Priest Denies Synod's Political Tone

This article comes from the Catholic News Agency.

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Middle East synod participant explains factors behind its controversial conclusion

New York City, N.Y., Oct 31, 2010 / 07:55 am (CNA).- The Synod for the Middle East, a historic gathering of the region's bishops, concluded October 24, amid controversy over alleged bias in its concluding message. One expert on the region told CNA that the document reflected pastoral needs, not a political agenda. 

The bishops' concluding “Message to the People of God” criticized Israel in detail, but omitted most of the criticisms made against Islamic governments during the synod. Some observers took remarks about using religion to “justify injustices” as a blanket rebuke of Israel, a charge participants denied.

Shortly after his return from Rome, synod participant Monsignor Robert Stern, secretary general of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. He spoke with CNA about some of the considerations that shaped the synod's concluding message. 

“The synod really didn't have a political focus at all,” Msgr. Stern said, recalling that its main purposes were to strengthen bonds between diverse groups of Catholics, and to ensure a continuing Middle Eastern Christian presence and witness. 

As such, he said, the synod's final message did not contain “the same degree of detail about every situation where Christians have difficulties in the Middle East.” Rather, he said, the message reflected “two major concerns” that took priority as “the more compelling matters,” Palestine and Iraq. Migration has greatly diminished both regions' Christian populations in recent years.

In this context, he said, the bishops' choices of emphasis and restraint --which could appear to focus on Israel's treatment of Palestine, while treading lightly with Islamic regimes-- should not be interpreted as political statements, but as expressions of their pastoral priorities, and suggestions toward peace. 

“They did list out several of the issues that are raised by (Muslim and Christian) Palestinians,” the monsignor said, noting that all of the specific criticisms of Israel were ongoing “issues of concern for the Christians who live in Palestine.” The synod fathers, he recalled, “also mentioned being conscious of the suffering and insecurity in which Israelis live” because of violence from some Palestinians.

Monsignor Stern also acknowledged that fear for the safety of Christians in some Muslim countries may have prompted the synod fathers to moderate their comments. This was, he said, a “prudential judgment,” since Christians throughout the region can suffer consequences of their leaders' remarks.

“Most of these bishops come from ... places where they're a very small minority, they're bishops of a very small community, and they feel a lot of social pressure living in an Islamic world,” he observed. “A lot of them are in politically very uncertain circumstances-- where they're at risk, and their people are at risk. So, they don't have quite so open and expansive of a way of talking about the situation.” 

“Just the experience for them to come to Rome, and talk to one another, and experience a kind of free ambiance where anything can be said ... was a very powerful experience for them-- to have solidarity, to be gathered around the Pope, and to be able to reflect.”

He said that the Middle Eastern bishops' “Message to the People of God,” whatever its possible limitations might be, was a historic and crucial statement-- giving guidance to communities whose decisions in the near future could make the difference between their survival or disappearance.

“The whole thrust of it is saying, 'What's our ... situation in the Middle East, and what do we want to say to our people here, or our people abroad? How do we stick together as Catholics? ... How do we deal with our brothers and fellow citizens, the Muslims and Jews?'”

Last Call for Intl Debate Academy Slovenia 2010

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This is a letter that Bojana Skrt sent to the 112 attendees of IDAS 2010. 

There is still room due to our new luxurious hotel with indoor pool.

It is top instruction in the WUDC format and there will be an excellent tournament at the end. 

The price is very reasonable. Room and food included.

Organized by Za in Proti (ZIP) and World Debate Institute, University of Vermont.

Contact Bojana Skrt at bojana.skrt@siol.net 

============================

Dear all, 
We are very glad you decided to participate at IDAS 2010  and we are all looking forward to host you in Slovenia. With your help IDAS 2010 will again be a great event.  It seems this year IDAS with more than  100  participants and trainers from  20  countries: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China,  Croatia, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland,  Italy,  Kosovo, Macedonia, Netherlands, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Thailand, Ukraine, USA, Venezuela, will be the biggest ever.  Please, check IDAS web page and blog for the program  and all updates. 
Website: http://debate.uvm.edu/idas.html 
Blogsite: http://internationaldebateacademy.blogspot.com/ 

CHANGE OF LOCATION The very important news is that due to the bigger number of participants we moved IDAS from Ormož to Kranjska gora, which is  the other part of Slovenia. Kranjska gora is 80 km north from Ljubljana, in Julian Alps, very close to Austrian and Italian border.  The venue is Hotel Špik in a small village 3 km before Kranjska gora, called Gozd Martuljek. The hotel is much better than the Hotel Ormož, it has an indoor pool and very nice working rooms.  So, do not forget to bring swimming clothes with you.  The rooms are 4-beds, 3- beds and limited number of 2-beds. 

 
Here is the web address if you want to check the hotel, Kranjska gora and Gozd Martuljek:  
www.kranjska-gora.si/home 
www.gradtur.si/zima/slovenija/gozd_martuljek/hotel_Spik.html 
www.slovenia.info 

Because we did move to Hotel Špik, we can still accept applications – so, please, share the information about IDAS with everybody who might be interested. 

 
EU PROJECT Participants from: Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Italy, Macedonia and Slovenia participate at IDAS 2010 as part of project entitled “»DEBATE ANSWERING THE CHALLENGES OF IMMIGRATION AND MUTLICULTURALISM«  supported by European Union’s  Europe for citizens program.  There will be a few additional events organized during IDAS because of this project. Consequently, there will be also lecture topics and some debate topics connected with immigration and multiculturalism issues, role of EU in the world and similar.   And of course there will be lots of EU logos all around the venues. 
SCHOLARSHIPS  FUND Special thanks go to Bickell&Brewer foundation,  which gave us 2000 EUR for scholarships, which was divided among 21 participants asking for scholarships. I am sorry for not being able to award all the participants seeking scholarships, due to the limited  resources we have. I do hope you will be able to come anyway and would be able to get missing funds for some other donor. 

More: 
1. In case you can not come, please, inform me immediately – we need to know how many people are coming. . 

2. Schedule 
We start on  Saturday, the 20th t – registration starts at 16.00, the programme starts at 20.00. We finish on Sunday, the  28th around 14.00.  
        
2. IDAS 2010 tournament venues 
In Ljubljana  we will be staying in high school dormitory Dijaški dom  Bežigrad, the adress. Kardeljeva ploščad 28, www.ddb.si, There are  mainly   three bed rooms. The dorm is 3 minutes walk from the tournament venue.   The ones who are coming for tournament only – you can check in after 14.00 on Friday. 
If you need an extra night in Ljubljana on Thursday or Sunday you need to make your own reservation. VERY IMPORTANT – YOU CAN NOT BE IN DIJAŠKI DOM BEŽIGRAD  FOR EXTRA NIGHTS. You need to make reservations in some other hotels  - there are plenty of low costs options in Ljubljana which can be booked via Internet. 

