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I agree that that this is not the role of a priest. I doubt that this incident, one of a long line of such, is going to reassure anyone here about the peaceful nature of Muslims, however.
True, priests should be the "blessed" peacemakers.
There are plenty enough folks to bash the fanatics. THEIR story is always and ever on the news in mind-numbing repetition. Nothing good is ever published about the almost 1 billion Muslims who DON'T murder. It's only the BAD news that makes OUR news.
Too bad the "Butcher of Baghdad's" evil, violence and murder, him being a Muslim fanatic too, wasn't broadcast with such mind-numbing repitition 25 years ago. We might not have ever have backed him so fiercely against Iran. Without a well-armed Hussein, there would not have been a Kuwait invasion and we might not have ever had to be there for Gulf Wars I and II.
The terror war might not have settled in there with such definitive resolve.
I think most Americans would be appalled at how the rest of the world publishes our violence (domestic and abroad) in mind-numbing repetition. Their remarks about us resemble NOTHING to do with reality, but they do sell toothpaste and make the Democrats here very happy.
Local people, Europeans and Muslim countries, that is, DON'T have the media's viewpoint. They know that their media are simply money merchants -- not unlike Sleazywood. Violence and bad news sells.
Business, travel, tourism, trade, commercialism, music, art, etc., show that most parts of the world have most of the people with brains who DON'T hate, revile and obssess because of labels and heinous actions of a few.
MOST people with brains CAN and DO separate religion and politics. Priests, by nature, should and do (mostly).