Madam, - We have heard the phrase "radical Muslim clergy" used often in the media recently. This set me wondering: when was the last time I heard such a term being used to describe Catholic clergy?
Similarly, the topical subject of martyrdom was a concept quite common in Ireland less than 30 years ago and was a term heard regularly from the pulpits of Catholic churches. Indeed, most Catholics were encouraged to believe that to die a martyr's death for one's faith was a glorious thing, ensuring heavenly glory.
The Troubles - and in particular the 1981 hunger-strikes at the Maze prison, when 10 men died as political martyrs - probably contributed to a revision of martyrdom. Today, however, when we hear of Muslims longing and praying for a martyr's death, it seems that Irish Catholics in particular have very short memories.
Watching videos of young Muslim men and women vowing to commit suicide may be disturbing morally and politically, but their belief in the certainty of a martyr's death and a glorious eternity should challenge Christians to the core of our own Christian beliefs. Islam, which shares so much with both Judaism and Christianity, is suffering so much in our socio-political capitalist world. The extremes by which Islamic "martyrs " flung themselves along with innocent passengers against the Twin Towers in New York, must be placed in context against the millions of innocent victims of capitalism worldwide for whom the towers represented such a powerful symbol of evil.
Of course this is not to justify for a moment the scandalous taking of life which occurred. Their beliefs, however, do have religious implications for Christians and need to be the subject of more honest reflection and consideration.
Similarly, for those Christian political leaders, or those whose faith is informed by Christian beliefs, the unjust socio-political structures over which they preside need to be urgently examined and the consequences of their social, economic and political policies reassessed.
Without such a reassessment, the problems of "global terrorism" will not be resolved, nor the consequences of injustice addressed.
- Yours, etc,
Dr VINCENT KENNY, Director, Volunteer Missionary Movement, All Hallows College, Dublin 9.