Religion Professor Shares Insights On Paris Terror Attack In Stockton
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Professor and lawyer Dr. Frank Romano travels the world promoting dialogues between people of different faiths and grassroots peace activism in areas of conflict.
Romano, a native Californian, lives and teaches in Paris, France. He was in Stockton Tuesday to promote his new book, Love and Terror in the Middle East. He explained to a group at Barnes & Noble that there a more similarities than differences in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
"I believe politicians sometimes and religious leaders tend to polarize people, try to convince them that they're so different and I think they have an ulterior motive sometimes," said Romano.
Romano was also held captive by Islamist extremists in 1978 Morocco. Then a student in Paris, Romano traveled to Morocco to research Islam, but said he entered the wrong mosque, run by extremists. He was eventually let go unharmed and returned to France.
Romano said the recent terrorist shootings at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, are not surprising and reflect what is going on in the Middle East.
"This was not an isolated event," said Romano.
"One of them, Cherif Kouachi, was already a part of an Iraq jihad movement. Isis, we're familiar with, declared in September that all Muslims should engage in jihad against Europeans. These two Algerians in September, I'm sure, were listening to this."
Romano doesn't believe France will take an anti-immigrant policy stand after the attacks, saying the anti-terror march showed a united France.
"It excluded the Front Nationalist Party, FN, which is the reactionary party on the right."
Romano said he thinks grassroots activism, not foreign policy, will do more for peace.
"The key to durable peace will be to work around our politicians," said Romano. Our politicians, Israeli politicians, Palestinian politicians have to many interests. Business interests rule the day and make the decisions. "
