'Reciprocity' nice, but not nice enough?

This article goes on for some length as it recounts the saga of Cardinal Martino's suggestion that Islam be taught in the schools and the reaction from various sources.

My reaction to the idea of Islam in the schools can be found here and here.

Towards the end, the author quotes Oriana Fallaci. We begin there with her quoted condemnation of the Church's policy towards European immigration.

How Will Rome Face Mecca?
By Joseph D'Hippolito
FrontPageMagazine.com | April 5, 2006

[...]

In her most recently translated work, The Force of Reason, [Oriana] Fallaci blamed the Catholic Church's lax policies on immigration and ecumenism for the disintegration of Europe's identity:

"This Catholic Church...gets on so well with Islam because not few of its priests and prelates are the first collaborators of Islam. The first traitors. This Catholic Church, without whose imprimatur the Euro-Arab dialogue could neither have begun nor gone ahead for 30 years. This Catholic Church without which the Islamization of Europe, the degeneration of Europe in Eurabia, could never have developed. This Catholic Church...remains silent even when the crucifix gets insulted derided, expelled from the hospitals. This Catholic Church...never roars against (Muslims') polygamy and wife-repudiation and slavery...."

Even Benedict's call for reciprocity fails to address adequately the totalitarian nature of Islamic societies, as the ordeal of Afghan convert Abdul Rahman and Algeria's parliament illustrate.

On March 21, Algeria passed a law forbidding members of religions other than Islam to seek converts or to worship in public without a license. Violators would face imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to 10,000 Euros.

If Benedict wishes to develop an effective response to Islam, he must do more than demand reciprocity. He must forthrightly challenge the entrenched attitudes Catholic leaders have regarding Islam. He should start by publicly disciplining an obnoxious cardinal who can never resist a camera, a microphone or a notepad.

I think the author has the right idea, but is not quite up-to-date. Benedict XVI is already challenging the entrenched attitudes of various Catholic leaders. The calling to the carpet of a cardinal is not going to happen, as much as some people would like to see it. That's what flunkies and minions speaking out in the press are for.