ASIA/MIDDLE EAST-The Italian Minister Terzi: "The respect of human rights in the Middle East is measured with the protection of minorities"

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - "There is an indicator, a litmus test, to verify the respect of fundamental freedoms in the Middle East: it is the protection of minorities, especially religious ones" This is what the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata said, during the conference "Freedom of Religion," organized at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
The road to the affirmation of human rights "is slow, complex, fraught with pitfalls, as to following a path of progress that began with the Universal Declaration of 1948," the Minister explained. But the "litmus test" is the protection of minorities, "especially religious ones, be they Christian, Jewish, Shiite or belonging to other belief." "If minorities are protected in the legal system as in daily life - he said – one can claim the rule of law and ensure safety. If such protection instead is disregarded, the result cannot but be that of conflict and the inability to ensure true and lasting peace".
"The present scenario in the greater Middle East does not appear encouraging. There are numerous incidents of sectarian violence, which continue to affect an unacceptable religious minorities, especially Christians," said the Minister, citing the difficulties of Christians in Iraq and Egypt.
"Persecuting vital components of the Middle Eastern society, as the Christian minority, which for centuries contributes to the prosperity of the countries in which it is rooted, makes the region much more vulnerable to extremist threats. Consequently, the risk of further violence and discrimination increases: it is a vicious cycle that must be stopped as soon as possible", he continued.
"The action in defense of religious minorities is intended to protect the safety and prosperity of society, as well as the dignity of the human person" Terzi explained, suggesting the concrete plan, in the Middle East, to act on three fronts: raising the Arab leadership’s awareness to accept the new constitutional principles recognized by international conventions and the Islamic civilization itself; prevent them from being expelled from public life or marginalized the resources of minorities; removing the risk that differences in beliefs are manipulated to divert the attention of public opinion from economic problems.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the city of Rome wanted to send a signal, setting up a "Centre of Religious Freedom," which brings together experts, representatives of religious confessions, representatives from the scientific and academia field, representatives of public and private organisms. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/3/2012)