4 - 10 October 2001
Issue No.554
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 4 - 10 October 2001 Issue No.554 |
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Playing the war of civilisations
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's prime minister, has slurred Muslims in a recent press conference. But is he an ignorant "provincial," or a masterly opportunist? Samia Nkrumah, in Rome, writes
If Western leaders are taking pains to emphasise that the "war on terror" is not a battle against Islam, someone forgot to tell Silvio Berlusconi. At a time when most Western leaders have been careful to sing of the common heritage of the monotheistic faiths, the Italian prime minister lost the song sheet in spectacularly embarrassing fashion.
Silvio Berlusconi
Standing next to his horrified German counterpart at a recent press conference in Berlin, Berlusconi smilingly "explained" the superiority of "Western civilisation" over other "civilisations" -- particularly Islam. "My" civilisation, he revealed, has ensured "respect for human rights and religious rights, which do not exist in Islamic countries.". He went on to reason that "his civilisation" was meant to "westernise and conquer populations, as it did with the communist world and part of the Arab world."
Now Berlusconi is hardly known for political and diplomatic finesse. This is not the first time that he has been embroiled in a controversy of his own babbling. But this time the outcry was immediate. The following day, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said Berlusconi's remarks "crossed the limits of reason", were "racist" and an apology was in order.
A day later an apology did come: of sorts. Berlusconi apologised in parliament for having "offended the sensibility of his Arab and Muslim friends" and said his words were taken out of context. He has also visited prominent Muslim leaders in Italy.
Contrition was probably unavoidable. Almost every prominent Western politician and publication described the Italian leader's words as "culturally inaccurate", "irresponsible", "offensive" and "damaging to the West." The Italian opposition was particularly relentless. Former prime minister Massimo D'Alema remarked that Berlusconi is "at his best when he shuts up."
Despite Berlusconi's professed remorse, Moussa deemed the retraction inadequate, while in Italy, it failed to quiet the furore.
The subject of Berlusconi's careless talk has dominated Italian TV shows and the media for days. But one thing has bewildered the pundits: how could a seasoned politician of Berlusconi's stature utter such dangerous remarks at such a delicate time?
James Watson, professor of political science at the American University in Rome, offers one view: "It is provincialism, an obliviousness to the feelings or habits of others."
But suspicion lurks that Berlusconi, brilliant populist that he is, may not have been clumsy at all. Commentators think he may have seized the opportunity to utter what many think but cannot say, and is catching the unspoken mood of the country.
Tough positions on immigration have been vote winners of late; many Italians increasingly view immigrants as a threat to their culture, identity and security. This attitude has hardened over the past decade as economic expansion has required influxes of immigrants. Experts think the World Trade Center attacks gave Italians an excuse to ventilate hostile feelings towards these newcomers.
Moreover, it is not the first time that an Italian public figure has made comments deriding non- European immigrants and residents in Italy. Last year, the Archbishop of Bologna, Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, expressed fears of "the Islamisation of Italy," and called for Catholic immigrants to be preferred over Muslims to safeguard the country's identity. (According to most estimates fewer than one per cent of Italy's 57 million people are Muslim. Immigrants to Italy, estimated to be between two and three per cent of the population, are mostly Catholic).
At a recent Northern League rally in Venice, supporters waved flyers reading, "Illegal immigrants equal Islamic terrorists." The League is part of the governing coalition and its leader, Umberto Bossi, is minister of reform. The justice minister is also a League member. With such a political landscape, Berlusconi's comments may not be the blunder they first seem. He may in fact be exercising the old populist instincts that have brought him such success in the past. Tellingly, diplomatic sources have claimed that Berlusconi made similar remarks at earlier EU meetings.
Meanwhile, it was left to Berlusconi's political opponents, social groups and Catholic groups to take the debate to the people. The Communist Party held a rally this week in Rome. The capital's streets filled with 50,000 marchers, including social and anti- globalisation groups, in an anti-war protest combined with an anti-xenophobia campaign. Such groups also feel threatened by the prime minister's rhetoric. In an earlier remark, the prime minister had likened anti-globalisation supporters to the terrorist attackers for "a threat to Western civilisation and values."
The Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic Charity group, has also, with the Pope's approval, organised what has been termed an Islamic-Christian conference for 3-4 October to denounce terrorism and promote goodwill and understanding among peoples of different faiths. The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Farid Wasel, and Arab scholars will attend.
Populist Muslim-bashing may not have been Berlusconi's only aim. Some commentators have suggested that his remarks were also an attempt to show vigorous support for the US. Berlusconi, they think, wanted to make up for earlier doubts about committing the country's troops to any military action.
In the days after the attack, Italian leaders were reluctant to offer military help. The Italian constitution forbids war as a means of settling international disputes. Pope John Paul II has also said that war is not the preferred course.
But the graphic images and accounts of the human tragedy were so overwhelming that the public seems to be less averse to the use of force this time. Thus Berlusconi, judging the mood again, rushed to promise Italian troops and show his staunch commitment to the US -- any way he could.
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