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crisiswithintheCatholicChurchparalleledthetendencyofdifferentiatingthesociety
fromtheinfluenceoftheChurch.TheReformationitself(andinaway,theCounter-
Reformationaswell),inthissense,representsanattemptofChristianitytoregainits
lostpositionsandestablishitselfinthecontextofupcomingmodernity.
ThesituationintheArabWorldhasalsobeensimilarwhenduringthefirstdecade
oftheeighteenthcenturyAbdul-Wahhabstartedhisreformatorypreachingwiththe
aimtoturnIslamtothepurityoffaithfromthetimesofMohammedandemancipateit
fromtheinfluenceofsufismthat(inhisopinion)hasledbelieversofftherightwayto
Allahandhasengrossedtheminpaganandpolytheisticdeviations2.
Theformsinwhichreligiousfundamentalismmanifestsitselfinvariousreligious
contextsshowdefinite„familialsimilarities”.Inthebeginning,itrefersonlytodefend-
ingthepurityoffaithfromvariousdeviationsthatareinescapableinthecourseof
enteringanyreligionintoeverydaylifeandfolklore.Thecriticisminthiscaseisad-
dressedprimarilytothefaithfulandtheirimperfectorinsufficientfaith3.Whileinho-
moreligiouscontext,fundamentalists–withtheirentireradicalism–remainrather
confinedwithinultraconservatism.
Thingschangewhensuchviewsgetintoanalienconfessionalcircle.InthePenta-
teuch(Numbers,25),strictadherencetoreligiousdutieswasidentifiedwithrejection
ofanyvariantfaith,andthishasledtodirectaggressionuponthecarriersofotherness.
TheideathatGod’scommandmentspropagandizingtoleranceandloveforfellowcrea-
turesarevalidnamelyandonlyinrespecttothesefellowcreatures(i.e.,thefaithfulin
theclosestsense)butarenotbindinginrespecttorepresentativesofotherreligions,
hasitsexpressionsbothintheJudeochristiantraditionandtheIslam.Theadherenceto
thefundamentsoffaithprovedtoberelatedwithaggressiverejectionofotherness,and
thisispreciselywheretheproblemofcontemporaryreligiousfundamentalismslies.
However,todayIhavenointentiontobotheryouwiththevarioushistoricaland
contemporaneousmanifestationsofreligiousfundamentalism.Iwilloutlineonlythe
situationattheBalkans,andmorespecificallyinBulgaria,inordertomakeanattempt
atexplaininghoweurointegrationentersintodisaccordwithsomeoftheimportant
tendenciesinthereligiouslifeofitscitizens.
ItisobviousthatmodernEuropehassetitselftotheimportanttaskoffindingand
regulatingthe„right”placeofreligioninthelifeofvariouscommunities.Thetradi-
tionalviewofreligionasaninstitutionseparatedfromthestateand,therefore,irrele-
vantfromtheviewpointofitsregulatorymechanisms,hasobviouslyyieldedtothe
pressureofactualrealities4.IfaftersigningtheTreatyofRomein1957itseemedthat
2
http://www.sufi.it/Islam/wahlast.htmBrevestoriadelmovimentowahhabita;http://www.globalsecu-
rity.org/military/world/gulf/wahhabi.htm
3Forexample,Wahhabisinstitutedtheprincipleof„takfir”,i.e.therightofaMuslimtoaccuseanotherMus-
limofdefection–todeclarehisapostasy:asinwhichaccordingtotheSheriatissubjecttodeathpenaltywithout
chargeortrial.ThemostconservativeinterpretationsofWahhabiIslamviewShiitesandothernon-Wahhabi
Muslimsasdissidentheretics.Onlytwoyearsaftertheiralliance,IbnSaudandWahhabaccusedallneighbouring
Muslimtribesofapostasyandinitiatedadjihadagainstthese–SeeCRSReportRS21695,TheIslamicTraditions
ofWahhabismandSalafiyya,byFebeАrmanios;asfortheacuteclashesofvariousChristianbranches,thereisno
needtoadmonishofthesehere,Ithink.
4Cf.J.Casanova,Religion,Europeansecularidentities,andEuropeanintegration,Eurozine,
http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2004-07-29-casanova-en.html
