An Analysis of the Middle East Conflict
By Father Justo Lacunza Balda

ROME, JULY 16, 2006 ( Zenit.org).- The rector of the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies describes the situation in the Middle East as "very worrying."

Worrying, "because now several fronts have been opened"; to that of Gaza and Israel is added that of Lebanon and the Jewish State, he said.

Today, Benedict XVI condemned the crisis between Israel and Lebanon: "At the origin of these cruel oppositions there are, sadly, objective situations of violation of law and justice."

"But neither terrorist acts nor reprisals, especially when they entail tragic consequences for the civilian population, can be justified," the Holy Father said.

An analysis

"This is a scenario in which not only is progress in the whole peace effort endangered, but also that of civil coexistence," Father Lacunza said on Vatican Radio.

"For me it was virtually a given that in a situation of grave crisis in the Middle East, Hezbollah's provocations would lead to an alliance between the radical Palestinian group and Hezbollah, an alliance marked, moreover, by a clear link with the Islamic Republic of Iran," he noted.

Father Lacunza, considered one of the major Catholic experts on Islam in the world, added that "the sovereignty of the state of Lebanon however has not allowed the Lebanese government -- whose parliament is made up of 125 deputies, 36 of whom are members of Hezbollah -- to neutralize the Shiite formation. The Hezbollah have not been prevented from constructing an independent state within Lebanon."

"This is worrying. On one hand, it is about the right to existence on the part of the State of Israel, and also on the part of Palestinians: to strike Israel means indirectly to strike Palestinians and the whole of the Middle East. And it is what we must understand," he said.

"Recognition of the State of Israel means to recognize the rights of Palestinians, not the contrary; it means to recognize the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon," of Jordan and of Syria. "I think we should contemplate the situation starting from these premises," he said.

In regard to the eventual Iranian responsibility in the present crisis, Father Lacunza recalled that "the Hezbollah movement was born about a year after the formal birth of the Islamic Republic. Without Iran, the Hezbollah would not have obtained three important areas: a constitutional political ambit in Lebanon; an Islamic religious area in the framework of Lebanon and the Middle East, and the role of international interlocutor."

International community

Father Lacunza added that he was "perplexed" by "the indifference and in many cases the apathy of the international community."

"Great declarations are made," "but to take concrete steps it is necessary to know what the real motivations are" "of all that occurs in the Middle East," he said.

"There is another question that worries me very much": that "now we have at least three great areas of war," Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

"I hope communities -- independent nations, will work with all their strength to resolve the Middle East issues," he concluded. "And we must speak uninterruptedly of the Middle East, because "our future depends on peace on this earth."

ZE06071605

By Hilary White

LONDON, July 13, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The British government has announced that fathers are not a requirement for a family in IVF cases. In a decision that is being hailed as a victory by lesbians and gays, British Health Minister, Carolyn Flint, said to the committee considering the changes that there was "probably not a case" for keeping "the need for a father" clause in the rules. "We are considering whether the need for a father is something we need to have."

"That does not mean fathers are not important. What's important is that the children are going to be, as far as we know, part of a loving family," she declaimed.

The move is part of a general overhaul by the Department of Health of the rules governing IVF and related reproductive technologies. One of the proposed changes is to outlaw sex-selection in IVF for anything but "medical" reasons.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act--passed in 1990--requires IVF facilities to include the welfare of the expected children in considering whether to go ahead with treatment. The act also stressed the importance of fathers to children.

Some critics of the law have said that restricting in vitro and other artificial methods of procreation to families with fathers was "offensive" to "unconventional families."

Josephine Quintavalle of Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE) said the decision, in attempting to avoid discrimination against lesbians--a tiny fraction of the population--ended by discriminating against all fathers.

Gerald Howarth, chairman of the Lords and Commons Family and Child said the move was "further evidence of Tony Blair's obsession with political correctness and social engineering. It does a great disservice to young people."

The Daily Mail quotes Howarth saying, "All the evidence suggests that ideally families need fathers, and [Tory opposition leader] David Cameron has said that very firmly."

The changes will come into effect this year.

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By Gudrun Schultz

UNITED STATES, July 12, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – U.S. University and College students walking across America in promotion of the dignity of all human life have covered almost two-thirds of their route, passing through Chicago, Kansas and Louisiana

Organized by Crossroads, a national pro-life group of student volunteers that began in 1995, the walk to promote the sanctity of life from conception to natural death is in its twelfth year.

"Crossroads was started in response to the late John Paul II's call to the youth of America at the World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado to 'build a Culture of Life,'" said Crossroads president Jim Nolan in a press release. "He challenged the youth of America and the world to 'Be not afraid'."

"By their own admission, we know that abortion-rights advocates have lied to Americans about the reality of abortion," said Crossroads national director Martha Nolan. "They have disregarded the harmful effects that abortion has on women, physically and psychologically, and the negative effect it has had on the culture, generally. But they are beginning to tell the truth about one thing: that the pro-life side is winning."

There are three walks this summer, beginning May 18 in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, all ending at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., August 12. Each group is made up of about 15 students. Altogether the walkers will cover over 9,500 miles, pass through 31 states and speak to hundreds of thousands of American people in churches along the way.

"We have learned that a silent majority of Americans are very supportive of our message that human life at all stages should be welcomed and protected," said Brendan Flannery of Steubenville, Ohio.

"Although our nation is divided along cultural and moral lines, we have found that most of the people we've encountered are very eager to hear our message, which is essentially a message of hope," said Martha Nolan.

"In the week that America celebrates the Declaration of Independence, it is a glaring contradiction that we should deny the right to life and liberty to millions of unborn persons. Until the cultural and moral problems that emanate from this crisis are settled, America will not be able to begin the healing process. But whatever happens politically, our purpose is to change hearts and minds, and we are in this fight for the long-haul."

"If Roe vs. Wade were overturned tomorrow, the culture would still require countless years of healing. In the end, this is not a political matter, it is cultural and moral."