FROM THE VATICAN

Some hope for Islam? "One country in sub-Saharan Africa is a living contradiction of the skeptics. Islam has been present there for almost a thousand years; 82 percent of its inhabitants are Muslim. They belong to the Sunni tradition, with a contingent that follows Wahhabi rigorism. They are extremely poor, with an average annual per capita income of 230 dollars, and poverty and freedom almost never go together. They belong to various tribes, which in many African countries is the root of incurable conflicts. And yet, democracy flourishes there. The country is Mali, between the Niger river and the Sahara desert"

Vatican backs GM crops to feed the poor: "a substantially pro-GMO position has already been taken up inside the Vatican. Such a position has been understood from coverage of the Nov. 2003 conference, particularly as seen in the March 20 2004 issue of "La Civilta Cattolica". "La Civilta Cattolica" coverage of the conference gave much space to explicating pro-GMO arguments rather than those opposed to them. We read in the magazine that The Holy See firmly hopes that "GMOs can be an opportunity to produce good things and foster social development for the poorest nations on earth which, based on Jesus Christ's example, the Church holds especially dear."

A dotty Catholic bishop in Sudan does at least know Muslims well so may have a good insight here: "The greatest punishment Arabs can inflict is oppression, a sense of falsity. If they can fool you, they do it with will all their might. They are proud of their ability to trick you, to behave like liars and compliment you. Al Turabi will take Bush for a ride, wherever and whenever he wants. And he could do much worse things. I, rather than being tricked and playing the fool, prefer being slapped in the face. Muslims fill you with fear, they keep you in a permanent state of uncertainty. It's a continuous psychological affliction, worse than torture."

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