Thu 24 Jun 2010
Monsignor Labib Kobti is pastor of St Thomas Moore Catholic Church in San Fransisco and is a well-known human-rights advocte, particularly well-known for his advocacy work in the Middle East. He is founder and director of Al-Bushra.org.
I, as a person from the Middle East, I know better than anybody what Islam is. Although I know that there are a lot of fanatic Muslim people, I found in the Sheikh a moderate one that can be used to be a bridge between the fanatic and the moderate. He can help Australia for the best.
Throwing out the good people is a lack of wisdom from the part of the Government. In the Middle East I found also a lot of fanatic Jewish who impose themselves on the governments and especially on the US Congress and Senate. I am sure that they do the same in Australia, they do it every where in the world. I saw also Christian fanatics, like the Christian who call themselves Evangelical Zionists.
Treating all the same way that we treat the good Sheikh can show that we are working the same justice for all. Treating only the Muslims this weird way and forgetting or forgiving the others is racism against one group.
Msgn. Labib Kobti
June 25th, 2010 at 10:53 am
This Wednesday, I went to offer evening prayers in Imam Husain Islamic Centre but Sheikh Mansour wasn’t there to lead the prayers. Probably he’s busy in packings, etc., I though with sorrow…
…when I was coming out of the centre, to drive back home, my daughter aged four suddenly asked me, “baba where is that old man who used to greet and love us, every time we visited here”? I had no answer!
And, probably, I wouldn’t have an answer in future as well, but a big question mark.
Why didn’t my country give him a Fair Trial? Just a Fair Go, nothing else?
Why not?
January 5th, 2013 at 7:37 pm
The contrast of the brilliance of Arab Islamic civilization with the benighted Frankish empire in Europe, ruled by illiterate monarchs such as Charlemagne, is striking. Muslim activity had a profound effect, not only on Muslim intellectual life, but also on the intellectual life of western Europe. Much of the science and philosophy taught in universities in the Middle Ages was derived from Arabic translations, rendered into Latin in Spain in the 12th century. For the realm of Islam as well as for parts of Europe, the Muslim Arabs became the brokers of a cultural revolution, transmitting and integrating works of science, as well as technical advances from the far east, including the introduction of paper from China, and the introduction of the zero into mathematics from India, along with the “Arabic” numerals and system of reckoning that are used today throughout the world.