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Rome, Italy, Sep 8, 2014 / 11:10 am (CNA). - Jesuit-run Italian newspaper La Civiltà Cattolica has clarified that it does not view ISIS violence as a 'war of religion,' although it believes the radical group sees its aggression in this manner.
Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., editor-in-chief of the publication, told CNA that the editorial stated “that ISIS thinks it's in a 'war of religion,' but WE must be on guard against thinking that way.”
He voiced his disappointment at what he described as “false news” being circulated about the editorial.
“Obviously, to promote peace it is necessary to know what the war truly is, and not what one would like it to be. It is crucial to study and to comprehend why and how the Islamic State fights. Theirs is a war of religion and of annihilation,” reads the editorial penned by Fr. Luciano Larivera, S.J.
The article continues, “It should not be confused or reduced to other forms, such as the Bolsheviks or the Khmer Rouge. They instrumentalize the power of religion, and not vice versa. Their danger is greater than that of al-Qaeda.”
Magister had suggested that the editorial represented the stance of the Holy See, observing that “Each line of 'La Civiltà Cattolica' is passed beforehand for examination by authorities of the Vatican, who allow publication, or not.”
Fr. Spadaro said that the editorial was showing the importance of realizing that ISIS militants view the conflict as a war of religion, although La Civiltà Cattolica does not share that view.
“Euphemisms do not help in bringing clarity,” he told CNA. “Actually, in this case they take us away from reality. For a war to be defined as 'religious,' it suffices that one of the contenders reputes it as such and fights in this perspective. And this is exactly what 'La Civiltà Cattolica' asserts regarding the war unleashed by IS.”
He continued, “Showing its agreement, the magazine justly quotes the editorial of Ernesto Galli della Loggia in 'Corriere della Sera' which begins with this: 'Question number one: How can we make war against an aggressor that continuously invokes God and its religious affiliation without also inevitably giving an equally religious character to any military response? In other words: Is it truly necessary, in order to speak of a religious war that both adversaries proclaim it as such, or does it suffice instead that only one do it? If someone kills me because I am a Shiite, a Christian, a Hebrew or an 'infidel' and I try to defend myself by hitting back, what else is this if not a religious conflict?'”
Read the original news story here:
Italian publication says it does not see ISIS violence as 'war of religion'
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