The tournament will be held at Faculty of administration, University of Ljubljana, www.fu.uni-lju.si 

3. Registration fee  
The registration fee 250 EUR covers the whole Academy  -  from dinner on the 20th  to breakfast on Sunday, the 28th.  
 

Tournament only 
The registration fee for the ones who are coming only for the tournament  is 60 EUR, it covers the accommodation and food from dinner  on the 26th till breakfast on the 28th. You should plan your departure from Ljubljana in the afternoon. 
The participation fee doesn't cover any extra nights. All the extra nights should be paid by you directly to the hotel. If you need an extra night in Hotel Špik in Gozd Martuljek, please, inform me about it and I will make the reservation. 
Registration fee  should be paid  in cash at registration. In case somebody prefers to pay via bank transfer, please, let me know and I will send you our bank account info. 
Everybody from  Hotel Špik, Gozd  Martuljek  will leave together  by rented  bus from Hotel Špik  to  Ljubljana, no extra fee for this travel. 

6.Travelling to Gozd Martuljek
There are buses for Kranjska gora from Ljubljana.  You should go to Gozd Martuljek, Hotel Špik ask the driver to stop at the Hotel Špik. The other option is taking a train from Ljubljana to Jesenice and than in Jesenice taking a bus to Gozd Martuljek. If you are coming from Austria, you go from Villach to Jesenice, train or bus.  
Here is the Ljubljana – Kranjska gora bus schedule: 06:30 a m , 07:30 a m, 09:30 a m, 10:30 a m. 12:30 p m  13:30 p m 14:30 p m 16:30 p m, it costs 8,75 EUR, it takes 2 hours. 
Here is the Ljubljana – Jesenice train schedule: Ljubljana 06:50, Ljubljana 07:27,  Ljubljana 09:27, Ljubljana 09:45 Ljubljana 11.26,  Ljubljana 12:50 Ljubljana 14:41, Ljubljana 15:25,  Ljubljana 15:33, Ljubljana 16:55, Ljubljana 17:50,  Ljubljana 18:55,  Ljubljana 20:48m, Ljubljana 23:50, it costs 6,75 EUR, it takes 1,20 minutes. Jesenice are 25 km away from Gozd Martuljek. 
The last bus from Jesenice to Kranjska gora goes at 17.57, than taxi is an option. 
If you want to book a special transport, especially from the airport, but can be done from Ljubljana train/bus station as well, you can send an email to borut.markun@siol.net – they do have vans and cars and doing pick us services. The same is true if you want to come from the airport to Ljubljana or vice versa. 

7. Visas 
In case you need visa for entering Slovenia and I didn't send you the visa invitation letter yes, please, contact me immediately – we do not have lots of time left. 

8. COUNTRY EXHIBITION 
It is the habit that we organize a country  fair.  This means you need to bring some items – food, drink, things, posters, music …. which present your country the most.  More  information about this and other social events will be given by our social directors Helena Felc and Gregor Janžek. 
 

9. SMOKING 
Slovenia has very strict smoking law – you are not allowed to smoke at any public places, no restaurants, no hotel room – meaning you can only smoke outside. 
 

10. WEATHER 
We are going to be in Alps, meaning can be cold, not necessarily, but can be bellow zero Celzius, can be snowy. But, it might be also still warm. Have this  in mind when packing.  
 

11. WIRELESS 
I was told it is available at least in some parts of hotel. 

12. EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER
Bojana  + 386 41423377
 

That’s it for now. If you have any additional questions, please, feel free to ask. Really looking forward meeting you all in Slovenia, Bojana 


--
Bojana Skrt 
direktorica 
Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga 
Svetosavska 24, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija 
www.zainproti.com 
+386 (0)41 423377

Why Margaret Thatcher will not ‘Burn in Hell’

His Grace thought it might be useful to have a visual depiction of what a Labour councillor has wished upon Margaret Thatcher.

Shocking, isn’t it.

It is quite easy to say that you hope someone might ‘Burn in Hell’ as a hyperbolic corollary of the intense loathing or hatred you might feel for that person.

The picture speaks those words far more powerfully and eloquently than perhaps they could ever communicate by themselves.

Hell is a frightful place of eternal torment and unending suffering, where the flame consumes, thirst is forever unquenched and the teeth gnash and gnaw as the soul writhes in agony.

It is not the language but the image of that horror which haunts the mind.

As Baroness Thatcher lay ill in hospital with a serious bout of flu, Labour’s Cllr Florence Anderson, deputy leader of Sunderland City Council, said on her Facebook page: “Haha, I hope she BURNS IN HELL."

The thread has since been removed from public view.

Though it is reported that she also added: “I’ll dance on Thatcher’s grave, even if she is buried at sea.”

She counts Labour MPs Peter Hain, Jim Knight and Bridget Phillipson amongst her online friends.

They might like to re-consider their association will Cllr Anderson.

While Baroness Thatcher is not likely to lose much sleep over Cllr Anderson’s rant, His Grace thought it might be worthwhile to consider why Margaret Thatcher will not burn in Hell.

She is, and has been since her childhood, a committed Christian.

Her Christianity was grounded in the Protestant Nonconformity of devout and evangelical Methodism: her conservatism was Tory in its Burkean deference to the great institutions of state but thoroughly Whiggish and libertarian after Mill in its iconoclastic challenge to the big agencies of state; in her emphasis on the ‘work ethic’ kind of Protestantism, and her patriotic belief in the national British Christian spirit and her notion of morality as the opportunity for free choice. She had what some identified as a ‘puritan streak’, espousing the values of the English suburban and provincial middle-class and aspiring skilled working-class. These contrasted with the values of the establishment élite of the Church of England, landowners, university academics, the Foreign Office and the professions.

Her writings and speeches are unequivocal in the provenance of her theo-political worldview. In Statecraft, she wrote: ‘I believe in what are often referred to as “Judaeo-Christian” values: indeed my whole political philosophy is based on them’. In the second volume The Path to Power she went further: ‘Although I have always resisted the argument that a Christian has to be a Conservative, I have never lost my conviction that there is a deep and providential harmony between the kind of political economy I favour and the insights of Christianity’.

