’s Republican Party (CHP), which is very secularist and claims to walk in the footsteps of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is very sceptical towards the EU and stands against virtually all the liberal reforms that bring wider freedom to society. This explains why in recent elections Turkey’s minorities, including the Armenian community, chose the AKP over nationalist parties such as the CHP.

To understand why — and also to deal with the “Turkey is too Muslim” argument — we need to look at the distinctive nature of Turkish Islam. Islam is not monolithic, and each Muslim society has a version of its own, which is shaped by its own history and tradition.

Compared with the Arabs, the Turks took quite a distinct route.

Unlike the Arabs, who entered a phase of stagnation after In other words, those who say “we can’t the steady decline have Turkey in the EU because it is not of their glorious democratic enough”, are blocking the civilisation from the very process that makes Turkey more 13th century on, the Turks flourished democratic. They are in fact empowering the groups in Turkey that are staunch op- This can be surprising for the uninitiated under the Ottoman Empire – the global superpower of the 16th and much of the ponents of freedom and pluralism. These foreigner, who might presume that in 17th century. This political power, and extremely nationalist groups that believe Turkey the problem must be the “Islatheir continual interaction with the West, mists” while the solution should be the in a very draconian state and homog“secularists.” Islamism, a term that gener- gave the Turks an important insight: they enous society, are actually arguing that ally refers to the political ideology which learned how to face modern situations. the EU process is a conspiracy designed They had to rule an empire, make practiis based on imposing Islamic practice against Turkey’s real interests. “The imwith state measures, is a threat to democ- cal decisions, adopt new technologies perialists are using the EU membership and reform existing structures. This is trick as a bait” , they argue, “they will take racy in many Middle Eastern countries, th many concessions from us, but at the end no doubt. But in Turkey, the threat to de- why during the 18 century, the Otthey will close the door”. And when lead- mocracy comes from other forces, whose tomans started to reform their age-old ideology is either die-hard nationalist, or Shariah laws. In the 19th century, they ers such as Mr Sarkozy say that Turkey produced a new secular civil law, a excessively secularist, or a synthesis has no place in Europe, some Turks see constitution, a Parliament and Westernof the two. these conspiracy theories as vindicated.

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Besides his work for Turkish Daily News, Mustafa Akyol is the author of the blog The White Path (www.thewhitepath. com). His opinion pieces have appeared in international publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and International Herald Tribune.

He also wrote a book in Turkish, Rethinking The Kurdish Question: What Went Wrong? What Next? (2006), in which he devised a liberal solution to Turkey’s decade-old ethnic conflict.

EUROPE TALKS TO BRUSSELS

> Mustafa Akyol Deputy editor, Turkish Daily News Istanbul Turkish

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Over the past two decades, Turkey has witnessed the rise of a new bourgeoisie and intelligentsia who are more attached to Islamic values than their secular counterparts, but at the same time more open to interaction with the West and willing to establish Western-style democracy.

style schools and universities. They gave equal citizenship rights to Jews and Christians — something the Saudi Kingdom is still far away from — and the Ottoman Parliament included many Greek, Armenian and Jewish representatives.

After World War I, the Ottoman Empire ended and Turkey arose as an independent nation state. Here again its experience differed from that of the Arab world, colonised by the British and the French. The colonial experience of the interwar period gave rise to an anti-

Western nationalism, to which Turkey was immune, in nearly all the Arab states. After World War II, when most Arab states became allies of the Soviet Union, Turkey again took a different path and aligned itself with the United States and NATO.

time more open to interaction with the West and willing to establish Western-style democracy.

This is why Turkey’s Islamic identity should be seen as neither an obstacle to its modernisation nor trouble for Europeans who ponder about the country’s accession. While EU membership will help Turkey further democratise and liberalise This history has infused Turkish Islam itself, this very success will help both Euwith a far friendlier outlook toward the rope and the world by proving that Islam West. Moreover, in the past two decades, and modernity are in fact compatible.

Turkey has seen the rise of a new bourIt would certainly be a pity to sacrifice geoisie and intelligentsia who are more this historic opportunity in the name of attached to Islamic values than their nationalism and xenophobia — whether secular counterparts, but at the same that be in Turkey or in Europe.

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© Christophe Wanlin

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TOWARDS ENLIGHTENED SECULARISM IN EUROPE Over drinks one night with colleagues from the European Parliament, several civil servants started a lively discussion on "EU values" and "the role of religion in politics". One colleague cried enthusiastically: "Religion is a completely outdated concept. We don't need religion anymore in Europe because democracy has replaced it." The goodnatured grumble sums up well the spirit of most EU secularists pacing the Brussels corridors: they are increasingly impatient with the debates raised on religious matters and their growing political implications. When democracy is portrayed as the new “religion of our times", it would be good to know what we are talking about. Is this a call to reaffirm faith in Europe’s secular model?

