Western society superior to Islam, says Berlusconi (I Love This Guy)

www.smh.com.au ^ | Friday, September 28, 2001 | John Hooper and Kate Connolly in Berlin

[Dallas]

Italy's Prime Minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, has gone out of his way to stress what every other leader backing America's "war on terrorism" is desperate to deny - that the looming conflict is, at bottom, a clash of civilisations.

Three times during a lightning visit to Berlin on Wednesday, Mr Berlusconi enthusiastically proclaimed views that will appal Western leaders and confirm the worst suspicions of many Muslims. He boasted of the "supremacy" and "superiority" of Western civilisation and called on Europe to recognise its "common Christian roots".

Mr Berlusconi, who has been under pressure over the handling of protests at this year's G8 summit in Genoa, also claimed a link between Islamist terrorism and the anti-globalisation movement. There was a "strange unanimity" between them, and both were enemies of Western civilisation.

Standing beside German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, at a joint press conference, he declared that he and his host considered that the September11 attacks "are attacks not only on the United States but on our civilisation, of which we are proud bearers, conscious of the supremacy of our civilisation".

He had earlier told Italian journalists: "We should be conscious of the superiority of our civilisation, which consists of a value system that has given people widespread prosperity in those countries that embrace it, and guarantees respect for human rights and religion." As if to rub salt in the wound, he added: "This respect certainly does not exist in the Islamic countries."

Mr Berlusconi began his eventful day with a surprise breakfast with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who is also visiting Germany. The Prime Minister emerged to tell reporters that "Europe must revive on the basis of common Christian roots".

That remark will not only dismay ethnic minority leaders, but will also be deeply offensive to Albanians, Bosnians, Kosovans and other European Muslims.

The Guardian

[areafiftyone]

He's Not afraid to tell the truth - It's about time a European Leader wasn't afraid to open his mouth

Islam Jibe Sparks Arab Fury

[WalterSkinner]

History tends to agree with him.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Well, which of the two sides clings to the 12th Century?

[nofriendofbills]

All he did was state an obvious truth, now watch the PC-SOB's try to take him down.

[Merovingian]

And this...Row over Berlusconi Islam jibe

[suburban liberal safari]

Yes.But some of the types jumping on the patriotic band wagon,liberals singing "God Bless America" and so forth,seem out of place. They were bashing Western culture from the PC multicultural perspective before this.

[pchuck]

I am currently reading, Closed Cirlce: An Interpretation of the Arabs, by David Pryce-Jones. Jay Nordlinger from The National Review suggested it last week. It is really interesting in explainting how Arabs think. They are really a different group of people when it comes to explaining how they govern and rule. The crux of the book is that trying to impose Western ideas of governing (which include democratic ideals and the concept of compromise) on these people is destined to fail.

These people understand power, but democracy is an absurdity to them. After reading some of this book, it makes sense why these people have had Hussien, Quaddafi, Araft, Nasser, and the rest of the tin-pot strongmen as their leaders. With all their money and wealth (oil money as well as the money that the US and the Soviet's poured into the area) the really have nothing to show for it. Arab countries don't really produce anything but oil. They export very little and they import most of their food.

In so far as Isreal is concerned, it is a nation of several million and it is pitted against many nations with over 120 million people and yet they exist and prosper.

Arabs have killed more Arabs that any other people. Iraq invaded Kuwait. Syria and Lebanon have gone after each other. Iraq and Iran (even though Iran is not an Arab country) slaughtered hundreds of thousands in one of the longest wars of the 20th century.

In all, a pretty interesting read.

[ikanakattara]

The Turks at the time of World War I managed to pull their society out of the medieval murk by means of the "Young Turk" party, led by Kemal Ataturk. They formed an official government in 1923, and in the next 15 years accomplished the following: the Latinization of the alphabet; compulsory education to achieve a high rate of literacy; equal rights for women, including the vote; rapid modernization and industrialization; the establishment of a *secular* state with tolerance for Islamic religious practices, but the deliberate suppression of "jihadists," i.e. Islamic fundamentalists. This CAN happen in other Islamic countries that are still stuck in the 1200's.

[Sender]

Bellissimo, Silvio! Amore! Lasagna!

[bushfamfan]

I agree for the most part with what Berlusconi said. It's true that the Arab-Islamic nations have a horrendous number of terrorists who are bred there and more obsessed with creating war than straightening out their country's problems of poverty and their own intolerance towards other religions. It's always amusing when the Islamic extremists claim America's out to destroy Muslims, when it's the other way around. Though I think they pervert the Muslim faith for the most part to suit their version.

[shaggy eel]

,,, it's amazing that lefties will tell you that everyone is entitled to their own opinion - until it conflicts with theirs. You don't get to be a billionaire by being stupid. I'd really like to hear opponents of Berlusconi's opinion express their understanding of how a superior Islamic culture will advance the free world.

Waiting...

[denydenydeny]

Thanks to John's excellent new search engine, I'm able to bump this article to the Clash of Civilizations list.

[bluester]

Yeah, but once you'll a billionare you can avoid going to jail, or even better going after the judges that were investigating financial fraud and other criminal acts which Berlusconi was accused of. Which is happening jsut now in Italy. And having two wonderful companions in your government named Bossi and Fini, who are self declared fascists that have no problems with sympathizing with Mussolini et al. Belissimo! And then talking about western superiority. Which is incredibly similar to the "Aryan superiority" mentality.

I don't know what is here to be admired.

[lavaroise]

Mr Berlusconi, who has been under pressure over the handling of protests at this year's G8 summit in Genoa, also claimed a link between Islamist terrorism and the anti-globalisation movement. There was a "strange unanimity" between them, and both were enemies of Western civilisation.

Bingo. Whether it is subversion of inalienable rights with suicide airliners or through demagoguic leftist politics, it is subversion of rights that should be treated equaly.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt