THE MAJOR RECTOR OF THE SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO AND THE SALESIAN FAMILY PRAY IN THE CHAPEL OF THE CHURCH OF SAINT GIUSEPPE MAGGIORE WHERE DON BOSCO CELEBRATEED MASS ON MARCH 30, 1880

Napoli | 17 February 2017
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)

The Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco Don Ángel Fernández Artime - accompanied by Don Horacio Lopez and the Ambassadors to the Holy See of Panama, Miroslava Rosas Vargas, and of Guatemala, Alfredo Vàsquez Rivera with some exponents of the Salesian Family, young of the Salesian schools and migrant welcomed by Salesians in the Houses-Families prayed in the Chapel of the Church of San Giuseppe Maggiore where Don Bosco celebrated the only Mass in the South on March 30, 1880.
In this occasion the Major Rector thanked the Fondazione Mediterraneo and Michele Capasso to made this meeting and this moment of prayer possible on the occasion of the opening of the museum dedicated to "DON BOSCO THE POWER OF LOVE”.

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THE MOROCCAN RECOGNIZES FREEDOM OF RELIGION

Rabat | 08 February 2017
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)

The High Commission for Religious Affairs of Morocco, in charge of issuing fatwa (Islamic rulings), annulled its previous sentence that religious conversion constitutes an offence punishable by the death penalty. Muslims are now given the freedom to choose their beliefs.
In 2012, the High Commission for Religious Affairs published a book in which it set out its position on apostasy. Drawing on a widespread jurisprudential tradition, it was argued that a Muslim willing to change his religion should be punished with death.
Recently, this position has been contradicted by a new document published by the same religious body entitled "The Way of scholars". As the basis for the decision to set aside the judgment, the document redefines the principles of apostasy. The latter is no longer seen as a matter of faith but rather as a political position within the category of high treason.
In the "Way of scholars", the High Commission plunges into the past and suggests that once the context of apostasy and its punishment was predominantly pragmatic and political. Wars of apostasy were conducted in line with the effort to maintain the newly constituted state united against any kind of internal division. Therefore, he points out that the most accurate and consistent interpretation with Islamic law and the Prophet's example is that the killing of the apostate essentially concerns the traitor of the group, the one who escaping from Islam endangers the Umma (Islamic community) by revealing its secrets to its enemies; that is, the equivalent of betrayal in international law.
Consequently, the Prophet's word "whoever changes religion, kills him" must be interpreted as referring to the one who leaves his religion and abandons his own people.
Yet the idea that the apostate should not be killed is not new for Islam. In fact, at the time of al-Ḥudaybiyya accord, the same Mohammed observed this provision stating that anyone who had become Muslim and renounced to be Muslim would have been given the possibility to return to Quraysh, at the time the most powerful enemy of Islam.
Finally, the ecclesiastical committee also notes that in several cases the Koran speaks of apostasy and punishment in life to come, not in the present one. For example, in chapter 2 verse 217 reads:"[....] And those of you who renounce faith and die in unbelief are those who have failed in this life and in the other. Here are the companions of the Fire: they will remain in perpetuity ".
The decision, which has followed a political rather than religious reasoning - says President Michele Capasso, satisfied with the decision - is certainly significant and revolutionary for Moroccan society.
Christians, who represent a small minority in Morocco - with a Muslim majority - breathe a sigh of relief. After years of threats of persecution, the most vulnerable religious minorities can now freely choose which God to pray to..

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NAPLES: URBAN PARTICIPATION AND CO-CREATION HUB

Napoli | 03 February 2017
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)

The international conference coordinated by Prof. Caterina Arcidiacono - University Federico II and Coordinator of the Community Psychology Lab was held in Naples.

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THE FONDAZIONE MEDITERRANEO AND THE UNITED STATES OF THE WORLD GREETS WITH A BEAT OF HANDS PREDRAG MATVEJEVIC', CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE

Napoli | 02 February 2017
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)

The Fondazione Mediterraneo - president and co-founder Michele Capasso, vice-president Caterina Arcidiacono, head of the institutional traps Claudio Azzolini, members of the Board of Directors and the International Scientific Committee, directors of the Almamed Autonomous Sections, Mediterranean Academy, Isolamed, Labmed and Euromedcity, heads of the branch offices and friends of the Foundation - greets Predrag Matvejevic’ with a heartbeat.
The friend, colleague, writer, essayist, intellectual and dissident Predrag Matvejevic died at the age of 84 in the hospital in Zagreb where he had been admitted for some time.
He has been a committed man from the point of view of human rights Predrag, as well as university lecturer: he has always fought for peace and dialogue between peoples, especially, of course, for those in the Balkans.
Born in Mostar when the city was part of Yugoslavia (then it would become Bosnia-Herzegovina), he also lived in Italy (from 1994 to 2008), where he taught Slavistica at Sapienza of Rome from 1994 to 2007. Previously he had been lecturer in French Literature at the University of Zagreb and in literature compared to the New Sorbonne-Paris III. He had emigrated to France in 1991.
He was a consultant for the Mediterranean in the Group of Wise Men of the European Commission during the Prodi Presidency and among the ideologists of the "Anna Lindh Foundation"; vice-president of the PEN International Club of London; co-founder and president of the scientific committee of our Fondazione Laboratorio Mediterraneo (now the Mediterranean Foundation) with headquarters in Naples.
For his work as a writer he has received numerous awards in Italy and abroad, including the Malaparte Prize in 1991, the European Witch Prize in 2003 and the Prix du Meilleurlivreétranger 1993 in Paris. The French government gave him the Legion of Honor, the President of the Italian Republic awarded him Italian citizenship and the title of Commendatore of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity.
Among his most important works are: "Mediterranean breviary" - translated into various languages - "Sarajevo","A Curse Europe," our bread ".
The Fondazione Mediterraneo and the United States of the World have published several books by its co-founder: among them there are "Diary of a war","On the identities of Europe","The Mediterranean and Europe".
President Capasso, moved, remembers his brother, friend and intellectual with whom he has shared so many battles for over 25 years: for peace, for dialogue, for freedom, for social justice; from the Appeal for Peace in former Yugoslavia to those for Palestine, Syria, Kosovo…

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