Is it a warning to all militant religious leaders who sell religion as a competitive political ideology to western liberal democracy? Or is it contempt expressed towards any reference to religion voiced in the public debate?

The misfortune with Brussels eurospeak, where the words "values" and "democracy" are casually thrown into any conversation, is that we sometimes don’t know what exactly we are talking about.

Although Europe is arguably one of the most secular regions on this planet, 9/11 has glaringly pointed out how religion resurfaced into EU politics, causing unprecedented cultural anxiety and pulling the chord of unity and diversity to extreme tension. Many reasons can explain that. For example, the prospect of Turkish accession has created a backlash of traditionalists reaffirming Europe's Christian roots.

Europeans have also witnessed terrorist attacks on their soil committed by

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'home-grown' fundamentalists. A cause for further angst is that secular traditions have been challenged in many Member States through the difficult integration of immigrant communities.

Add to this the emergence of nationalistic conservatism, where in Poland women's sexual and reproductive rights, Jews and homosexuals have all been attacked in the name of Catholicism. The doctrines of faith are seeping into public debate at multiple layers, through challenges posed by believers of different religions. And although all these situations diverge heavily from each other both in context, complexity and intensity, secularists tensely cling to their model of laicité and reflect how, yet again, religion is such a historical nuisance to peace and democracy.

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to stick around for a while. The EU is right to reaffirm its secular model. Europe’s variations of secularity, ranging from France’s laicité to the Church of England’s weak but official role in the UK, as imperfect as they are, reflect the continent’s past and the historical choices Europe made to free itself from its repetitive cycles of violence. For centuries, the continent bled from religious wars, crusades, inquisitions and pogroms. Europeans saw the dark side of religion where the official Church was associated with autocratic powers in place. From the French revolution's overthrow of religious authority, to philosophies of enlightenment, God was then put aside and man was placed at the heart of a political power, which was henceforth shared and limited.

Democracy must win the battle of ideas against religious zealots. But our secular society must not feel it is compromising on its nature and identity by better understanding religion to defend the secular cause.

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The re-surfacing of religion has left bewildered politicians drilling the classical message of “separation between Church and State” at every opportunity.

Still, the assumed argument that "if you eliminate religion, you will eliminate the problems” is no longer applicable because these days, faith seems set

Rationality and shared sovereignty lie at the core of the EU identity. Secular democracy is not a new religion, but in the EU demos, it clearly contributed to replace both the ruling orders of the medieval Church and the totalitarian regimes of Europe's catastrophic 20th century.

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The whole point of intercultural dialogue , aside from fighting prejudice, is for citizens of the world to become cultural insiders to each others civilisations. There should be greater circulation of knowledge on the theological views behind the interpretations of extremists. Because the hearts and minds of moderates will also be won by religion. The EU should provide greater support and visibility to religious leaders and reformists who can wrestle, at a theological level, with fundamentalists and explain how spiritual quranic concepts are being manipulated to serve modern political purposes. In some specific cases, religious argumentation could help serve Europe's secular message while faith can be used as a tool for conflict prevention.

each faith, we can better affirm what values, social acquis and fundamental rights of the Union are non-negotiableregardless of the principle of freedom of religion.

The EU must set up a zero-tolerance policy for extremist warriors, who in the name of God, threaten our democracy and human rights. But it must also open up to the reality of how religious identities will force Europe to adapt its secular model.

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To avoid stereotyping religion, which can lead to the rise of racism but which also divides followers of faith, secularminded citizens and atheists, there needs to be greater awareness of the variety of theological (and political) streams represented in each belief.

All faiths have their tribes of liberals, conservatives and extremists. For example, some conservative streams of Catholicism actively seek to reverse EU policies they view as "immoral". But most modernist Catholics would simply argue for a pinch of spirituality to be sprinkled to Europe's political project by defending Europe's Christian roots as an integral part of EU identity. By identifying the "intolerant streams" of

Joëlle is policy advisor to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) in the European Parliament. The opinions expressed in this article are personal and do not necessarily coincide with positions adopted by the ALDE.

© Wim Taciturn

Democracy may well be sold as Europe's new belief as to warn religious militants against defying Western liberal democracy. And indeed, democracy must win the battle of ideas against religious zealots. But our secular society must not feel it is compromising on its nature and identity by better understanding religion to defend the secular cause. Let's take the case of Islamic fundamentalism. In Brussels, the fight against terrorism is discussed at great length. Commission proposals, parliamentary reports and think tank papers overflow on how to prevent future terrorist attacks, how to deepen cross-border police cooperation, how to prevent radicalisation, how to protect victims of terror, and the list goes on. But interestingly, the EU very rarely reflects upon the theological argumentation used by fundamentalists to justify attacks on the West. It's as if the EU continues to silently express distaste at discussing what it views as archaic religious concepts, such as jihad, the establishment of a kalifat, a world Islamic State, as foreseen in the Quran.

