Interview with Bernardo Cervellera, director of missionary news agency “AsiaNews” and an expert on the religion situation in the Middle and Far East, speaks about Syria, Christians and the Arab and Chinese Spring

Luca Rolandi
Rome

What is the situation like for the Syrian people?

The news from Aleppo is deeply concerning. There is a civil war underway. There is an armed conflict going on between rebels and Assad’s army. People are trying to escape from Aleppo and from Homs. Those who stay have a tough time ahead as cities lack basics such as water and bread. Many have fled and have a truly tragic future ahead of them because there are no refugee camps in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan where Syrians are headed. They are therefore housed in makeshift shelters. The problem is that Syria finds itself in a maze of alliances and very dangerous. The international community is against Assad’s regime because it is allied with Iran. Turkey is against Syria because it supports the Kurds. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are involved in the conflict because they are targeting Iran which is Assad’s ally. A series of wars are being fought on Syrian territory and all this makes it very hard to find a solution quickly. Right now it is Syrians who do not have a voice because the war has become international. This is also a problem that affects the Church which in the past had asked for an inter-Syrian dialogue and finds itself in a difficult position, stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand it cannot support Assad even though the Syrian dictator has guaranteed a certain freedom of worship and faith for minorities and a lack of violence for many years. But he has not guaranteed human rights for the population. On the other hand, the Church is reluctant to side with the rebels because there are fundamentalists and groups with ties to the Muslim brotherhood and to Al Qaeda and among them. These groups are putting religious freedom in the country at great peril.

 
One year on from the “Arab Spring” revolts, are Christians making themselves heard again in society?

The Arab revolts were important for Christians who stood up after years of social anonymity and irrelevance. Before they would content themselves with a minimum amount of freedom, sticking to life in their ghetto, limiting themselves to their social and working lives and being able to worship freely. Now Christians are showing a greater interest in social issues, they are fighting for further individual rights to freedom and expression of opinions for everyone, including women. The Arab Spring was key to helping Christians move away from a simple policy of ensuring the survival of their community, to a solid presence and testimony, despite the problems and difficulties that come with this, also given the dynamics of the Arab polis. As such, they are fulfilling one of the targets outlined in the Synod for the Middle East in 2010. Having made this step, Christians are now more united and have gained a democratic strength that helped overthrown dictatorships. But they are facing problems with the new political leaders of some countries including Egypt and Libya, which are represented by a fundamentalist Islam. The new leading classes are also faced with a difficult choice. On the one hand they could go for radical change, on the other they could look for a compromise and adopt a more democratic vision that would benefit minorities. They are dealing with a population that would not give them global support and an international community that is has its eye on them. If they go down the fundamentalist route, Egypt’s tourism-based economy would suffer greatly. Tunisia, where the “Arab Spring” revolts began has launched the deepest reform process. Since the international community has no economic interests in the country as it does in other States, the government is trying to promote a truly modern policy. President Fouad Mebazza, a moderate Muslim, supported by the Salafists, whom I had the opportunity to meet, told me about the work being done to introduce laws for the safeguarding of freedom of conscience into the current legislation. This goes further than the defence of religious freedom, that is, guaranteeing non believers the right to convert faith. This is a truly revolutionary step for the Arab world.


What are the themes of the Pope’s forthcoming visit to Lebanon?

The joy of the Lebanese Church at receiving the Pope is also linked to the fact that his presence can bring greater peace to the region. This happened before Benedict XVI’s visit to the Holy Land in 2009, when there had been talk about the United States and Israel attacking Iran. Wars and tension between Israel and the Palestinians. The Pope’s visit calmed these tensions. Of course the Pope cannot solve issues that are for the people to resolve. If Syria explodes, the conflict will extend to Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and possibly Iraq and this must not happen. This is why Christians in the Middle East, particularly the Lebanese churches are really hoping that Benedict XVI’s trip will be a turning point in the peace process.


The situation of the Church in China is getting worse

It is strange that on the one hand the State is aware that the people are feeling increasingly frustrated about the control over information, the economy and industrial poles. The number of revolts is rising and these are often violent but the Government has not been alarmed by them yet and is advising local administrative bodies to remain calm and not to intervene. On the other hand, there is excessive meddling in religious affairs. There has been an increase in political intervention in religious life. There is a presumptuous and disrespectful will to control faiths from the inside. In the case of Catholics, this is very clearly seen in the Patriotic Association’s absolute and firm decision to appoint bishops. The Patriotic Association being the “longa manus” of the totalitarian political system. The government does not accept the Pope’s intervention and is very good at complicating issues: for example, a bishop who is excommunicated from the Vatican is exalted; a priest who tries to obey the Pope, placing the Patriotic Association second, is considered a delinquent and cannot practice his ministry. The same goes for other religions too. An example is the persecution of the Uighurs in the Xinjiang region, where patriotic associations control all functions. Tibetan monks are another example. In terms of the Uighur faith, in order for the Buddha’s reincarnations to be real the party must first approve them. It is essentially the party that decides who the real Buddhists are and in general the followers of any faith. This situation is intolerable.

© http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it - august 2sd 2012