RU 05/2006 - MOSLEM WORLD, FRANCE

- MOSLEM WORLD: Following the uproar from the Moslem world, from Indonesia to Algeria via Saudi Arabia and others, after the publication of 11 caricatures of Sir Mahomet (for us Christians he can be only Sir, and neither God nor Prophet, otherwise we would not be Christians; besides, the Moslem world needed almost 5 months to find out that it felt 'offended' by those caricatures, a fact which proves that we are facing here a typical action of agitprop prepared quietly in the back office of certain imams who had been kindly welcomed by Denmark), the press service of the Vatican published on February 4th a rather mean communiqué. Since it doesn't seem to have been published today totally in French and the other languages, here is our own translation from the complete text published in German by KATH.NET in Austria on February 4th: "The right of liberty of thought and expression, as registered in the Declaration of Human Rights, cannot be understood as the right to wound the religious feelings of believers. Such a principle is evidently valid for all religions. The coexistence of men requires, in addition, an athmosphere of mutual respect in order to favour the peace between people and nations. All kinds of extreme criticism or derision of others makes appearant a lack of human sensibiliity and can in certain cases constitute an unacceptable challenge (and a provocation). History teaches us that this doesn't constitute the means to heal ancient injuries in the life of peoples. Damages caused by individual people or an organ of press can be assigned by all public institutions of the concerned countries. Governments can and must possibly intervene according to the principles of national legislation. Certain violent protests, however, are also deplorable. This is not an adewuate answer to an offense and to enter into the true spirit of the religions. Intolerance, from wherever it comes, real or verbal, nby action or reaction, always constitutes a serious threat for peace." End of quotation of the communiqué of the Vatican. - We are scandalised. Not one Christian quotation in this communiqué of the Vatican? Only references to pagan texts? No defense of the Christians? Before stating our position, let's put our heads together, and please mail your Christian comments to our agency, email unec@wanadoo.fr. While we are waiting for the next oil crisis - because it's perfectly clear that economical interests are the central issue in this whole matter is dealing about, far from all this nonsence about 'religious freedom' ! - , let's support Denmark, let's buy the excellent Salamis and Rollmopses, "Made in Denmark" in our supermarkets! To be Christians, doesn't mean to be cowards. We too are wounded 'in our religious feelings' mentioned in the communiqué of the Vatican, by the furious invectives of the Koran against Christianity. Did they ever present excuses? Did they ever make repentance? No, they continue to inflame our embassies and to spit on all of us. Is it therefore necessary to forbid the free sale of the Koran in the bookstores in France? No, dear Moslems, not in Christian countries! We are not like you, neither behave like in your countries. - (ru; cf. SJN Feb. 4)

- FRANCE: Jacques Chirac wants to institute in France the day of May 10th as 'Day of repentance for slavery'! The best comment that we read on this topic, is the communiqué of the association AGRIF, signed by Bernard Antony. Let's read it (in our translation): "Slavery? Let's talk about it!... 1) Jacques Chirac places this ' commemoration' as a recognition of 'the part of shadow' which is in our history. Why only in our history? ... Slavery was practiced as well in China, Egypt, the Aztec and Inca empires, in Greece and in Rome, and many peoples of Europe, Asia, Africa and America practiced it. It has been the constant and universal reality of humanity during millennia. It's Christianity alone that worked out the logic and the dynamics of recognition of human dignity, discrediting little by little this practice. In the common faith in Christ, before God, there is indeed 'no more Jew, nor Greek, nor slave, nor free man, nor man, nor woman', because they are 'all one in Jesus Christ' (St Paul, Gal.3.28). - 2) As for the 2 milleniums of our era, and without considering the immense Far East, just as pro-slavery, the number of the European slaves (and notably those descending from the Slavic countries, wherefrom the word 'slave' originated) was superior to the one of the African continent. The internal African slavery raged everywhere and it was the African slave ships which sold 'the ivory color wood' to Arabs and Europeans. The Arabian trade was numerically superior (17 millions) to the European trade (11 millions). - 3) If the countries of Europe - and then the United States - abolished slavery under its traditional shapes, the French Revolution and the totalitarianisms that it gave birth to, re-established it, maybe in a more atrocious way: slavery of women and children during the industrial revolution, to which atrocity the answer was to be the immense work of the Social Catholics of the Right; the Nazi concentration camp slavery (of national-socialist origin!), the Communist slavery of 1920 to our days in thousands of camps of the GULAG. - 4) The slavery still continues, in many countries of black Africa where it is only forbidden 'legally', but not at all really. Example: 800,000 slaves today in Niger. In the same way in several Moslem countries (Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Mauritania). In the same way are to be mentioned the laogaïs (the Gulags of today's China). - 5) Moreover, slavery exists in our own countries, in networks of prostitution and in the pornographic industry (without mentioning the aborted babies...). It rages all the more efficiently since the slaves ignore that they are slaves, under the neo-totalitarian dictatorship of politico-cultural-media Big Brother who stupefies, formats, conditions and enslaves the people in the illusion of a 'better world'. -(ru;cf.Agr Feb.2).