But a speech she made at the zenith of her power is perhaps the most illuminating of all her statements with regard to her theology, and it is worth looking at it in some detail because she began it by saying that she spoke 'personally as a Christian, as well as a politician’.

In a speech to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1988, Margaret Thatcher outlined what she identified as the ‘distinctive marks of Christianity’ which ‘stem not from the social but from the spiritual side of our lives’. And perhaps in a swipe at those ‘meddlesome priests’ who were critical of some of her policies throughout the 1980s, she declared that ‘we must not profess the Christian faith and go to Church simply because we want social reforms and benefits or a better standard of behaviour; but because we accept the sanctity of life, the responsibility that comes with freedom and the supreme sacrifice of Christ’.

In this speech, Margaret Thatcher was unwavering in her interpretation of Scripture which gives ‘a view of the universe, a proper attitude to work, and principles to shape economic and social life’: of how the theological ‘is’ translates into the political ‘ought’; how Christianity remains relevant to public policy. And so she emphasises the traditional conservative view of the family which is ‘at the heart of our society and the very nursery of civic virtue. And it is on the family that we in government build our own policies for welfare, education and care’. And with an appeal to the Apostle Paul, she reminded her audience that ‘anyone who neglects to provide for his own house (family) has disowned the faith and is "worse than an infidel".’ Yet she was not deluded by the biblical ideal, recognising that ‘modern society is infinitely more complex’ and that ‘new occasions teach new duties’. But some things are sacrosanct:

I believe strongly that politicians must see that religious education has a proper place in the school curriculum. In Scotland, as in England, there is an historic connection expressed in our laws between Church and State. The two connections are of a somewhat different kind, but the arrangements in both countries are designed to give symbolic expression to the same crucial truth: that the Christian religion – which, of course, embodies many of the great spiritual and moral truths of Judaism – is a fundamental part of our national heritage. And I believe it is the wish of the overwhelming majority of people that this heritage should be preserved and fostered. For centuries it has been our very life blood. And indeed we are a nation whose ideals are founded on the Bible.

To dispel any notion that Margaret Thatcher was simply exploiting Christianity for electoral purposes, it is possible to trace this golden thread of Christianity in speeches she made prior even to becoming Leader of the Opposition: there is a distinct and consistent Nonconformist leitmotif running through all of her political writings. Her government essentially constituted an applied theology; it was, she said, ‘engaged in the massive task of restoring confidence and stability to our people’ because ‘unless the spirit of the nation which has hitherto sustained us is renewed, our national life will perish’. She reintroduced into British politics a missionary mood that reflected her provincial and Methodist origins. And the ‘spirit’ of which she spoke was unequivocally and uncompromisingly Christian. She said: ‘I find it difficult to imagine that anything other than Christianity is likely to resupply most people in the West with the virtues necessary to remoralize society in the very practical ways which the solution of many present problems require’. Of which it was observed:

Thatcher comes as close as she can to identifying Christianity and Conservatism. One can speculate that for Thatcher any distinction between Christianity and Conservatism is a technical theological distinction, and that the values and principles associated with the two sets of beliefs were normally, temporally, indistinguishable. She comes very close to this position in her volume Statecraft when she argues that certain cultures are "more conducive to free-enterprise capitalism and thus to economic progress than others". She had in mind the "Judaeo-Christian tradition" as opposed to what she calls the "great Asian religious traditions" and the "religious traditions of Africa". It is not necessary to agree with this analysis – and there are many problems with it – to recognize that for Thatcher a spiritual renewal meant essentially a Christian cultural renewal, not to fill the churches, but to ensure economic growth and prosperity.

Perhaps no prime minister since Gladstone could have risked telling a journalist that (s)he was ‘in politics because of the conflict between good and evil’, with the conviction ‘that in the end good will triumph’.

But it is not her policies which will save her from Hell. It is not her programme of government, her achievements or her world renown.

Margaret Thatcher is saved from Hell because Jesus Christ is her Lord and Saviour: He paid the price: she is forgiven.

Perhaps Florence Anderson might like to consider that, in a few years time, when the Lord calls Margaret Thatcher to Himself, the angels will not only rejoice in Heaven but the name of the Great Lady will endure throughout human history.

And Florence Anderson will be nothing but a speck of dust.

Criticise Margaret Thatcher’s policies, if you wish, and lament what she did to the country. Pity or dislike her, by all means: hate her, even, although it harms the soul of no-one but the hater.

But do not wish the horrors of Hell upon anyone.

By the looks of it, Cllr Anderson is not far from shuffling off her own mortal coil.

And as she approaches the Gates of Heaven and the Lamb's Book of Life is opened, the Lord might just say to her what the population of the country is now saying:

“Florence who?”

Those who wish others would burn in Hell are much more in danger of going there themselves.

Retract, apologise and repent, Ms Anderson.

Before it is too late.

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October 30-31

"Our departing flesh will never abandon us."

--Line of a poem sent by a valued PDPBR subscriber; image from

VIDEO

"Vatican Protest Of Sexual Abuse Stopped By Italian Police (VIDEO, PHOTOS) ... Watch video from the protest from the Voice of America"

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Elusive hearts and minds - Huma Yusuf, dawn.com: "Washington sees bilateral foreign assistance as a way to sway public opinion and foster stability by earning the trust of elusive hearts and minds. But while the US has given Pakistan over $18bn in military and civilian aid since 2001, only 17 per cent of Pakistanis view the US favourably, according to a Pew Research Centre survey from June. These contradictory statistics suggest that the harder the US tries to improve its image by doling out bucketfuls of aid, the more suspicious of its motives Pakistanis become. ... As the debate rages about the ability of aid to win hearts and minds, the US should clarify why Pakistani public opinion matters. Is this just an egotistical concern, whereby the US cannot abide by the fact that there are some people who, despite receiving its billions, continue to hate its guts? Or is this a genuine security concern that plays directly into America’s stated goal for this region (to guarantee that Pakistan and Afghanistan are not used as launching pads for attacks against the US) and presumes that people are more likely to bomb those they hate? In the latter case, US policies face a difficult challenge.


Developmental aid may just succeed in winning over average Pakistanis in coming years. But average souls pose fewer threats to US security. The danger is increasingly coming in the form of Faisal Shahzad and Farooque Ahmed, another Pakistani-born US citizen who was arrested this week for plotting to bomb Metro stations in Washington DC. These Pakistanis are acutely aware of Washington’s schizophrenic policies in Pakistan that couple developmental aid and drone attacks. They are not likely to be won over by a sack of rice or a maternity ward. They are more interested in seeing the US alter its foreign policy with regard to drone attacks, relations with India, the conflicts in Kashmir and Palestine, and more. If it is Pakistanis like these the US aims to entice, it should focus less on winning hearts and minds and more on changing its policies." Image from article, with caption: "US special envoy Richard Holbrooke spoke in support of major, visible aid projects such as bridges that could win back the appreciation of the Pakistani people." See also John Brown, "Richard Holbrooke: Able and Insufferable," Huffington Post.