EU policy-makers are nervous about delving into that ideological framework and analysing religion. Yet such knowledge might also be a way to grasp how some middle class EU citizen musters the will to blow himself up, become a martyr and embark on his well-earned erotic trip to heaven, where virgins will be waiting for him in paradise.

> Joëlle Fiss Policy advisor, ALDE European Parliament, Brussels British/Swiss

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OLD RELIGIONS IN OLD EUROPE: FACING THE SPIRITUAL REVIVAL WHAT STRATEGY DO YOU USE TO ATTRACT YOUNG BELIEVERS OR TO ENCOURAGE NEW PEOPLE TO JOIN HOLY ORDERS? Strategy isn’t our prime concern - which doesn’t mean that it has to be disregarded, but in the spiritual field of human interests, the challenge is not primarily: ‘How do I sell my product?’, but: ‘Do I really believe in what I proclaim to be the Truth, and if I do, in what positive way can it change other people’s lives as it changed mine?’

There is no particular strategy as such; what is important to note is that the Mosque as a Muslim institution proposes a range of services to the community, and in particular to young people. These take the form of lessons for young people; activities which allow them a certain structure and to express their potential. And of course there are prayers which many youths join in, whether daily or on Friday.

You have to know that Judaism as a religious system is an orthopraxy. It’s not only what you believe, it’s also what you do. You have a whole system of acts that are requested of you, for instance the food you eat, the way you pace your week and so on. There is no strategy and the only thing that can bring a Jewish person nearer to the absolute respect of dietary laws and other religious duties is the example they get in the family.

WITH PEOPLE INCREASINGLY ACTING AS CRITICAL AND INFORMED “CONSUMERS” AND COMING FROM MIXED BACKGROUNDS, WHICH MAY GIVE THEM THE CHOICE BETWEEN VARIOUS RELIGIONS, WHY SHOULD THEY CHOOSE YOUR RELIGION OVER OTHERS? Any society searches for a certain existential order. These young people opt for Islam as it is a response to their expectations. There are also others who have a different quest for a different kind of spirituality. Embarking on any path, religious or spiritual, means embarking on something which has a history. This context must channel the effort of the person as they get closer to a certain faith or become part of an established religion.

I don’t know why. I’m not dishing out propaganda; Judaism never walks out to people.

If people want to come to Judaism, then they’ll be welcomed, but there will always be a warning: when you become a Jew, history has proven that it can be difficult because it’s not only a religious step, it’s also a sociological one. From a majority, you land into a minority that has a very difficult history. If you want to convert to Judaism it must be something thoroughly thought over.

> Eric de Beukelaer Service de Presse des Evêques de Belgique (SIPI)

> Julien Klener President of the Central Israelite Consistory of Belgium and Emeritus Professor

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SHIFT Mag asks representatives of the three monotheist cults in Belgium their views about the challenges facing Europe’s old religions. Here is their take on how to keep God’s children on the right path in the age of multicultural classrooms and uncensored blogging.

I do not think a ‘pick and choose’ attitude suits for making a religious choice of any kind.

Believers and non-believers are not consumers and as long as they behave as such, they will not reach any degree of spiritual maturity.

They should behave as responsible ‘actors’ of their lives. The question they therefore have to ask themselves is not ‘which religion or philosophy will most appropriately meet my needs and requirements?’ (the consumerist attitude), but: ‘Which religion or philosophy makes sense for me and can help me to grow spiritually?’

WHAT IS THE CURRENT CLIMATE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS, IN PARTICULAR OF THE THREE MAIN MONOTHEISTIC CULTS IN EUROPE? IS THERE AN INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE BETWEEN YOUNG PEOPLE? Most of them meet and mingle at school with friends from other religions. This does not mean that we do not obtain contrasting opinions, e.g. negative reactions coming from some evangelical Christians or Muslim youngsters towards Darwinism. But these are mostly minor problems, involving a minority of youngsters.

There does exist an inter-religious dialogue, which is often not centred around young people but takes place on a more intellectual level. Representatives of the various religions get together to discuss ways to establish peaceful coexistence in a society with certain expectations regarding civil and social order.

On a more practical level, there are activities and meetings between young Muslims and young non-Muslims, an opportunity for individuals of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds to get together and learn about each other.

