Mr. Miljkovic asks the following questions: "To show you how dangerous that may be for your health I would you to ask you a few questions: do you consider Israelis as religious nationalist?"
Answer: Some Israelis are religious nationalist and some are not, just as is the case with Croats and Serbs, some are religious nationalists and some are not.
"Are the Orthodox Jews fundamentalist?"
Answer: As I explained before, there is a difference between being strictly observant and being fundamentalist. A fundamentalist, by popular usage, refers to a person with violent intolerance for those of other religious and other beliefs within his own religion. So the man who killed the Muslims at the Hebron shrine and the small minority of Israelis who celebrate that man and who celebrate the killer of Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin are fundamentalists, whether or not they are Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform in their Jewish practice. Those who condemn such actions (the majority of Israelis) are not fundamentalists, whether or not they are Orthodox.
Question: "What is Mr. Jerry Falwell? Are the pro-life activists in our country fundamentalists?"
Answer: In some areas, such as fanatical hatred of homosexuals, I would consider Falwell and Pat Robertson both as fundamentalists, because they not only hate this group of people, but want to see them humiliated, ostracized, and open for attack.
As for pro-life activists, it depends on the method. Those who assassinate nurses or burn clinics are fundamentalists. Those who pursue their beliefs about a very important issue in a non-violent way are not fundamentalists.
Recently the Southern Baptist conference annnounced a campaign to convert Jews, with clear implications that Jews are misguided, at best. That is a sad decision and brings them into the fundamentalist shadow. I urge and hope they will rescind that decision. Decisions to convert people entail a value judgment that, when the people do not wish to be converted, slides easily into persecution.
Question: "After reading Mr. Izetbegovic's book "Islamic declaration" do you think that he is a fundamentalist, or an open minded Bosnian Muslim dedicated to multiethnic society in Bosnia?"
Answer: The book is less strident than some of the positions of Falwell and Robertson, and it does not demonize and demean other religions in the manner of Robertson, but in my view not compatible with a multiethnic society. It was written about twenty five years ago by a man enraged at communist repression of religion and sets out a hypothetical Islamic state. It is not part of the Bosnian constitution and not supported by the vast majority of Bosnians. I would put it in the fundamentalist camp, personally. On the other hand, Izetbegovic's later book, Islam Between East and West, advocates a much more moderate, clearly non-fundamentalist position.
Mr. Miljkovic, your questions are relevant and valid. I have answered them sincerely. But what is this language of yours about my discussions being "dangerous to your health?" Please explain exactly what you mean.
Michael Sells