We hereby present two articles published by Tygodnik Powszechny (written by Piotr Kłodkowski) and Krzysztof Śliwiński), an interview with the authors, an article by Stefan Bratkowski from Rzeczpospolita along with an interview with a Polish Tartar, a Polish Kurd, a Polish Jew, a Danish translator, an Iraqi bishop and a Polish diplomat.

We would like to address various aspects of the "caricature-problem" and present propositions for possible actions. Already this small set of opinions presents the complexity of the situation and goes beyond conventions and generalizations. It demonstrates the need for freedom of speech combined with responsibility for one's words.

Frankly, my main concern is undertaking proper action against escalation of conflicts. The publication of caricatures was a great "gift" for terrorists and their supporters - it gave them a rare opportunity to convince Muslims that the European world disdains the Arab-Muslim world and that one has to oppose this trend with all one's might. Believers of Islam also fall victim of this "holy war" - they do not desire this war and not only condemn terrorism, but perceive terrorists as non-Muslims (in my personal view terrorists are closer to Satanists than any religion); and yet how could they refrain from defending the Prophet?.

Hence, we have to deal with a spiral of hatred and violence, supported (willingly or unwillingly) by the media that love scenes that conceal reason and good will.

The outbreak of the caricature-war immediately turned my thoughts to Nazareth: what is the fate of the Christian-Muslim school of Archimandrite priest Emil Shoufani (who also cooperates with a Jewish school in Jerusalem): won't his long-term efforts turn out to be futile?

Fortunately, I managed to contact him over the phone; everything turned out to be fine and the school worked as usual. Indestructible Emil is dedicated to work for dialogue and cooperation even when its results will appear in 150 years.

Poland may play a significant role in this domain; my Tartar interlocutor, professor Selim Chazbijewicz, co-founder of the Polish Joint Council of Catholics and Muslims, would like to expand it to enclose all of Europe. Why not, indeed? Obviously, this process cannot be accomplished at once; however, we should strive in this direction and develop practical aspects of the Christian-Muslim dialogue. This dialogue is very important; hence, we should not become discouraged by difficulties.

Selim Chazbijewicz - A professor of the Warmia-Mazury University, the chairman of the Union of Polish Tatars, until 2003 the Imam of the Muslim commune in Gdansk, the co-chairman of the Joint Council of Catholics and Muslims.

Selim Chazbijewicz (mp3/1,8 MB)-Polish version only

The conversation with Selim Chazbijewicz -a summary: The publication of Mahomet's caricatures (in one of Polish newspapers) obviously resulted in an unavoidable conflict - not of civilizations, but of systems of values. The short-term prognoses are pessimistic, however sooner or later the fusion of these systems is necessary. In Poland the conflict was short and relatively mild. Now the dialogue should be continued. Since we have a Joint Council of Catholics and Muslims it would be advisable to broaden its spectrum to include Europe, to create a system of information exchange and to coordinate actions.

Janina Katz - A Danish free-lance writer, the laureate of prestigious Danish literary awards, a translator of poetry by Milosz, Szymborska, Herbert, Lipska, Rozewicz and prose by Konwicki and Mrozek. Janina Katz comes from Krakow

Janina Katz (mp3/4,2 MB)- Polish version only

The Conversation with Janina Katz - a summary: After the publication of Mahomet's caricatures and the protests, which followed, we encounter in Denmark a great diversity of attitudes usually related to political views: some condemn the publication of caricatures, others condemn sucking up to the terrorists and the yielding to pressure, which usually leads to no good. Others tend to blame the government or the People's Party, which sharply criticized the Muslims in Denmark and accused them of negligence work and growing crime.However there are also those, who think the publication had its positive side, because a distinct division has been disclosed. It is also important to note the emergence of a democratic Muslim organization which strives to reach some form of an agreement. Also, a different formation of moderate Muslims has emerged, which however makes use of Muslim propaganda and calls riots and murders - "diplomacy". The uproar in the media related to this matter can hardly be tolerated any longer. It seems that those who published the caricatures had not predicted such a course of events; they wanted to test people's reaction through the publication, but were unaware of the possibility of such volatile response and that some of the Danish Muslims would start anti-Danish and anti-European campaigns in the Arab countries. A prognosis of future events is very difficult, since we deal with an unpredictable element. One should not offend others, yet at the same time one should not yield to pressure...
The Muslim Democrats may be some hope for the future - hence dialogue with them seems vital.

Ziyad Raoof - The president of the Iraqi Democrats Association, the Plenipotentiary of the Regional Government of Kurdistan to Poland, a member of the Polish-Arab business council.

Ziyad Raoof (mp3/3,2 MB)- Polish version only

The conversation with Ziyad Raoof - a summary: The publication of these caricatures caused serious damage that won't be easily amended. Undoubtedly they were not entirely spontaneous, as some people seemed willing to provoke a sudden conflict. It is not difficult - the world of Islam is a time bomb. The return to normality will be much more difficult. Obviously, one cannot blame the European countries for these publications. One has to remember that many African or Asian Muslims escaped their homelands exactly because they were deprived of freedom of speech and religion, that totalitarian dictatorship existed (and in some cases still exists) there. An in their search for help they turned to the European civilization.
Hostility towards Europe is usually a result of lack of knowledge. What can and should be done?
The dialogue should be expanded wherever possible. For me, the apologies of the editors for the publication of caricatures are quite satisfactory. Until now few steps have been undertaken, much more has to be done. I support the proposition of professor Chazbijewicz: the more dialogue, the better. One also has to search for deeper, true reasons of these conflicts. One has to remember that in Muslim countries no caricatures are published - people are murdered there. Some evil force must be responsible for this. Good coexistence is quite possible, and the Iraqi Kurdistan serves as an example.