Obama's India visit will feed Pakistan's sense of insecurity‎ - Mosharraf Zaidi, dnaindia.com: "Pakistani complaints about how it is treated by the US have come to constitute the very foundation of Pakistan-US relations. The real fuel to the fire that is burning a hole in the hearts and minds of Pakistanis (the hearts and minds that US public diplomacy laboriously strives to win) is the blossoming courtship between the US and India. As fading global American power seeks anchors in an increasingly multipolar world, the growing perception that India — despite all its attendant and existential challenges — is going to be a vital economic power in the world, draws great attention in Washington DC. The US-India relationship, in the epic words of Right Said Fred has 'legs that go on for miles and miles.' India’s place in the American calculus is stable, sustainable and deep-rooted. Why? Primarily because American interest in India is driven by qualities that India wants to be known for — trade, commerce, innovation, creativity, and enterprise. The dominant narrative of India in the US is one of economic potential and hope. Pakistani envy at the strong roots of this organic relationship is understandable. America’s interest in Pakistan is not driven by qualities that any country wants to be known for — terrorism, poverty, instability and conflict. The dominant narrative of Pakistan in the US is of insecurity and fear."

QU law students conclude US visit - thepeninsulaqatar.com: "Six students of College of Law at Qatar University (QU)


concluded a trip to the US where they visited judicial sites in Washington DC, and law schools in New York. The week-long trip was organised and sponsored by the US Embassy in Qatar. The objective of the trip was to provide the students with practical exposure and experience with the US legal system and legal education system. The trip also aimed at promoting cross-cultural understanding between Qatari and US law students. ... They were briefed by [among others] ... Patricia Kabra, Deputy Director, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy, US State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs." Image from

US Agencies Team Up to Support Iraqi Universities‎ - Eoghan Cullen, NewsBlaze: "The Basra Provincial Reconstruction Team and Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment recently visited two Basra universities to increase students' awareness of various educational opportunities. Jeff Lodermeier, assistant cultural affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and three PRT members visited the north and south campuses of the University of Basra in October. 'The goal of these visits is to support the education initiatives in multiple ways,' Lodermeier said. During the visits, the PRT's public diplomacy officers spoke with students about scholarship opportunities and studying abroad in the United States."


Image: Jeff Lodermeier, assistant cultural affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, speaks to a class of students at the University of Basra-North about scholarship opportunities and study abroad programs.

Ghosts, goblins, and VOA Persian News Network detractors - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "In many languages of US international broadcasting, two stations transmit: VOA and a 'Radio Free' station. In theory, VOA limits itself to news about the United States and the world in general, and the surrogate station provides news about the target country. In reality, the theory is absurd, because it forces the audience to tune to two stations get complete news coverage. A less crazy dichotomy for US international broadcasting to Iran would be for one television channel to broadcast objective, reliable, comprehensive news. That would be VOA PNN. Another channel can devote itself to screeds that are anti-Tehran and pro whichever of the several Iranian exile factions that manages to get control of the station. This channel would be unabashedly biased. It might have content called 'news,' which is to say it's not really news. Both channels can be beamed into Iran using a comparable array of satellites. After a year or so, audience research, which can be conducted, after a fashion, in Iran, would determine which channel Iranian viewers prefer. Because it's a matter of letting the market decide, the Heritage Foundation should go for the idea."

International broadcasting and the Burmese election: "enough funds" for VOA Burmese? - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "VOA Burmese is now on a 'surge' schedule of six hours per day (includes repeats), plus 60 minutes of television per week. After the election, it will return to its normal schedule, though I'm not sure how many hours that is. In 2006, VOA transmitted only 1.5 hours a day. ... The VOA and RFA Burmese services divide and compete for scarce resources, and report on many of the same stories. To complicate things, television has become popular in Burma, and many Burmese are seeking out foreign television channels via satellite. For US international radio to Burma,


the division of resources is harmful. For US international television, it will be fatal. If US international broadcasting can be reformed, it will probably discover that it already has 'enough funds.'" Image from

Sanity Rally and Cold-War Public Diplomacy - John Brown, Huffington Post: "All of a sudden, I felt back in Central Europe during the Cold War. But this was Washington, D.C., on October 30, 2010. At the Rally to Restore Sanity in the imperial capital yesterday, the mood reminded me of my postings as a U.S. Foreign Service public diplomacy officer in Prague (1983-1985) and Krakow (1986-1990). In Prague, working with the Jazz Section, I used the small garden of my 'official' residence near the Vltava river (with its then ever-present swans) as a venue for Jazz concerts. Most of the Czechs attending these events were 'dissidents' -- a hard word to define, but meaning persons (mostly young) who looked beyond the narrow, parochial views of a dinosaur communist regime. Humor and irony were an essential part of their politics. Living in an Orwellian society in many ways absurd, they used as sanity tools gentle you-know-what-I-mean winks, and, above all, music. Least on their minds was violence. ... In Krakow, home of one of Europe's oldest universities, the Piwnica pod Baranami, a cabaret full of wit and energy, was kind (and courageous) enough to establish contact with American diplomats. Its stellar cellar performances on late-night occasions were highlighted by the singing of Anna Szałapak, with whom it was impossible not to fall in love. After the cabaret returned from the United States on a tour, a reception was held in its honor at the American Consulate in Krakow. The leader of the group, the unforgettable Piotr Skrzynecki,


brought his pet goat to the party." Skrzynecki image from article

Pambassadors in the Post - Laura McGinnis, manIC: "Flipping through the Washington Post this morning, I came across this, a news supplement 'prepared by China Daily, People's Republic of China,' in the style of Russia Today. ... The presence of the supplement was no surprise. This blog has reported on China's expanding PD efforts before. According to the website, China Daily's U.S. edition was launched in 2009 and 'its circulation includes the United Nations Headquarters, government agencies of the United States and Canada, universities, think tanks, major financial institutions and many high-tech companies.' But I have to wonder how effective these supplements actually are. The writing is about as subtle as an episode of Jackass, and it's hard to read stories about the stresses of white collar capitalism without the word 'propaganda' popping into your head. And who, exactly, are these supplements targeting? As I understand it, the Washington Post's print subscribers essentially consist of me and a few dozen Luddites scattered around the city. I attempted to call the China Daily offices in D.C. and New York for more information, but went to voice mail both times. China is nothing if not consistent."

