Did Pope’s Syria Trip Signify Papal Recognition of Islam? Asks Europe’s Press

By Lucy Jones

Pope John Paul II’s landmark visit to a mosque in the Syrian capital of Damascus, retracing the steps of St. Paul the apostle on his conversion to Christianity, captured May headlines in Europe. “Does Pope John Paul’s visit to Damascus’s Umayyad mosque bestow papal recognition that the mosque, and hence Islam, is holy?” asked London’s The Economist on May 5. Just a week before the pope’s Syrian trip, the publication pointed out, the Catholic Church suspended a Jesuit who had suggested that Jesus might not be the sole path to the devotion of God. “There is fear that he [the pope] could be taking the road to Damascus less on a mission of harmony than of hegemony: to uphold Christ’s superior claim…Now the fear is that differences over the pope’s arrival could awaken sectarian tensions,” a correspondent wrote.

The German daily SaarbrÙcker Zeitung of May 8 made a similar observation. The Roman Catholic pontiff said that never again should religion be used as a pretext for violence, noted the newspaper. He also prayed for reconciliation. These words should be followed by deeds, it said. This includes withdrawing the controversial document known as “Dominus Jesus” issued by the Vatican last September that appears to assert the primacy of the Roman Catholic church over other Christians and other religions. The pope should distance himself from claims to being the sole keeper of the faith, continued the paper.

Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noted the same day that the pope was received in Syria with respect and reverence, not just by the country’s many Christians, but by its Muslims, too. “Unfortunately, this did not stop his host, President Assad, from sharply criticizing the Jews and Israel in a way which was crassly at odds with the appeals for peace the pontiff himself had addressed to the leaders of all three Abrahamic religions,” wrote the newspaper.

The liberal French daily Liberation, however, saidon May 8 that the image of the pope entering an historical mosque was strong. “It expresses some sort of mutual recognition,” the newspaper said. “In a country like France, where any proposal to build a mosque usually results in a political disaster, one has to recognize the strength of such a symbol.”

BBC Suggests Israeli Use of F-16 Bombers a Bid to Obliterate PLO

The Israeli government’s decision to use F-16 fighter planes in May to bomb Palestinian areas led Europe’s media to ask why Sharon is taking such a seemingly aggressive stance in the present crisis. The BBC’s Jerusalem correspondent, Hilary Andersson, reported May 18 that there had been rumblings of disapproval even within Sharon’s cabinet about the decision to use the American-made fighter planes. BBC Middle East analyst Paul Adams said the following day that when Israelis voted for Sharon earlier this year, many of them were looking for a military solution to the growing problem of the Palestinian uprising—“a robust, gloves-off response to months of violence which had left them feeling insecure and vengeful.”

More than three months later, Adams continued, the Palestinian uprising still rages. Recent events suggest that, if anything, the conflict is continuing to spin further and further out of control. “Repeated attacks on personnel, facilities and equipment have caused some to wonder if Mr. Sharon and his defense minister, the hawkish Labor Party member Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, are not harboring a secret agenda: to remove Yasser Arafat and his apparatus for good,” reported Adams.

Israeli Incursions Into Gaza Strip “Dangerous and Risky”

The April incursion by Israeli troops into the Gaza Strip, which represented the first occupation of land legally given back to the Palestinian Authority, received widespread criticism in Europe. Italy’s La Repubblica predicted on April 17 that the incursions were likely to provoke further violence. “The Israeli government has only one strategy at present—to punish all aggression against the country. It is prepared to go to any lengths to do this,” wrote the newspaper.

Austria’s Der Standard commented the same day that Palestinian extremists knew the consequences of attacking an Israeli village (which in part led to the incursions). The paper noted, however, that although Israel was “provoked,” its subsequent invasion of the Gaza Strip could have “severe repercussions.”

Spain’s El Mundo of April 17 called the incursions “extremely dangerous and very risky.” Sharon is playing with fire and has left Arafat no room to move politically, continued the paper.

The incursions led the Netherlands’ April 17 De Telegraaf to call for more international intervention in the region. “U.S. President George Bush should put more pressure on all sides to prevent the conflict from escalating…This may not bring about peace immediately but would certainly prevent further suffering,” said an editorial.

Volkskrant, also published in the Netherlands, wrote the same day that Europe’s vision of playing a bigger role on the world stage is now “a hollow illusion.” “With the escalating conflict in the Middle East all eyes are on the United States to see how it will react,” the paper said. “However, Bush’s reluctance to get involved is a major obstacle to the peace process. Bush’s hesitation makes the arena for where peace is to be negotiated a dangerous territory. It is high time for Bush to take an active role in the region,” concluded the newspaper.

BBC defense correspondent Jonathan Marcus said on May 17 that the Israeli army’s decision to establish a number of outposts inside Palestinian-controlled areas of Gaza marks an important shift in the Sharon government’s efforts to contain the Palestinian intifada. “While the extent of the incursions may be small, their political significance is immense,” he said. “They are a signal that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is willing to countenance new measures in an effort to stem the continuing Palestinian violence. And they risk exacerbating tensions between Israel and its principal ally, the United States.”

Israeli Attack on Syrian Radar Station could Widen Conflict

The death of an Israeli soldier, killed by Hezbollah guerrillas in April, and the subsequent Israeli air strike against a Syrian radar station led many European newspapers to predict that the crisis in the Middle East will spread. Wrote Italy’s La Repubblica on April 17: “The war in the Middle East is escalating. Because Israel attacked a Syrian radar station, Syria is only a step away from becoming entangled in the conflict. All those who voted for Sharon deluded themselves into believing he was the last hope for creating peace in the region. They have deceived themselves into thinking it could be possible that the old hawk, the right-wing politician, would be more flexible and ready to grant concessions than left-wing leaders such as Barak. It hasn’t taken long to show that voting for Ariel Sharon was the worst decision Israel could make.”

France’s Liberation said the same day that the Israeli leader’s statements since coming into power in February led everyone to believe he had changed, that the ideologue and warmonger had turned into a pragmatic politician. Sharon’s compromise, however, amounts to Israeli troops retreating from only 42 percent of the West Bank, whereas his predecessor failed to make the Palestinians happy with his proposal of 92 percent. By increasing his retaliation strategies instead of working at the negotiating table, Liberation added, Sharon is only creating a vicious circle of war.

Budapest’s Magyar Hirlap of April 17th pointed out that this was the first time the Israeli air force had attacked Syrian positions in Lebanon since April 1996. “Israel is trying to convey the message that the withdrawal last year from Lebanon was not in fact a retreat,” the paper said. “Israel’s message is that Syria will pay if it does not abandon its support for the anti-Israeli Hezbollah guerrillas. Syria should recognize that with Sharon there is a new sheriff in town.”

Germany’s Neue OsnabrÙcker Zeitung wrote on April 16 that Sharon may have forgotten that he is the prime minister of Israel and not a general in the army. “A military victory in Lebanon equals a political loss for the region,” wrote the newspaper. “Sharon cannot bomb peace into the region and he doesn’t seem to realize that Jerusalem’s success also lies in co-operative relationships with Israel’s neighbors.”

Turkey Benefits From Key Economic Reforms

Turkey’s rush to pass key economic reforms seems to have paid off, reported the BBC on May 16. The IMF decided to give $8 billion in new loans to Turkey, releasing $3.8 billion of it immediately. Turkey needs international financial help to revive its economy after the second major crisis in the last six months. The country’s currency has lost 40 percent of its value since February. The Turkish parliament passed two crucial laws, one to reform the banking system, the other to privatize its telecommunications company. Meanwhile, the banking supervisory board announced a timetable for key changes in the country’s banking system.

Algeria’s Berber Riots Leave 80 Dead

The week-long riots in Algeria’s Berber-speaking region of Kabylia, in which 80 people were killed by government forces quelling the violence, led some to describe the unrest as an intifada. The riots were set off by the death of a young Berber taken in for questioning by the gendarmerie, the force responsible for order in the countryside. The authorities said that the youth’s death had been an accident, and the guilty gendarme would be punished. But this failed to still the protests that swept through the five provinces in the Kabylia heartland in northeast Algeria. According to The Economist of May 5, the rioters were venting their frustration at their lack of employment, housing and a future. The publication went on to say that the riots and the government’s handling of them could spell bad news for Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. He was picked as president because it was hoped he would make the regime, which faces much criticism from abroad for its human rights record, look a bit better. However, the president is locked in an unending power struggle with the all-powerful generals to whom he owes his position. “It may not be a combination capable of putting Algeria right,” concluded the publication.

The BBC reported on May 14 that a parliamentary commission in Algeria has begun an inquiry into the unrest. But the news organization’s North Africa correspondent commented that Algeria is not a country where the full truth about such incidents tends to emerge, adding that this belief is evident in the general skepticism about official accounts of frequent massacres habitually blamed on Islamist factions. Meanwhile, the main Berber political party, the Rally for Culture and Democracy, which withdrew from the government in protest against its handling of the violent events, has warned it is planning more demonstrations.

Lucy Jones is a free-lance journalist based in London.