An international conference: Identity Crisis. Will European Civilization survive ?

An international conference held March 13th at the European University of Rome, sponsored by the European Freedom Alliance (EFA) and the Lepanto Foundation (LF) addressed this topic.

The Rector of the European University of Rome, Fr. Paolo Scarafoni LC, the Secretary of the EFA, Avi Davis, and the President of the LF, Prof. Roberto de Mattei, opened the proceedings by highlighting both the gravity of the crisis Europe is facing, as well as the many grounds for hope. As Fr. Scarafoni stated, “Europe will not succumb because its history bears a fathomless weight.”

Marcello Pera, former President of the Italian Senate, conducted the introductory presentation. According to Pera, Europe faces three threats to which correspond as many challenges. “The first is the external one of Islamic terrorism; the second is the domestic one of integration, and the third is the internal one of valuing our tradition.” Pera continues, “Europe’s response to fundamentalism is pacifism; to integration, multiculturalism; and, it renounces its Christian roots in the name of secularism. And, to this, it adds a guilt syndrome with respect to our past.”

Pera then dwelt on the crisis of liberalism and democracy. “Liberalism is put into crisis by a relativist and egalitarian concept of democracy that puts every cultural on the same level, thereby calling into question non-negotiable principles and rights, hence fundamental liberties. In turn, democracy is threatened by pressure groups, almost always in the minority and backed by propaganda in the media, that undermine the will of the legislative majorities and the legislatures. The courts, that oftentimes put themselves at odds with the legislative system, perform an analogous work.”

Bat Ye’or, the best-known dhimmitude scholar and Baroness Caroline Cox, of the English House of Lords, also took part in Senator Pera’s presentation. According to Bat Ye’or, “the sense of guilt insinuated by the cultural Jihad must be overcome and young people must be helped to counteract this mentality.” She continued that “alongside the violent and terrorist Jihad there is also a soft Jihad: a cultural war based on propaganda and corruption. This one is favored by the collusion of the anti-American European Left. Its purpose is to eradicate Europe’s Judeo-Christian culture so as to implant Islam. They interpret the defense of our values as an offense.”

This aspect was further elaborated on by Caroline Cox who pointed to the “responsibility of the school and national education that form young people to psychologically submit to Islam, oftentimes leading to conversion.” However, at the institutional level, “the judiciary allows the application of the Sharia while the legislator punishes those who offend Islam with excessive harshness. Those who oppose this state of affairs are subject to intimidation and accused of Islamophobia.”

The subsequent panel discussion on the future of the Atlantic Alliance was moderated by Rafael L. Bardají, Spanish geopolitical expert and member of the Foundation for Social Analysis and Studies. Professors Massimo de Leonardis, Angelo Maria Petroni, Daniel Pipes and Florentino Porteso spoke. Professor Petroni dwelt on the international situation with particular regard to the Eastern confines of Europe. Professor de Leonardis stressed that “Europe has become post-Christian, post-nationalist and pacifist and has fallen into pathological self-hate. At the same time, it is unable to escape the euphoric conciliatory attitudes of the post-89 years.”

Senator Alfredo Mantovano and the journalists Oscar Elia Manu, Douglas Murray, Emmanuelle Ottolenghi and Melanie Phillips addressed internal threats. These are particularly represented by the impact of cultural and moral relativism on the European identity.

Melanie Phillips, well-known for her book “Londonistan”, pointed out the disproportionate tolerance “towards the sharia and polygamy which, as a result of excessive manipulation by the media, cannot be criticized in England.”

Sen. Alfredo Mantovano reminded the audience that “integration is a concept that is quite different from multiculturalism and assimilation. It is impossible to assert that all religions are equal: I believe that magistrates and politicians should have a better knowledge of Islam prior to unhinging the ambiguities that surround it.”

Dr. Salvatore Rebecchini moderated the next panel discussion, where Philippe Karsenty, David Littman and Flemming Rose took the floor to discuss the influence of the media, NGOs and the UN in the formation of European values and policies.

Senator Giuseppe Valditara moderated the round table that concluded the conference. He stressed the great historical importance of antique Roman civilization which “valued the centrality and dignity of the person and family, and thus paved the way for Christianity.”

During the roundtable, Rev. Hans Stückelberg, Protestant pastor, criticized the enlightenment roots of the present identity crisis and Prof. Giorgio Israel addressed yet another major European cultural crisis: education. He noted, “our school is afflicted by technicality and pragmatism. And, as if it were not enough, the State is asked to provide the ethical formation of the young which should be expected from the family; that is what is now happening in Spain.”

At the end of the conference Professor de Mattei proposed Hope as the cornerstone of the European renaissance.

Prof. de Mattei stated: “The attitude of Europeans towards Islam reminds one of the attitude the West had towards communism in the 20th century. Soviet Russia threatened the world, yet anticommunism was considered a sin worse than communism.”

If yesterday progressive optimism was at the root of this attitude, today it is pessimism, fear of the future and ourselves. However, the ideological fundamentals of this psychological process remain the same: relativism and an evolutionist dialectic that dissolve all truth and value.

Prof. de Mattei concluded “if there is certainty of values, there is hope for the future. Christian hope in Jesus Christ, that God rises and redeems. It is also the hope and, even more so, the belief in the renaissance of Europe. That which plagues Europe is a deep slumber, a lethargy, maybe even a provoked anesthesia; but sleep is not death. That is why se believe in the reawakening of Europe.”