Final Press Release
\nof the 27th Rimini Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples<\/p>\n
Of the over 120 meetings at the 2006 Rimini Meeting, one was dedicated to the presentation of the first Arabic edition of The Religious Sense<\/i> by Father Giussani. This book summarizes his thought, his proposal, and the main aspects of our western tradition. Professor Wa\u2019il Farouq, of the University of Cairo, and Said Shoaib, a journalist from Cairo, spoke at this meeting.
\nProf. Wa\u2019il said, \u201creason and realism are two fundamental concepts in Father Giussani\u2019s book, which presents a new definition of these concepts.\u201d He explained that the Arabic root of the word \u201crealism\u201d is \u201cfalling from the sky.\u201d \u201cSince events fall from the sky, man has no alternative other than resigning oneself. This results in the absence of man\u2019s freedom in his relationship with reality, a relationship lacking in the structure of Arab conscience\u201d. As a consequence, the concept of realism is \u201camputated\u201d. Regarding reasonableness, Wa\u2019il said that \u201cin Arabic the main meaning of the word reason is \u2018to bind, to imprison, to lock up.\u2019 Mind and reason have always been in eternal conflict with religion, to such an extent that Islamic fundamentalists have even accused intellectuals of apostasy.\u201d He concluded, \u201cThis book not only opens new horizons to the Arab world, but also paves the way to a true dialogue among cultures. By recovering this elementary experience, humanity will be able to find this common language with which to dialogue. Through your presence you have made the first step towards the other.\u201d
\nReason is \u201cimprisoned\u201d in the West, too. Reduced to the measure of all things, it culminates in relativism\u2014as Benedict XVI always reminds us\u2014and in nihilism. Thus it seems there is nothing worth living for. However, this year\u2019s Meeting showed\u2014in following Father Giussani\u2019s charism\u2014that man\u2019s reason is a \u201cwindow opened wide on reality.\u201d The Meeting contributed to \u201csetting reason free\u201d by means of its presentations and discussions on science, culture, economics and politics, its exhibits and shows. By the testimony of those who participated in them, the Meeting began to set this culture free from a position that, in rejecting an adequate use of reason, becomes fatalism, fideism, and inevitably war. Thus the Meeting was a place of encounter, friendship, and dialogue. In other words, peace.The title of the 2007 Meeting, which will take place in Rimini from August 19th to 25th and deepen this experience, is \u201cTruth is the Destiny for which We Have Been Made.\u201d
\nRimini, Italy, 8\/26\/2006<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Final Press Release
\nof the 27th Rimini Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"mec_label":[9685],"class_list":["post-144799","comunicati-stampa","type-comunicati-stampa","status-publish","hentry","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n