France leaps ahead of Britain, Germany as key Kazakh partner‎ - Martin Sieff, Central Asia Newswire: France is now springing ahead of Britain and Germany as Kazakhstan’s main industrial trading partner in Western Europe. The change is due to diplomatic and financial, as well as industrial, factors. This week, French and Kazakh firms celebrated the signing of no less than $2.7 billion in lucrative new industrial and development deals. The agreements were especially welcome to embattled French President Nicolas Sarkozy. ... Indeed, Kazakh President Nazarbayev went out of his way this week to publicly endorse Sarkozy and support him on the economic austerity measures he is enforcing.


That kind of support for the domestic policies of even allied nations is unusual in public diplomacy. ... Now the Kazakhs are encouraging their major corporations to get listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the second largest in terms of capitalization in all of Asia after Tokyo. That move is widely seen as moving the main center of Kazakhstan’s financial operations halfway around the world from the City of London to be based in and focused on East Asia. And to add insult to injury, the British Consulate and the culture-promoting British Council may be evicted from the prestigious historic building they have long occupied in Kazakhstan's biggest city Almaty. BTA Bank is trying to gain control of the building. A Kazakh court last week annulled BTA's prior sale of the building to its current owners, Samal properties. If BTA regains control, there is widespread speculation in Almaty business circles that British institutions will be evicted." Image from

Buttressing Pak-Turkish linkages - Shanzeh Iqbal, pakobserver.net: "The relations between Turkey and Pakistan are entrenched deeply. Both the countries share a common vision on many regional and international issues. The relations are based on mutual respect, trust and interest. The two countries face the same challenges and a common cultural heritage. Turkey has acknowledged on many forums the sacrifices offered by the Pakistani nation and its army in waging a war on terror. Turkey has rendered an unflinching support to Pakistan. Times have proved it. ... The sectors where the [Pakistan] government has to work include increased corporate sector cooperation, greater people to people contacts, exchange of students, media and intellectuals. Along with this transport, telecommunications, energy, water, public diplomacy and other industries are the areas where the attention must be focused. We must take advantage of the existing potential of Turkey. This can be a way to avert the looming shadows of misfortune hovering over the economy of Pakistan."

Joint Senior College-Camden Conference Forum on Asia - Camden Conference: "The Belfast Senior College and the Camden Conference are pleased to announce a jointly sponsored forum on political themes related to the 2011 Camden Conference topic 'The Challenges of Asia'. The event begins with a presentation titled 'The Politics of US-China Relations' by November’s Senior College Distinguished Speaker, David Firestein. ... David J. Firestein


is EWI's Director of Track 2 Diplomacy; in this capacity, he leads EWI's China, Russia and United States initiatives, reporting to the president. A career U.S. diplomat from 1992 to 2010, Firestein is an expert in China, Russia, public diplomacy and U.S. politics. In his Foreign Service career, he served at the U.S. embassies in Beijing and Moscow. Firestein speaks near native-level Chinese and fluent Russian and has interpreted for senior U.S. officials in both languages." Firestein image from article.

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Culture Club: Reston Salon offers eclectic mix of conversation, culture - Alex McVeigh, connectionnewspapers.com: "Reston residents don’t have to go far to find interesting conversations. The Chez Nous Salon, hosted by Najwa Saad, offers residents from all over Northern Virginia the chance to explore art, culture, science and other topics as explained by experts from all over the world. ... This month’s salon featured a presentation from Virginia Shore, the curator and acting director of the Art in Embassies Program of the Department of State. Her presentation was titled 'The Role of Art in Cultural Diplomacy' and she described her department’s role in collecting and displaying American art all over the world. 'Art plays an important role in all of our diplomatic facilities, it is a powerful tool of American diplomacy,' Saad said. 'Art for art’s sake is powerful, it stimulates gathering and exchange and bridge building wherever it happens.' Shore spoke of helping ambassadors find art to decorate their embassy, and the various levels of involvement.


'Some ambassadors are very involved, wanting to pick just the right pieces to reflect certain aspects of culture, and some are just concerned with matching color swatches,' she said. She also noted the various styles of various presidential administrations, and how it affected their collecting of arts. She said that George W. Bush’s administration was marked by a fondness for Western-style art, while Bill Clinton’s was big on abstract impressionism. ... More information about the Chez Nous Salon can be found on Twitter at twitter.com/CNRSalon, or at cheznousreston.blogspot.com. Image from article: Kathi Robinson, realtor, Reston, pictured with Najwa Saad

Looking East: Real J-info for fans in Japan and around the world - Takamasa Sakurai - The Yomiuri Shimbun: "In addition to my work as Japan's pop culture ambassador, I work as chief executive editor for Tokyo Kawaii Magazine, a digital magazine app for the iPhone. Toshihiro Fukuoka, who is chief executive editor of weekly magazine Shukan Ascii, is responsible for the actual editing as editor in chief; I'm more of an advisor, but I've been involved in the publication since its inception. In summer and autumn 2008, I realized we are amid a world kawaii revolution; I heard girls in Europe talking about how they wanted to be Japanese, or that Japanese high school uniforms symbolize freedom. Fukuoka was the first person to truly recognize the meaning and significance of the movement. While visiting a number of countries through my cultural diplomatic efforts, I have come across several magazines with 'Japan' as part of their name. But the Japan-related information in these magazines was often unsatisfactory for the local fans of Japanese pop culture. I began to see the potential in producing a Japanese pop culture magazine in Japan for readers in other countries and felt the first edition should be in English. Fukuoka, who--like me--attended the Japan Expo in Paris in July 2009 and Salon del Manga in Barcelona in October 2009, felt the same way. The time had come. While I toured Russia, Brazil, South Korea and China for my cultural diplomacy programs, Fukuoka proceeded with preparations for the launch of Tokyo Kawaii Magazine. To make it possible for people around the world buy it at the same time it is released in Japan, we decided to make the magazine an app for the iPhone. We started with the English version, and are planning to release it in Spanish, and then in French."

Seattle Peace Chorus Wine Tasting - Lift Your Glass for Peace!‎ - press release, WebWire: "In June 2011, a delegation of singers will travel to Israel and the West Bank continuing the Seattle Peace Chorus’ 26 year tradition of spreading a message of peace and justice through song.