And as you know, from the moment I get to Of course there are radical religious know my neighbour, I start to understand him factions in any community, but for the or her. moment these are marginal and in the minority among Muslims. For there to be Sometimes there is understanding, somecompetition there needs to be some kind times not. It all depends on who takes part of balance of power, which is not the case and whether the dialogue reaches the here. However, the media often elevate majority. There are always people talking to these individuals and present them as each other, but what’s the influence of that though they had some status of authority dialogue or trialogue on the masses? Someamong Muslims. It underlines the need for times one wonders.

Muslim institutions to reframe the debate and organise activities for young people DO YOU FEEL ANY COMPETITION FROM NEW to protect them from the temptation of RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS (EVANGELICAL radical factions.

CHURCHES, RADICAL ISLAM, ULTRA-ORTHODOX JEWS) FROM OUTSIDE EUROPE WITH A MORE MILITANT APPROACH TO RELIGION THAT MAY DESTABILISE YOURS?

...

I don’t feel anything. I don’t feel pressure. You can also put it the other way around: what do you do with people who are Jewish, who are not religious at all and who are trying to spread the word that you don’t have to be religious at all? Militancy comes not only from religious shores but also from non-religious ones as well.

The influence of evangelical Churches is definitely on the rise in Europe. Unlike Latin America or Africa, most Europeans do not yet realise the enormous strength of this upcoming religious ‘tsunami’. In a certain sense, Catholicism is already reacting to this new challenge, by taking a more ‘Evangelical’ Catholic approach: preferring to advocate a strong Catholic profile evidenced by an enthusiastic minority of convinced believers, than to choose a more consensual profile supported by a large majority of sociological Catholics. In a certain sense, Pope Benedict could be seen as a fine example of 'Evangelical' Catholicism.

> Mustafa Kastit Professor and theologian at the ‘Great Mosque’ of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium

> Intervew by Frédéric Darmuzey EU journalist Brussels French [ N° 3 ] > SHIFT mag

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TRANSITIONAL RELIGION IN THE WESTERN BALKANS Ethno-religious pluralism and a distinct culture, often described in popular films and music, are well-known characteristics of the Balkan Peninsula.

Unfortunately, another phenomenon this region is usually associated with is the cruel wars that ravaged the former Yugoslav countries, allegedly based on that very ethnic and religious diversity.

Such simplified reasoning for the terrible atrocities that took place in the 1990s is of course unfair and superficial.

Why is it so hard to determine the role and responsibility of religion in this region yesterday and today?

Like other countries of Central and Eastern Europe (e.g. Poland, Bulgaria, Russia), the “return” to religion of the ex-Yugoslav populations took place during a long-lasting economic, social and political crisis. The shift towards traditional religion and conservative faith (“ecclesiastic nationalism“) emerged as an important factor of preservation for the ethnic, cultural and historical identities of these nations. Religion was thus given a new role – turning from a negative into a positive social force – but was still heavily misused and misinterpreted in order to serve political power.

This trend continued and was further aggravated during the periods of war.

Despite numerous joint public calls for peace and dialogue, religious communities and their leaders in the Western Balkans have failed to distance themselves from nationalist propaganda and war ideologies. As many experts suggest, it is not enough to examine what they have done in the 90s and subsequently for reconciliation and conflict resolution, but also what they have not done or failed to do. The continuous silence of certain religious establish-

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ments regarding the crimes committed “in the name of their faith” proves that responsibility for inter-ethnic and interreligious hatred and violence in this region should be thoroughly researched.

However, it is clear that the ex-Yugoslav wars were not of religious nature, although religion played an important role as the basis for fresh identity struggles and nationalist politics.

Interestingly enough, religion is barely mentioned in the official documents of the stabilisation process in South Eastern Europe. For instance, religion is only briefly referred to in the Dayton Agreement that put an end to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995, and is altogether absent from the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. Yet the role of religions in the region's sociopolitical changes is far from marginal, as their presence in the political arena remains highly influential and often controversial.

Territorial claims of predominant ethno-religious groups are still being expressed though inappropriate, exaggerated and aggressive – in style and size – religious objects and landmarks.

Newly-erected colossal church towers and minarets, crosses on top of hills

right message” and are often staged a few days before elections or other politically important events. They are also used to counter the views within a given faith-based community that differ from the official line.

In spite of such tendencies, religious pluralism in key concepts, practices and communities is increasingly present in all religious communities in the Western Balkans. It has begun to affect, transform and redirect the state of affairs in groups ranging from the Islamic Community to the Roman Catholic Church via the Society for Consciousness of Lord Krishna. While communities are becoming more diverse, there is a growing need for both intra-religious and inter-religious dialogue. But with the process still at an early stage, it sometimes breaks out in incidents that may be of a violent nature, such as a recent conflict between representatives of the official Islamic Community and followers of Salafism in the area of Sandžak.

