JERUSALEM, SEPT. 13, 2001 (ZENIT.org–Fides).- Christian leaders of the Holy Land say that good can come from evil, and that the attacks in the United States tragedy could give birth to dialogue and peace in the Middle East.
Father Pierre Grech, secretary-general of the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Region, told the Vatican agency Fides: «We are all under shock after this tragedy, which strikes at the whole world. But we are convinced that this terrifying event will shake the leaders and people in Israel and Palestine to take the path to dialogue and peace.
«This will mean evil has been turned into good. We are in absolute darkness in the Middle East, and desperation foments violence. However, we hope that this tragic event will mark a turning point for peace.»
Father Grech explained that anti-American feeling has increased, given the Bush administration´s foreign policy.
«People are disappointed,» he said. «They say Bush is too much on Israel´s side. In the future, there will be the problem of the American position regarding the Muslim world. There are several questions needing attention: Jerusalem, Palestine, Iraq, Iran.
«In this third millennium, relations with Islam [will be] one of the main challenges for the West and for Christianity. This century will be marked by cultural antagonism and this calls for dialogue among civilizations.»
Professor Justo Balda, rector of the Pontifical Institute for Arab Studies in Rome, said that «terrorism is one of the present-day forms of evil in our societies.»
«We must build nations and societies founded on values of peace and justice, not force and power,» Balda insisted. «The arms trade, fed by the West, is an evil of our day which encourages war. There are at least 62 areas of conflict in the world today with thousands of victims.»