Krzysztof Sliwinski - Holds a doctorate in biology and spent many years in Africa; during the period 2000-2004 Sliwinski was appointed Polish ambassador to Republic of South Africa. An activist of the democratic opposition, a collaborator of Tygodnik Powszechny and Znak.

Krzysztof Śliwiński (mp3/4,5 MB)- Polish version only

The conversation with Krzysztof Śliwinski - a summary: The conflict is sharp and should not be inflamed. Calmness and patience are necessary, with calming and mediation when possible. A time for a deeper discussion will come when the emotions cool down. Actually, the entire dispute is not of religious nature - the issue here is deliberate derision, i.e. provocation. One has to keep in mind that hope for a peaceful coexistence is futile if these different groups are practically separated from each other - the world itself is already "mixed", hence the only choice we face is: confrontation or dialogue. One has to strive for practical compromises, i.e. to seek people who think in a similar manner amongst believers of various religions, we have to get to know each other. Also, symbolic gestures are important, such as the one by John Paul II, who kissed the Koran. Also, one has to remember, that moderate Muslims are offended when identified with fundamentalists or terrorists. The main topic of this dialogue should be the identity of believers of various religions - not theology, but the very identity, extremely important in the age of pluralism.

Stefan Bratkowski - A political commentator, the honorary chairman of Polish Journalists Union.

Stefan Bratkowski (mp3/4,6 MB)-Polish version only

The conversation with Stefan Bratkowski - a summary: The Tartars have lived within the borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland for over five centuries - they may have come from the Crimea. Gradually, they moved westward from the East. They became Polonized in the cultural domain, while retaining their Islamic faith. There are no traces of persecution or hostility - on the contrary, there were periods when relations with the Tartars have been particularly welcomed. Many Tartars received coats of arms from Polish nobility, a number of famous Poles belonging to the present-day intelligentsia have Tartar roots. Hence Polish Tartars may play a positive role in the Christian-Muslim dialogue. Therefore the idea of including representatives of other European countries in the Joint Council of Catholics and Muslims is certainly worth supporting.

Rev. Michal Czajkowski - A professor of theology, the co-president of the Polish Council of Christians and Jews.

Ks. Michał Czajkowski (mp3/3 MB)- Polish version only

The Conversation with ks. Michał Czajkowski - a summary: The International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) for years has lead a trilateral dialogue; the Polish Council is also interested in Islam. An important role may be played by the Polish Tartars. We have to remember that Islam does not have to be intolerant by nature. One has to keep in mind the great culture of Muslim countries of the past. Also one has to remember about their saints and martyrs. The "Day of Judaism" celebrated by the Catholic Church should have a more Christian, ecumenical character. Similarly the "Day of Islam". One should spread these ideas in the parishes and the subject matter of religious dialogue should supplement religious instruction in schools. In Poland little has been done in the field of theological and religious dialogue. Trilateral conferences and serious congresses are certainly required.

Maciej Kozlowski - Former minister of foreign affairs and Poland's ambassador to Israel; served in the American Department of the Polish ministry of foreign affairs.

Maciej Kozłowski (mp3/2,17 MB)- Polish version only

The conversation with Maciej Kozlowski - a summary: Maciej Kozlowski from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for the relations with the Jewish Diaspora, visited the US along with David Peleg, the Israeli Ambassador to Poland. During his trip a meeting with the newly elected leaders of the Polish American Congress with representatives of the American Jewish Committee from Chicago was arranged. This was the first meeting of representatives of the two organizations in almost 25 years. During the meeting an idea of joint visits to Poland and Israel of young Polish and Jewish leaders from the USA emerged -the initiative to overcome current isolation, to get to know each other, to understand the differences of sensitivity and knowledge. The first such trip will take place this year. Other initiatives are also contemplated, some of them will be realized - like the extremely important Museum of Polish Jewish History in Warsaw.

Zdzislaw Bielecki - The co-president (the Catholic-side) of the Joint Council of Catholics and Muslims, the president of the Work of Restore Love (D.O.M.) Foundation.

Zdzisław Bielecki (mp3/5,08 MB).

The conversation with Zdzisław Bielecki - a summary: In Poland a number of organizations deal with interreligious dialogue; what is missing is cooperation and support from the government. Z. Bielecki belongs to the Abrahamic Forum, where Jews, Christians and Muslims work together; however a wider structure is required, encompassing a number or religions. During his trip to Chechnya Bielecki, the chairman of the foundation The Work to Restore Love, got in touch with Muslims; the trip was a part of humanitarian aid for citizens of Grozny. By directing the convoy he insisted the aid should be passed to Chechnyans, whom he trusted; they, in turn, protected him when he was interrogated by the KGB. One day his helper, Mullah Achmed, wanted to say the evening prayer. Bielecki prayed by his side. Later the Mullah said: "you prayed just like us, will all your heart; you would've made a good Muslim". Bielecki responded: "I also saw you pray, you would have made a good Christian; but let's stay with our religions". This event became an impulse for the creation of the Joint Council of Catholics and Muslims.

Translation into English: Tomasz Lem