Inter-religious dialogue in the Balkans, as in most parts of the world, remains too theological and abstract. It would be much more useful to address current and concrete issues to help with

is clear that the ex-Yugoslav wars were not of religious nature, although “ Itreligion played an important role as the basis for newly-incited identity struggles and notorious nationalistic politics. ” and similar architectonic rampages stand out as obvious examples of the misuse of religion for ethno-political purposes.

Religious concerts en masse have become an interesting new strategy for religious communities to “send the

reconciliation and acceptance of the past. The late pope John Paul II, during a meeting with the Bosnian bishops in 1998, pointed out: “It is now time to rebuild not only the Christian communities, but civil society as well”.

Yet those bishops, as well as other religious leaders, have paid no spe-

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© Roberto Trioschi

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cial attention to the development of civil society in this region, which has resulted in a growing gap between religious communities and civil society organisations.

Recent studies show that this gap is particularly wide when it comes to the promotion and enjoyment of human rights and freedoms, which some local theologians denounce as “a religion of its own”. While most of the mainstream religious communities prefer not to talk publicly about the “hot issues” in this respect, such as the rights and freedoms based on one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity, in reality their practice and behaviour are often among the most blatant examples of discrimination and oppression against those people whose rights are “not to be discussed”. Communities, however, willingly include the international hu-

man rights standards in their rhetoric when they demand their own rights, as in the case of the restitution of church property, although the charters and declarations they call upon usually contain references to the other non-religious rights they are not at ease with.

The transitional societies of the Western Balkans have long been under the influence of nationalist propaganda, which is of a collectivist nature by definition.

Shifting towards euro-integration and mutual cooperation strategies brings an important “wind of change” that elevates the individual as the basis of sustainable social development. The importance of a person's collective background gives way to their personal social value in terms of education, experience, skills and motivation. This new reality affects religion as well.

There is an increasing number of believ-

ers equipped with their own concept of faith who are the harbingers of pluralism and social change. Their mutual interaction and the further empowerment of civil society and its values will inevitably foster development towards greater religious dialogue, tolerance, equality and inclusion.

...

> Vanja Hamzić Inter-religious dialogue and human rights expert Sarajevo Bosnian Herzegovinan Vanja is former Editor in Chief of the magazine for culture of inter-religious dialogue Abraham, religious expert and human rights activist. He is President of the non-patriarchal interfaith organisation Logos in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. [ N° 3 ] > SHIFT mag

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EUROPEAN MUSLIMS: À

REDEFINING FREEDOM OF RELIGION ISLAM IN EUROPE NEWS AND OPINIONS ABOUT THE MUSLIM AND I S L A M I C CO M M U N I T Y I N E U R O P E A N D T H E W E S T H T T P:// I S L A M I N E U R O P E . B LO G S P OT. CO M

Reporting the case of an Odense daycare worker who wanted to wear a niqab, a Danish newspaper turned to one of the local imams. The imam explained that a face veil is not required in Islam, especially in this case. If this woman feels it is her religious obligation to wear a niqab, is the imam's opinion relevant?

In the Netherlands, a governmental anti-discrimination agency decided that a Christian school in Schoonhoven can require Muslim students to take part in the school camp, since they thought the school dealt well with all possible religious objections. But what if the school's solutions don't meet the parents’ standards?

© Emmanuel Trepant

A German judge rejected an application for a fast-track divorce filed by a Moroc-

can wom-

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can woman, by referring to a passage in the Koran giving the husband the right to reprimand his wife. Does a Moroccan man's religious freedom override his wife's rights as a German resident?

can live wherever they want, study wherever they want and work wherever they want, regardless of their faith.

These cases all deal with the freedom of religion. Freedom of religion, especially in the context of the Muslim religion, is discussed almost daily in Europe. The right to wear the Muslim veil, access to halal food and building new mosques are only examples of an issue that is always in the news.

According to article 9(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights, "[e]veryone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion… either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance". Sub-article 2 continues: "Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others".

However, one point that I never see discussed is the exact meaning of "freedom of religion".

Europe has a long history of religious intolerance, which has led to wars, forced migrations and, paradoxically, the sprouting of new religions. Those who benefited from religious freedom did not always bestow such liberties on other religious minorities, as can be seen from the English Puritans who escaped to America in the early 17th century.

"Freedom of religion" came as a response to this intolerance. Western society agreed that people should be treated equally, regardless of their beliefs or professed religion. In today's liberal society there is no longer any question about whether a person is allowed to believe in what he or she wants.

A Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or Muslim European

So what does freedom of religion mean?

It is clear that freedom of religion is not, and can not be, all encompassing, although it is not so clear what it does include. Does religious freedom mean permitting all the acts authorised by religious texts? Does religious freedom necessarily entail that anything proscribed by religious practice should be legally prohibited? Does religious freedom require a society to enable citizens to do everything that is allowed by law, in a way compatible with their religion?

These are not theoretical questions, and they reflect issues from the past few months: for example, the question of whether polygamous marriages are permissible. Is criticism of Mohamed allowed? Are governments required to enable Muslim citizens to take interestfree mortgages?

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Source: Zentralinstitut Islam-Archive Deutschland, May 2007

The issue of religious freedom is complicated by cultural disagreements. For example, the Dutch Equal Treatment Commission decided that an Utrecht teacher could not be forced to shake hands with others, provided she did not discriminate. The decision was based on the teacher's right to religious freedom but stressed that not every culture

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What religion means is never discussed, but can be seen in almost every debate. To take the example of mosque-building, currently causing much debate in the UK, Germany and Switzerland, there is no doubt that Muslims are allowed to gather to pray wherever they live. However, while the debate usually centres around the right to pray, it is really other issues which come to the fore: the right to build a "Great Mosque" which will serve all Muslims in the city, the right to build according to Islamic law, the right to build minarets, and the right to call to prayer, among others.

”

Europe: 53.713.953 EU: 15.890.428

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Even the meaning of religion is not agreed upon. Syed Ad-Darsh, former president of the UK Sharia Council, said that "Islam is more than an individualised faith that can be kept in isolation. It is a faith, a social order and a legal system". Does this mean that religious freedom includes freedom of a legal system? According to Prof. Maysam Al Faruqi of Georgetown University, European and Islamic law are not so different and are based on the same principles.

So perhaps it is not that difficult for European countries to allow its Muslim community a certain measure of social and legal autonomy.

Does religious freedom mean permitting all the actions which are authorised by religious texts? Does religious freedom necessarily entail that anything proscribed by religious practice should be legally prohibited?

sees shaking hands as respectful. In other words, at its basis this is actually a cultural disagreement, with one culture requiring meetings to start by shaking hands and the other seeing any contact between men and women as sexual.

The debate is also complicated by "goodwill" gestures towards Muslims which are not asked for, required or appreciated. Stories that make the news such as the removal of “piggy banks” in order not to cause offence just make a mockery of real religious sensitivities, which are later ignored in the backlash.

What does religious freedom mean?

What rights does it confer on people?

What obligations does it entail? What are its limits? Does freedom of religion relate only to recognised religions or beliefs? Should society allow every aspect

and every manifestation of faith? Should authorities tolerate religious freedom or also actively assert it?

Freedom of religion is already being interpreted day by day, case by case, all over the world. The principle itself should be publicly debated on the streets of Europe, not simply left to the courts or governmental agencies dealing with cases of discrimination.

...

> Esther Independent researcher of Muslims in Europe www.islamineurope.blogspot.com

SOURCES

http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2007/05/denmark-burka-debate.html http://www.nisnews.nl/public/240507_2.htm http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2007/03/germany-judge-supports-honor-crimes.html Syed Ad-Darsh, "What you ought to know", Q New 275:24 http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2007/05/netherlands-sharia-and-european-law-are.html http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2006/11/netherlands-who-said-shaking-hands-is.html http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Piggy-banks-offend-UK-Muslims/2005/10/24/1130006056771.html

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THE SEARCH FOR THE HOLY GRAIL © Clive Brunskill, Getty Images

In 1990 I was fifteen years old. Liverpool had won the English league championship and everything looked rosy. This was, after all, our eighteenth league title. More trophies were to follow, including our fifth, sixth and seventh FA cups, our fifth, sixth and seventh league cups, our third UEFA cup and most dramatically our fifth European cup in 2005. Yet strangely enough no more league championships since the days of John Barnes, Peter Beardsley, Kenny Dalglish and a standing Kop – the name given to the most famous stand of supporters at Anfield stadium, Liverpool’s grand sporting temple.

