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A welcome visitor to our shores in recent days has been a renowned
French Muslim scholar Abdelwahab Meddeb who visited the Philippines
to discuss the French practice of Islam which promotes tolerance,
inter-confessional dialogue and peace.
Accompanied by French Ambassador Gérard Chesnel
and First Secretary Jean-Louis Bertrand, the visiting Islamic
scholar gave well received lectures in varied centers of excellence
such as the Institute of Islamic Studies of the University of the
Philippines Diliman, Mindanao State University, Cotabato City State
Polytechnic College, University of Southern Mindanao, University of
Mindanao (Davao City) and, last but not least, the Alliance Française
de Manille in Makati City.
Staged in cooperation with the Institute of
Islamic Studies of the University of the Philippines, this mission
aimed to create ties with universities and schools in Mindanao
especially in view of promoting dialogue with Muslims.
Meddeb talked about Islam as a peaceful way of
living and a religion that teaches respect towards others. He said
Islam is not associated to violence as what many people think. The
newness of his lecture showed his audience another side of Islam
that would help them take a fresh look at their present situation
and future.
A writer, poet and novelist, Meddeb was born in
Tunisia but now lives in Paris. He teaches comparative literature
(Europe/Islam) at the University of Paris and is a visiting
professor at Yale University and Geneva University.
He is the founder and editor of Dédale, an
international literary and philosophical review. He wrote more than
twenty books including La Maladie de l’Islam, 2002, (published in
English under the title, Malady of Islam) which has attracted
considerable international interest and has been translated into
sixteen languages. He is also director of a broadcasting weekly
program Cultures of Islam at Radio France, and was the curator of
the exhibit West by East at held in Barcelona in 2005.
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Labor Day may have been celebrated with much
fanfare and waving of red flags around the world on May 1.
But less heralded—yet equally important—was
May 3 which marked World Press Freedom Day, an event carrying much
significance for the Philippines which has probably the freest and
most lively media in the Asia-Pacific region.
Though ironically, conveying the point that with
such freedom comes responsibility, the Philippines is also one of
the few countries in the world where libel is a criminal offence.
Drawing attention to the day, the European Union
office in Manila sent us an e-mail stating that the European
Commission joins the celebrations of the 2008 UN World Press Freedom
Day, which this year is dedicated to the empowerment of people by
giving them information that can help to gain control over their own
lives.
It quoted Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner
for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy as saying:
“Promoting democracy and human rights is an essential element of
our foreign policy. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that is
celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year.
“Freedom of expression therefore needs to be
supported throughout the world to enable the building vibrant civil
societies and to empower people to participate in the democratic
debate and to hold governments and other power holders accountable
on all issues affecting their lives.”
The EU missive goes on to say that the freedom
of press is still under serious attack in various guises in many
countries, and unfortunately not only autocratic ones. Journalists
are intimidated, censored and killed around the world because of
their commitment to unbiased and truthful reporting.
The EU adds: “The European Commission is
committed to protect and promote freedom of press worldwide. Since
many years the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights
has supported activities enhancing freedom of expression, the
independence of media, strengthening professionalism and ethics in
journalism as well as providing assistance to human rights defenders
who become targets of threats because they denounce infringements on
the freedom of expression”.
rjottings@yahoo.com
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