The 10 day trip will be an opportunity to learn some of the realities and challenges facing the people- Jewish, Palestinians, and Muslim; an opportunity to do compassionate listening; to offer encouragement thru song and to visit various historical sites. The chorus was started during the cold war. For the past 26 years they have been doing citizen-to-citizen cultural diplomacy through trips to the former Soviet Union, Chile, Cuba, and Venezuela." Image from

"India: Asian Sub-Continent Giant" - Press Release, PRLog: "Meera Shankar, India’s ambassador to the United States, will discuss India: Asian Sub-Continent Giant on the November 17 at the Stamford Yacht Club. ... Ambassador Shankar served as Director in the Prime Minister's Office from 1985 to 1991; was posted to Washington DC and served as Commerce Minister from 1991 to 1995. Thereafter, she headed the Indian Council of Cultural Relations in New Delhi overseeing India's cultural diplomacy. Subsequently she moved to the Ministry of External Affairs. After promotion to the rank of Additional Secretary in 2002, she held the responsibility for the United Nations and International Security. Her last assignment was as Ambassador of India to Germany from December 2005 to April 2009. Ambassador Shankar has been posted to Washington since April 2009."

RELATED ITEM

One of Those Fabulous Flights: How a scrawny Italian kid from Jersey learned to feel the words and redefined the Great American Songbook - Eddie Dean, Wall Street Journal: You can go anywhere in the world, the saying goes, and if you can find yourself a nice, classy place where civilized people are gathered, it's a sure bet you will hear a Frank Sinatra song. It doesn't matter what language is spoken.


Everybody understands at least a line or two of Lingua Frank, and who knows how many have ditched their Berlitz tapes to instead tackle English to the immaculate phrasing of 'Time After Time' or 'Young at Heart'? A classic Sinatra song defines that elusive quality 'class' as much as any other American cultural export, and it's no small irony that it's what Sinatra aspired to and yet so often felt he lacked." Image from

MORE QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

The smell of America says, ‘Come in and buy.’ The smell of Russia says, ‘Ladies and gentlemen: Russia!’ ”

Ian Frazier, Travels in Siberia

"The French love to hate American food."

--Renée Kaplan, "Très français: An American at the table," Princeton Alumni Weekly (November 3, 2010), p. 33

AMERICANA


From Boing Boing

The Middle East: A Catholic Perspective

This article comes from Chiesa.  

It is from a few weeks ago, but the perspective is relevant.

----------------------------------------------------

Christians in the Middle East.  Crushed between Islam & Israel

ROME, October 19, 2010 – The special synod for the Middle East that has been underway at the Vatican for ten days is shedding light on a segment of the Christian world in dramatic movement, in several directions and with an uncertain future.

The exodus of Christians from those lands is an important part of this movement. But it is not a new phenomenon. During the first half of the twentieth century, the extermination and expulsion from Turkey of the Armenians, and then the Greeks, were of colossal proportions. Today the exodus continues from several places, and in different degrees. The fact is that in comparison with the twelve million faithful of the ancient Eastern Churches who today live between Egypt and Iran, there are now about seven million living elsewhere.

For many decades there have been more Armenians in the diaspora than in their native land. The Maronite Lebanese have dioceses for their emigrants in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia. The Syriac Orthodox have an eparchy in Sweden. The Iraqis have created a "Chaldean Town" in the city of Detroit. Most of the Christian emigrants from Bethlehem are going to Chile.

At the same time, however, an inverse movement is also underway in the Middle East. On the Arabian Peninsula alone – according to statements at the synod from the two apostolic vicars of the region, Paul Hinder and Camillo Ballin – three million Catholics have already come from abroad seeking jobs, most of them from the Philippines and India.

The Arab countries of the Gulf "have a great need for manual labor," explained the Syro-Malabar Indian bishop Bosco Puthur, from whose region 430,000 people have departed. But what awaits these emigrants is very bitter, if measured according to religious and civil liberties. The archbishop of Addis Ababa, Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, said that the thousands of women who leave Ethiopia for the Middle East each year, to work as maids, in order to obtain entry visas "change their Christian names to Muslim names, and dress as Muslims, being indirectly forced to renounce their roots," and in any case go to meet a life of "exploitation and abuse."

In describing the living conditions of Christians in Muslim countries in the Middle East, the bishops used understandably prudent words. With a few exceptions.

One of the most unvarnished was the representative in Jordan for the patriarchate of the Iraqi Chaldeans. He said that there is "a deliberate campaign to drive out the Christians. There are Satanic plans by extremist fundamentalist groups against Christians not only in Iraq, but in all the Middle East."

The Iranian Thomas Meram, archbishop of Urmya of the Chaldeans, did not hesitate to quote the psalm of David: "For you we are massacred every day." And he continued: "Every day Christians hear it said, from the loudspeakers, from the television, from the newspapers, that they are infidels, and for this reason they are treated as second-class citizens."

Entirely the opposite of what was asserted at the assembly that same day, Thursday, October 14, by Iranian ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Ahmadabadi, a guest of the synod, according to whom "in many Islamic countries, above all in Iran, the Christians live side by side in peace with their Muslim brothers. They enjoy all the legal rights of any other citizen, and exercise their religious practices freely."

But the synod is more than a simple recognition of the living conditions of Christians in the Middle East.

From the debate there have emerged critical judgments on the Catholic Church in those countries, and proposals for change.


DIVIDED CHRISTIANS


A first critical judgment concerns the lack of unity in the Catholic Church in the Middle East.

The five great traditions on which it draws – Alexandrian, Antiochian, Armenian, Chaldean, Byzantine  – and the even more numerous rites in which it is structured often produce division, misunderstandings, and isolation, instead of mutual enrichment.

"An ethnic and nationalist Church is against the work of the Holy Spirit," warned the Chaldean Iranian archbishop of Tehran, Ramzi Garmou.

And he had reasons to say so. The Coptic Egyptian bishop of Assiut, Kyrillos William, lashed out in the assembly against his Latin rite confreres, because, by also celebrating their liturgies in Arabic, "they attract our faithful and separate them from our Church."

The Greek-Melkite bishop of Australia, Issam John Darwich, also complained about the "growing intolerance among the Eastern Catholic Churches." And he gave the example of "the sad situation of Lebanon, where every Church seems interested in obtaining political benefits for itself, and more than the other Churches."