Liverpool hold a unique place in European football. Not only for the club’s tremendous record in the European cup, but also for the atmosphere generated by our fans at Anfield and at crucial European away ties. L’Equipe, the French sports daily newspaper, delights in repeating stories about this most mythique of teams, noting in particular the Kop section of the stadium and the famous pre-match anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

Just as the media and teams visiting the club’s stadium treat the event as a

18

near-religious experience, referring to the rituals and the overwhelming audio and visual experience provided by and for those present at the stadium, so do Liverpool’s own flock treat home and particularly away games as their own private pilgrimage. Tales abound of the club’s first European final in Rome in 1977. Liverpool had lost at Wembley in the FA cup five days before with some fans not hesitating in making headway to Rome on trains and ferries direct from London! Luggage racks were temporarily converted into hammocks

to allow the pilgrims a chance to catch up on some much-needed respite prior to the big event in the ‘Eternal City’. It was a very peculiar stream of faith that had brought these eager followers to the Vatican…

In modern times, the 2005 final in Istanbul allowed a younger generation of Liverpool fans to emulate what their fathers had done almost thirty years before them. For trains and luggage racks, read Ryan Air and multi plane journeys through the back end of nowhere. For fans unable to travel, the

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against champions of Europe.

Following several waves of Japanese migration, and vice versa, to Brazil in the twentieth century, it was perhaps no surprise upon arrival at the stadium to hear that thousands of Sao Paolo fans had already been congregating for several hours, contributing to a heady atmosphere.

well practised art of “influencing” the match took on a near obsessive fervour.

Favourite clothes, routes to work, cups of tea, the touching of wood - all reached new levels of importance.

I set myself a ritual that famous year.

Once the surprise mutated into a belief that we could really progress, I religiously bought L’Equipe, the French sports paper, every day prior to and following the subsequent rounds. This was to enjoy with a bowlful of spaghetti bolognaise in a restaurant on the Rue de Luxembourg. It certainly worked, as we won.

“

In freezing conditions, Liverpool missed chance after chance and had corner after corner only to see Sao Paolo score.

Liverpool had three disallowed goals, with the final one coming right at the end. I truly wanted to believe this had counted and celebrated perhaps a little too wildly. As the whistle sounded, more people celebrated than should have, and my friends and I felt cheated.

One of them, an Australian Arsenal fan, quiet as a mouse, suddenly leapt up and articulated with fury and no little venom what the Liverpool fans were feeling.

The referee’s parentage was questioned amongst other issues. It took the edge off the defeat until I realised how far I

Luggage racks were temporarily converted into hammocks to allow the pilgrims a chance to catch up on some muchneeded respite prior to the big event in the ‘Eternal City’

My own pilgrimage took place in Yokohama, Japan for the World Club Championship in December 2005. I have been to a number of European away games but this was one particularly resonant for me. Liverpool have never been world champions and in addition I had previously spent time in Tokyo working. This could be an historic voyage indeed. With old friends still working there accompanying me, Liverpool duly dispatched Costa Rican team Deportivo Saprissa in the semi-final. The final would see South American champions Sao Paolo vying

had travelled to play my own part of Liverpool’s history only to be let down by a Mexican linesman.

”

Liverpool supporters see themselves as the high priests of history, guarding what came before, as well as after, Rupert Murdoch’s Sky Sports version of football. Our history; our songs; the disasters automatically brought up by the mention of the club’s name; the players and the managers – we demand that all fans purporting to be supporters read, reflect on and remember the details. Liverpool as a

For more information about the life of a Liverpool fan, visit: http://www.reclaimthekop.co.uk/ cgi-bin/main.pl http://www.ttwar.net/

city has received an unfair amount of derision over the years and people often take umbrage at “fair weather” fans, their choice of club perhaps deriving from which newspaper they are reading that month. Liverpool FC deserves and demands knowledgeable supporters, who understand and follow the basic commandments of their faith. Reflecting this attitude, the supporter group Reclaim the Kop’s charter is well worth perusing.

Just as Liverpool fans used to chuckle "Jesus Saves, Dalglish nets the rebound", so have fans reserved a special place in their hearts for centre forward Robbie Fowler. Nicknamed God and hailing from the city of Liverpool, he brought his own brand of cheeky scampish humour and was suitably revered by the fans in the 90s. He was not without a controversial side and was perhaps not someone best suited to the regular disciplined aspects of training but nonetheless had an instinctive eye for goal.

Returning to this season and a possible end to the search for the Holy Grail, superstition suggests that such sentiments should remain unspoken, but whilst touching wood, please whisper this carefully: “it could be Liverpool’s year...”

...

> Patrick McMullan

Liverpool fan British Brussels

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He who must not be named?

During the drafting of the now defunct Constitutional Treaty for the European Union, there was a good deal of wrangling about whether the text should include a reference to Europe's religious roots. If so, should Christianity be singled out for special mention?

Should God be named?

To some people, religion is a taboo subject. God is the unmentionable – like Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter stories: "He Who Must Not Be Named".

But what is the problem with naming God – or indeed referring to our Judaeo-Christian heritage – in an EU Constitution? After all, Judaism gave Europe its foundational ethical code, the 'ten commandments', while Christ's instruction "love one another" has been the inspiration for philanthropy and social reform in many European countries.

