The Catholic news organization quoted was Zenit. I'm pretty sure you've heard of them.
The link provided will take you to the original. Here's the article in full that is found at the link - note the headline:
ISLAM CO-OPTING FATIMA
Iranian TV: Our Lady of Fatima is Really Fatima, Daughter of the Prophet MohammedVATICAN CITY, MAY 13 (ZENIT) - On October 23, 1995, Iranian television began running stories that the apparitions in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 were religious phenomena of Muslim origin.
Growing Muslim interest in the holy site is sparked by the Portuguese town's name: Fatima, which is Arabic. Portugal and Spain were both once under Islamic rule, and are the only such countries to ever break free from such a government.
According to historical accounts, in 1156 a battle was fought between Christian and Muslim forces in the locality. A Christian knight saved a young girl named Fatma (Fatima) from the dangers of the pitched battle. Later she converted to Christianity and married the knight, only to die shortly afterwards. In grief, the knight became a monk and the town was renamed Fatima in her honor.
According to Iranian Television, the woman who appeared to the three shepherd children in 1917 was not the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, but Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam. Her message was reported to be "I am Fatima, daughter of the Prophet of Islam." This television report has helped launch the growing waves of Muslim pilgrims who have been visiting this Christian site in Portugal in recent years.
Catholics, on the other hand, say that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the three shepherd children. She told them to pray, especially encouraging the prayer of the Rosary. Lucía, the only surviving recipient of the vision, was entrusted with three "secrets," of which the third has never been made public. She recently assured that the third secret was never intended for general proclamation. Pope John Paul II has had a strong devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, especially since the failed assassination attempt of Ali Agca, which occurred precisely on May 13, 1991, the anniversary of the first vision at Fatima (May 13, 1917). ZA980513-3
Yeah, but the article seems to imply that the Catholic news organization was saying that, not Iranian TV.
>> According to Iranian Television, the woman who appeared to the three shepherd children in 1917 was not the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, but Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam. Her message was reported to be “I am Fatima, daughter of the Prophet of Islam.” This television report has helped launch the growing waves of Muslim pilgrims who have been visiting this Christian site in Portugal in recent years. <<
So Zenit never asserted that; it merely exposed the lies that Iranian television said. The authors said a Catholic News organization said the Our Lady of Fatima WAS the daughter of Islam, not that it reported that Muslims were saying so. The authors lied. They didn’t merely come to contentious conclusions, they outlied lied. Yet knowing this, you defended them as if they were telling the truth.
On an highly emotional spiritual level there has been a great common-ground meeting place between Rome and Mecca in the town of Fatima in Portugal. To quote a Catholic news organization, “Our Lady of Fatima is really Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Mohammed On October 23, 1995, Iranian television began running stories that the apparitions in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 were religious phenomena of Muslim origin.”17
This is how the quote appeared in the original article
A Christian knight saved a young girl named Fatma (Fatima) from the dangers of the pitched battle. Later she converted to Christianity and married the knight, only to die shortly afterwards. In grief, the knight became a monk and the town was renamed Fatima in her honor. According to Iranian Television, the woman who appeared to the three shepherd children in 1917 was not the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, but Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam. Her message was reported to be "I am Fatima, daughter of the Prophet of Islam."
Seems pretty disingenuous to me.....or a deliberate misrepresentation of the quote. The context is completely misrepresented. If the author is writing in truth, why such deception?