In effect, Lebanon is indeed a country in which Christians enjoy more freedoms than in other countries of the Middle East, but it was also described this way at the synod by one of its Greek-Melkite bishops, Georges Nicholas Haddad:

"Freedom of religion and of conscience remains the privilege of the 18 historically recognized communities (12 Christian, 4 Muslim, one Druze, and one Jewish). Anyone who is not part of these is excluded from any right to the exercise of his liberties. Any attempt characterized by proselytism on the part of one or another community can prompt extreme and sometimes violent reactions. Every conversion is perceived as a heavy blow inflicted on the community of origin of the convert, and constitutes a social rupture."

Muhammad Al-Sammak, an adviser to the Grand Mufti of Lebanon and another Muslim figure invited to speak at the synod, did not say anything much different when he stated – before the assembly – that "the Christian presence in the East is a necessity both for Christians and for Muslims" and – outside of the assembly, in a press conference – that "belief is a matter of conscience, but when changing religion also means changing 'sides', it becomes an act of betrayal of the state, and it must be treated as such."

Against this background, numerous voices have been raised at the synod to call for more unity among the Catholic Churches in the region, and between these and the Orthodox Churches and Protestant confessions.

In particular, a proposal has been made to arrange as soon as possible a common date for the celebration of Easter.

Some have urged dialogue with "enlightened" Muslims, those open to a "critical interpretation of the Qur'an" and to an "interpretation of Islamic laws in their historical context."


MORE POWER FOR THE PATRIARCHS


A second series of proposals concerned pastoral care for the faithful of the Catholic Church of the Middle East who have emigrated abroad, the role of the patriarchs, and their relationship with the see of Rome.

As a rule, the patriarchs and bishops have jurisdiction over their respective territories, not over the faithful who have emigrated to other countries. But in some cases, the latter have become more numerous than the faithful who have remained in their countries. And if they are left without care, they tend to abandon the traditions of their Churches of origin. A number of voices at the synod have therefore  requested that the patriarchs and bishops be given authority over the entire flock of their faithful, wherever they may be, at home and abroad.

Together with this request, some have also asked for the freedom to send married priests for the pastoral care of the Eastern faithful in diaspora. In the West, in fact, where the clergy is celibate, the presence of married Eastern priests with pastoral duties is not permitted. But with the number of emigrants increasing, and almost all of the lower clergy of the Eastern Churches being married, it is increasingly difficult for the Eastern patriarchs and bishops to find celibate priests to send abroad for the care of their faithful. Hence the request to remove the ban.

As for the role of the patriarchates, the request has surfaced several times at the synod to "give back" to them the authority that they had in the first centuries of the Church, in relation to the pope. In particular, by giving them more autonomy in appointing local bishops. And also by associating them "ipso facto" with the college that elects the supreme pontiff, "without the necessity of receiving the Latin title of cardinal." In short, by assigning the pope "a new form of the exercise of the primacy inspired by the ecclesial forms of the first millennium," with the role of the patriarchs reinforced. All of this partly for the purpose of bringing the positions of the Catholic Church closer to those of the Eastern Orthodox Churches.


ON MISSION AMONG THE MUSLIMS


A third block of proposals concerned "the need to recover the missionary aspect of the Church." A new and courageous proposal in predominantly Muslim countries, on the part of Churches that for historical reasons and motives of survival have largely closed in on themselves.

Coptic Egyptian bishop Youhannes Zakaria of Luxor said that in spite of the difficulties and the dangers, "our Church must not be afraid or ashamed, it must not hesitate to obey the mandate of Lord, who asks it to continue preaching the Gospel."

And the Chaldean Iranian archbishop of Tehran, Ramzi Garmou, delved even deeper into this need. After saying that "a new missionary impulse" is vital "to knock over the ethnic and nationalist barriers that threaten to asphyxiate and make sterile the Churches of the East," he recalled "the fundamental importance of monastic life for the renewal and reawakening of our Churches."

And he continued:

"This form of life that was born in the East, was at the origin of an extraordinary missionary expansion and an admirable witness of our churches during the first centuries. History teaches us that the bishops were chosen among the monks, that is to say men of prayer and with a deep spiritual life, having vast experience in the 'things of God.' Today, unfortunately, the choice of bishops does not obey the same criteria and we can see the results which are unfortunately not always happy ones. The bi-millenary experience of the Church confirms to us that prayer is the soul of the mission, it is thanks to this that all the activities of the church are fruitful and bear many fruits. Also, all those who participated in the reform of the church and gave back its innocent beauty and eternal youth were essentially men and women of prayer. For this reason our Lord invites us to pray without ceasing. With regret and bitterness we see that monasteries of contemplative life, source of abundant grace for the people of God, have almost disappeared in our Eastern Churches. What a great loss! How sad!"

It is easy to glimpse in these words a reflection of the theses of pope Joseph Ratzinger, according to whom the secret of good Church governance – and of its reform – is "thought illuminated by prayer."


ISRAEL A "FOREIGN BODY"?


At a synod dedicated to the Middle East, finally, it was to be expected that there would be an important reference to Israel and to the Jews.

But instead, almost no one has talked about it. The only synod father who dedicated his entire speech to it was, on October 11, the patriarchal vicar of Jerusalem for Hebrew-speaking Catholics, Jesuit Fr. David Neuhaus, who expressed his hope for more communion, in Israel, between Arabic and Hebrew-speaking Catholics.

These latter, as is known, are considered by many of their Arab confreres a foreign body. And the Holy See is not helping them, by declining to appoint a bishop to care for them.

On October 13, one of the guest speakers at the synod was Rabbi David Rosen, an adviser to the Grand Rabbi of Israel. His speech was wide-ranging, very positive, and showed great appreciation for the work of the current pope and of his predecessor.

But after him, no one at the synod has followed up on his words of dialogue between Jews and Christians.

Since the assembly has remained in almost complete silence on the issue, an even bigger impact has been made by a document circulated outside of the synod hall: a document entitled "Kairòs – A moment of truth" and blatantly anti-Israeli in its contents. In it, Israel's occupation of the Territories is called "a sin against God and humanity," and the very foundation of the Jewish state is traced back to a sense of blame on the part of the West because of the Holocaust, the healing of which is held to be behind the occupation of Palestinian land. The document ends with a call to boycott Israel.

The origin of "Kairòs" goes back a number of months. When it was made public for the first time, on December 11, 2009, in Bethlehem, the document bore the signatures of a former Latin rite patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, of Greek Orthodox archbishop Atallah Hanna (a bitter rival of the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilus III), of the Lutheran bishop of Jerusalem, Munib Younan, and of thirteen other Arab Christian representatives.