One could also argue that down the centuries the Church has educated Europeans, inspired our art, music and architecture and has been the major cultural and political force unifying our peoples and nations.

But it has been a divisive force too.

Throughout our history, an enormous amount of suffering has been caused by the Church's intolerance of dissent, by its anti-semitism and islamophobia and, of course, by the wars that resulted from schisms within the Church itself.

Humanism and the Enlightenment were, in many ways, direct responses to these terrible conflicts – and they have shaped our modern understanding of democracy and human rights. These things are just as important, it seems to me, as Europe's religious roots. That's

20 0

why the drafters of the Constitution eventually agreed to start the text with a reference to "the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law".

We must also bear in mind that an EU Constitution (if ever we get one) must be a culturally inclusive document with which all European citizens can

“

we have taken centuries to learn this, and it is, or should be, the key value underlying our European way of life.

Hand in hand with tolerance goes freedom. To quote Ms. Merkel: "The freedom to express our opinions freely, even when others do not like them. The freedom to believe or not to believe. The freedom of enterprise. The freedom of artists to create their work as they see fit". I suspect she was thinking in particular of certain Danish cartoons.

If the Church had, down the centuries, really put into practice its founder's philosophy of love and forgiveness – including love for one's enemies – Europe (and the world) might have been very different!

identify. Many modern Europeans are agnostics or atheists, and those who do believe in God are not all of the same faith. How, then, can the foundational document for today's multi-cultural, multi-faith European Union refer to God or single out for special mention any particular religious tradition?

European leaders are divided over the question. Romano Prodi, the Kaczynski twins and some other leaders of traditionally Catholic nations would have liked a religious reference in the new EU Treaty to be agreed this year. French leaders, on the other hand, oppose it: France, historically, has been in the vanguard of the movement to separate religion from politics and to uphold State secularism.

”

Pope Benedict criticised the Berlin Declaration for not mentioning God or the EU's Christian roots. "If the governments of the EU want to get closer to their citizens, how can they exclude an element as essential to the identity of Europe as Christianity?" he asked. To which my personal answer is that Europe's identity is only partly Christian, and the Christian part is not altogether a positive one. If the Church had, down the centuries, really put into practice its founder's philosophy of love and forgiveness – including love for one's enemies – Europe (and the world) might have been very different!

Angela Merkel, in her March speech on the Berlin Declaration, stressed the importance of tolerance. As she says,

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For more information on dialogue between faiths and cultures, visit:

At the same time, let's recognise that the Church has been the victim as well as the perpetrator of persecution. For some forty years, Christians living in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe were denied the right to practise their religion freely. Many were imprisoned and tortured. In theory, Marxism treated everyone as equal: in practice Communism was militantly atheistic. Again, how different Europe might have been.

My hope, indeed prayer, for the Europe of the 21st century, is that people of all faiths and none will indeed learn to live side by side in freedom and tolerance.

That we shall come to understand and appreciate one another by listening to one another instead of shouting slogans at one another or scrawling graffiti about one another or retreating into our cultural ghettos. 2008 is officially designated as the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. But let's not leave it up to the politicians: let's make it happen!

...

David is a former languages teacher and translator, a musician in his spare time, married with two teenage daughters and a former member of several churches. He is “a strong believer in dialogue - by which I mean listening to one another, not preaching at one another or having a dialogue of the deaf". He is currently speechwriter to Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström. The views expressed in this article are those of the writer himself and do not necessarily coincide with any view taken by the European Commission. > David Monkcom

Speechwriter European Commission, Brussels British

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© Mi Ran Collin

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/portal/action/dialogue/2008_dial_en.htm http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/index-e.html http://folk.uio.no/leirvik/Chrismusint.html http://www.pitaka.ch/interfaith.htm

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EUROPE TALKS TO BRUSSELS

EUROPE 2057 COMPETITION SHIFT Mag, the magazine that lets Europe talk to Brussels, is launching the Europe 2057 competition.

Send us your wildest dreams and visions on life in Europe in 50 years. Entries can cover any current or future issue from cloning to global warming or the end of western democracy. The only requirement is that they contain no more than 900 words.

Be creative, grab your crystal ball and tell us what the world will, should or might be like when the EU turns 100.

The deadline is Friday 9 November. Prizes for the winners are: - 1st prize: 200 euros of gift vouchers (winners' choice); - 2nd prize: 100 euros (same); - 3rd prize: 50 euros (same).

Top three entries will be published in the magazine, top ten on the blog at www.shiftmag.eu.

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Get writing and send your entries to victor.fleurot@shiftmag.eu before Friday 9 November.

Best wishes from the SHIFT Mag Team!

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