Italian Prime Minister Puts His Foot In His Mouth -- With The Truth?
 

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Front Page    World  Africa  Americas  Asia-Pacific  Europe  Middle East  South Asia  ----------- From Our Own Correspondent  ----------- Letter From America    UK  UK Politics  Business  Sci/Tech  Health  Education  Entertainment  Talking Point  In Depth  AudioVideo        SERVICES  Daily E-mail News Ticker News for PDA Feedback Help Low Graphics		Friday, 28 September, 2001, 14:27 GMT 15:27 UK Berlusconi comments dominate Italian debate   Mr Berlusconi (left) said that Western civilisation is superior   By Frances Kennedy in Rome Controversial comments by the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, on the supremacy of Western civilisation, are still dominating politics and the media in Italy.   There's a big difference between (those) who carry out massacres and those who don't   Giuliano Urbani, Italian Culture Minister Mr Berlusconi said on Wednesday that Western culture was superior to Islam because it guaranteed human rights. His comments were condemned by Islamic nations, while European and American political leaders called them "insulting" and "tactless". But Mr Berlusconi apologised on Friday and said his remarks had been "misinterpreted". The prime minister also plans to meet the Saudi Arabian ambassador and other Muslim diplomats next week. That is being seen as a sign that Mr Berlusconi and his allies realise how damaging the incident has been. 'From the heart' "Occasionally Mr Berlusconi bursts out and speaks from the heart," said the Minister for European Affairs, Rocco Buttiglione.   He should say sorry for a planetary gaffe   Former Prime Minister, Massimo D'Alema But the Culture Minister, Giuliano Urbani, tried to defend Mr Berlusconi's distinction between Islam and the West. "There's a big difference between [those] who carry out massacres and those who don't," Mr Urbani said. Apology demanded But opposition leaders have demanded an apology. "He should say sorry for a planetary gaffe," advised the former left wing prime minister, Massimo D'Alema.   [Such comments] create embarrassment among Nato allies and irritation in the governments of moderate Islamic countries that have to cope, among many other problems, with the threat of fundamentalism   The Corriere della Sera newspaper The leader of the Olive Tree coalition, Francesco Rutelli, said such remarks risked pushing segments of the Arab world towards extremist positions. In an editorial titled "Words and Values", the conservative Milan daily, Corriere della Sera, said there was no excuse for verbal excesses. They "create embarrassment among Nato allies and irritation in the governments of moderate Islamic countries that have to cope, among many other problems, with the threat of fundamentalism," it said. "Cultural deficiency" The left-leaning daily, La Repubblica, said Mr Berlusconi's comments were more than a political error. The paper said they displayed a worrying "cultural deficiency" and have isolated Italy on the international stage. Il Giornale, a newspaper owned by the Berlusconi family, dedicated two full pages to the argument. Its headline was: "This is why the followers of Allah are so distant from the West". It published an opinion poll saying more than 60% of Italians agreed with the prime minister. The survey was carried out by Datamedia, a firm Mr Berlusconi frequently uses to test public opinion. There is almost unanimous agreement that the remarks were inappropriate. But the claim of superiority has provoked debate on cultural relativism, or putting all religions and societies on the same level. 'Most Italians agree' A former conservative president, Francesco Cossiga, renowned for his outspoken comments, said Mr Berlusconi was right. He claimed that most Italians agreed with him. But he said the prime minister should have chosen more diplomatic language to avoid being "ambushed". Many newspapers carried editorials or letters written by Islamic leaders and diplomats. One, from an Arab League ambassador, said that the Islamic world still looked to Italy as a key diplomatic partner despite the ill-advised comments.		WATCH/LISTEN  ON THIS STORY Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi (in Italian) "We should not put the two civilisations on the same level"     Key stories Latest story Bin Laden in Paris plot Race to deliver aid Russia on board   Correspondent reports UK troops in the desert CIA's greatest failure Uzbekistan's dilemma Bush at war   Background Afghanistan's last king Osama Bin Laden Military strength guide   Economic impact Fed's ninth rate cut Car makers rattled Air traffic cuts   CLICKABLE GUIDES The military picture Airline security options   TALKING POINT Was Tony Blair right to threaten the Taleban?   FORUM Quiz Paul Adams, BBC defence correspondent   AUDIO VIDEO Coverage on demand See also:   27 Sep 01 | Middle East Straw rounds off Middle East talks 27 Sep 01 | Middle East Iraq urges US restraint 26 Sep 01 | Middle East Iranian leader: No help for US 26 Sep 01 | Middle East EU woos Iran with coalition deal 25 Sep 01 | Middle East Saudi Arabia warns of West-Islam split 17 Sep 01 | Americas Bush seeks Muslim support 18 Jul 01 | Europe Berlusconi struts onto world stage Internet links:   Italian Government (in Italian) The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites   Top Middle East stories now:   'Gaza blast' follows killings Bush 'endorses' Palestinian state Safety fears spark walk-out Clashes as Mid-East deadline looms Iran clinches arms deal with Russia Iraqi Kurds fear new Islamist group Saudi leaders fear Muslim backlash Military build-up alarms Gulf Arabs Links to more Middle East stories are at the foot of the page.

Links to more Middle East stories   In This Section 'Gaza blast' follows killings Bush 'endorses' Palestinian state Safety fears spark walk-out Clashes as Mid-East deadline looms Iran clinches arms deal with Russia Iraqi Kurds fear new Islamist group Saudi leaders fear Muslim backlash Military build-up alarms Gulf Arabs Taleban statement dismissed by US Saudi doubts over military strikes Iran accuses West of double standards Iran Kurds quit parliament Analysis: Inside Wahhabi Islam Peres denies anti-Arafat army plot In pictures: Intifada anniversary Terror suspect 'taught hijackers' Berlusconi regrets Islam jibe Algerian suspect 'trained hijackers' Berlusconi comments dominate Italian debate Key intifada moments Tunisia leader gears up for fourth term

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