Its most active promoter was the Lutheran Younan. He was successful in involving the World Council of Churches, an association of 349 Christian denominations all over the world, with headquarters in Geneva. And in fact, when a message from the secretary general of the WCC, Olav Fykse Tveit was read at the synod, the "Kairòs" document was cited favorably.

But Younan and the other authors of the document also brought pressure, in the days following its publication, on all the leaders of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem, in order to obtain their support.

What they obtained, on December 15, 2009, was a statement of a few lines, without any explicit reference to "Kairòs," which began with these words: "We, the patriarchs and heads of the Christian Churches of Jerusalem, have heard the cry of hope that our children have raised in these difficult times that we are living through in this Holy Land. We support them."

Nothing more. But from then on, the "Kairòs" document has always been distributed with this statement at the top, as if it were a prologue, and with the signatures of all the leaders of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem, including Latin patriarch Fouad Twal and the custodian of the Holy Land, Franciscan Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, as if they were the true signatories of the entire document.

For those who know and have read the writings of Fr. Pizzaballa, his adherence to the ideas of "Kairòs" and to the boycott of Israel is simply unthinkable. And yet the Custody of the Holy Land, which he heads, contributed along with other Catholic associations like Pax Christi and with former patriarch of Jerusalem Sabbah to giving publicity to the document on October 19 in a facility owned by the Vatican, a few steps from the synod hall.

Not only that. On October 14, Maronite archbishop Edmond Farhat – former apostolic nuncio and official representative of Vatican politics – spoke at the synod.

And the judgments he expressed confirmed that for the Holy See – although it accepts the objective of two states for Jews and Palestinians – the assumption still applies that the ultimate cause of all of the evils in the Middle East is precisely that "foreign body" which is Israel.

Nuncio Farhat said:

"The Middle Eastern situation today is like a living organ that has been subject to a graft it cannot assimilate and which has no specialists capable of healing it. As a last resource, the Eastern Arab Muslim looked to the Church, believing, as he thinks himself, that it is capable of obtaining justice for him. This is not the case. He is disappointed, he is scared. His confidence has turned into frustration. He has fallen into a deep crisis. The foreign body, not accepted, gnaws at him and impedes him from taking care of his general state and development. The Middle Eastern Muslim, in the great majority of cases, is in crisis. He cannot make justice on his own. He finds any allies neither on the human nor the political level, let alone the scientific level. He is frustrated. He revolts. His frustration has resulted in revolutions, radicalism, wars, terror and the call (da’wat) to return to radical teachings (salafiyyah). Wishing to find justice on his own radicalism turns into violence. He believes there will be more of an echo if he attacks the constituted bodies. The most accessible and fragile is the Church."

If one of the intentions of the Vatican authorities was to "moderate" the intransigent aversion to Israel of the Arab Churches of the Middle East, the words of nuncio Farhat have done the opposite.

________________


The documents of the synod, on the Vatican website:

> Special Assembly for the Middle East, October 10-24, 2010

__________


The web page from which the "Kairòs" document can be downloaded, in thirteen languages:

> "Kairòs – A moment of truth"

__________


A previous article from www.chiesa expressly dedicated to Vatican policy on Israel:

> In Gaza, the Vatican Raises the White Flag (4.1.2009)

__________


English translation by Matthew Sherry, Ballwin, Missouri, U.S.A.

__________
19.10.2010

Custodian of Holy Land: Anti-Zionism a "Normal Thing"

This article comes from the Catholic News Agency.

----------------------------------------------------

Holy Land Church official finds no 'anti-Zionist' bias at synod

Rome, Italy, Oct 28, 2010 / 02:55 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Many Christians in the Middle East harbor “anti-Zionist” resentments, but those resentments are rooted political injustices and not theology, according to a top Church official in the Holy Land. 

Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa said the tensions were reflected in the recent Synod for Bishops on the Middle East, but he rejected charges that the synod was biased against Israel. 

"I don't think the Synod Fathers were taken hostage by anyone," he told the Italian newspaper Il Foglio Oct. 27. 

Father Pizzaballa is the Vatican-appointed custodian of the ancient Christian holy sites in Israel and Palestine. In an interview with the paper’s Vatican analyst Paolo Rodari, he responded to charges made by Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon. 

Ayalon charged that the synod had become an "important forum for political attacks" and was "taken hostage by an anti-Israeli majority." 

"That the Arab world might have little sympathy for Israel is evident," Father Pizzaballa said, noting that 90 percent of Christians in the Middle East are of Arab origins. He called it a "normal thing" that this sentiment might surface "in some way" during the synod’s discussions. 

But the synod's final message also included condemnations of  anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism and a reminder that Christians must study both the New and the Old Testaments, he said. 

It is "not a given," that the synod fathers of the Middle Eastern world would write these words, he said.

Father Pizzaballa also pointed out that the synod’s final message condemned all forms of racism and “Islamaphobia,” and called Jews, Muslims and Christians to greater commitment to dialogue.

While individual bishops might express their opinions on these issues, only the final message of the synod reflects the official position of the assembled Church leaders, he stressed.

The synod’s message, Father Pizzaballa said, is “not the voice of the Vatican nor the Church.” It is rather "simply the voice of the synod fathers." 

The synod’s final message offered little new with respect to Israel, he added. The gathering of bishops condemned Israel’s continued occupation of Palestine and any use of God's name to justify violence. These are positions "already expressed in the past” by Church leaders, he noted. 

Accusations that the synod fathers harbor an “anti-Zionist” bias are misguided. Zionism, the belief that Israel has the right to a homeland in the territory promised to the Jews in the Bible, is a “Western category,” Father Pizzaballa said. “It is a way with which the West tries to describe a situation."

"That a certain anti-Zionism might be present also among Christians in the Middle East is evident,” he said. “But this anti-Zionism, if it exists, it does not have theological foundations. It is more than anything a sentiment motivated by the Israeli-Palistinian conflict. It is a reaction to a dramatic situation and in which immediate solutions are not seen." 

The issue of anti-Zionism surfaced after remarks by Melkite Archbishop Cyrille Salim Bustros of Newton, Mass. in the concluding press conference of the synod, Oct. 23. 

Archbishop Bustros said the biblical ideas of the “chosen people” and the “promised land” could not be used to justify “the return of Jews to Israel and the displacement of Palestinians." He added, "Sacred Scripture should not be used to justify the occupation by Israel of Palestine.”

Father Pizzaballa said the controversy reinforces the need for greater dialogue between Jews and Catholics and deeper study of the ways Scripture is interpreted in each tradition. Christians, he said, “are accustomed to making a spiritual and allegorical reading of the Scriptures and our reading does not always fit together with that of the Jews."