tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post8516953237865638373..comments2023-12-25T05:12:46.199+01:00Comments on ORA ET LABORA: Crucified KosovoFelix Culpahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18062279686869827534noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post-59011858210711518912008-01-29T02:59:00.000+01:002008-01-29T02:59:00.000+01:00Thanks for the explanation and the link.Thanks for the explanation and the link.Nomodiphashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06294946547518083527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post-20317120839947752312008-01-28T23:18:00.000+01:002008-01-28T23:18:00.000+01:00Not well, I can assure you, although there is hard...Not well, I can assure you, although there is hardly a unified voice to be heard. You can find a very useful compendium of links relating to the relationship between Islam and Orthodoxy here:<BR/><BR/>http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/gen_islam.aspx<BR/><BR/>Practically and politically, the Orthodox Churches in Western Europe are not in a position to criticize the mass immigration of Muslims because so many Orthodox believers in Western Europe are themselves recent immigrants. <BR/><BR/>That said, you'll notice that many Greek Orthodox leaders (for instance, the late Archbishop Christodulous) speak very openly in favor of maintaining a Christian identity in Europe. While their primary target is secularism, it could often be taken as a tacit criticism of the growth of Islamic influence - something that would be very dangerous for them to state openly.<BR/><BR/>The situation in North America is similar, although the percentage of new immigrants in Orthodox Churches is not as high as in Europe. (At least that's my impression; I've never seen statistics.) One can certainly find individual Orthodox believers openly criticizing the growing presence of Islam in North America - see the links above -, but I can't think of any collective effort or criticism.<BR/><BR/>There has, however, been a pan-Orthodox response to the situation in Kosovo. There has been a tremendous frustration with the way these events have been portrayed in the Western media, in particular the media's vilification of the Serbs and support of Muslim Albanians.Felix Culpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18062279686869827534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134782302655515338.post-78421837865715132282008-01-28T22:58:00.000+01:002008-01-28T22:58:00.000+01:00I know there have been countless wars between the ...I know there have been countless wars between the Muslims in the East and the Christians in the West, but the Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe have historically born a far greater cost than their brothers in Western Europe. <BR/><BR/>With the oppression of the Ottomans fresh in their experience and the first-hand knowledge of the ongoing persecution against Christians in Turkey and the other Islamic Middle Eastern nations how do Orthodox Christians view the ongoing acceptance of Islam and integration of Muslims into society of Western European nations and America?Nomodiphashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06294946547518083527noreply@blogger.com