Posted on 09/16/2006 5:25:37 AM PDT by Dark Skies
The Pope has apologised to the world's Muslim community after making comments about the history of Islam, according to media reports.
He said he hoped the speech had not been taken as being intentionally offensive and insisted that the Vatican was "strongly upset" by the Islamic world's reaction, the BBC reports.
Delivering a speech on Tuesday at a university in his homeland of Germany, Pope Benedict XVI quoted criticisms of the Prophet Muhammad made by 14th century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Palaeologus, who claimed that the Islamic prophet had brought "things only evil and inhuman" on the world, "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".
The Pope made a point of saying "I quote" during his speech in order to distance himself from the sentiment, but his comments have attracted widespread criticism from leading Muslims.
Their demands that the pontiff apologises for his speech, which explored the relationship between violence and faith, appear to have been met today.
Commentators claim that the Pope's planned visit to the mainly Islamic country of Turkey in November is now in jeopardy.
In the Gaza Strip, several thousand Palestinians took to the streets in protest at the Pope's comments, while Pakistan's national assembly unanimously passed a resolution calling on the pontiff to retract his statement.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf warned that "sinister tendencies" to associate terrorism with Muslims were helping to fuel a sense of alienation between the west and Islam.
"Our strategy must clearly oppose the sinister tendencies to associate terrorism with Islam and discrimination against Muslims, which are giving rise to an ominous alienation between the west and the world of Islam," said Mr Musharraf, addressing the Non-Aligned Movement's summit in Cuba.
The Pope's comments have also sparked outrage in the UK, where the Muslim Council of Britain had urged the head of the Catholic church to "urgently clarify" his comments, which the organisation said had caused "dismay and hurt" to Muslims.
Meanwhile, the first Muslim woman to enter the House of Lords has said that UK politicians must put pressure on the Pope to apologise for the "disappointment and hurt" caused by his remarks.
Speaking on Radio 4, Labour peer Baroness Uddin said: "I am worried about the current climate which licenses this type of irresponsible analysis of religion. If he did not mean it he should not have said it."
Urging Muslims to "show reverence and reflection" in their response to the Pope's comments, she added: "What I do not want is any effigy burning here or any irrational discussion. Already the environment is such that demonising Islam has become acceptable. We have got to be thoughtful in our responses."
However, German chancellor Angela Merkel has defended the pontiff, stressing that critics had misunderstood the aim of his speech.
"It was an invitation to dialogue between religions," said Ms Merkel, in an article published in the Bild newspaper today.
"What Benedict XVI emphasised was a decisive and uncompromising renunciation of all forms of violence in the name of religion," she stressed.
The Vatican has attempted to quell discontent over the Pope's comments by insisting that he was attempting to put across a "clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence".
"It was certainly not the intention of the Holy Father to undertake a comprehensive study of the jihad and of Muslim ideas on the subject, still less to offend the sensibilities of Muslim faithful," Vatican press office director Federico Lombardi said.
i am willing to bet that Catholics, those of his flock who know him and what he stands for, do NOT feel let down. i defintely do not.
That is a perfect illustration!
Again, there is NO APOLOGY!! It is media spin - pure and simple.
I believe Carolina was asking for the Pope's 'actual words' regarding his 'apology'. The Declaration (press release) is posted in post #110 w/ link. While the Declaration was released by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., I'd find it hard to believe that the Pope did not have a hand in its crafting.
Many are just looking for ways of further enforcing their ignorance and bigotry.
This whole situation was born of that, this UK report is thick with it, and the reaction from many on this thread is further proof of it.
You're wanting him to say something other than what he said in the first place. He simply gave an historical analysis of some of the problems that Islam has with the concept of reason and briefly mentioned forced "conversion" as one of the expressions of this. And he offered them a chance for dialogue - based on honesty - about it.
Saying he's sorry they're offended is not backtracking. He is sorry; he'd rather they act rationally and do some serious self-analysis and discussion. But he does not say that what he said was untrue, exaggerated or anything that he regrets. Just that he's sorry they're acting like idiots. Rabid, violent idiots, at that.
But what was the quote where he backtracks? Don't YOU know?
Exactly.
Muslims use any excuse to firebomb or riot, spread hatred and violence.
Just like a drunk...any excuse will work to blame someone else so they can do what they want to do anyway.
The Pope has more courage in is big toe than in all of the bodies and souls of some Freepers on this thread put together.
Bravissimo!
"Concerning the reaction of Muslim leaders to certain passages of the Holy Father's address at the University of Regensburg, it should be noted that what the Holy Father has to heart - and which emerges from an attentive reading of the text - is a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence.
And the muslim reaction to his comments indicates to the entire world just how integral violence is to islam. He is certainly sorry that is the truth, who isn't. But frankly, the muslim world has provided proof for his point, not repudiated or refuted it.
....an "i'm sorry" isn't enough....they want the Pope to convert....hello!
"Muslims who adore the only God". That is an extremely important qualifier. Too many people are either pretending they don't understand it or have worse reading comprehension skills than my four year old grandson.
I agree with you. They haven't changed in over 700 years. The quote still stands.
Ma'am...no disrespect but he doesn't need either your approval nor respect.....
He's got it from the over 1.2 billion Catholics on this planet plus a lot more who comprehended what he said......
Again...there was no apology.....he simply stated he was sorry if his remarks offended anyone BUT DID NOT RETRACT HIS REMARKS NOR ALTER THE VERACITY OF THEM......
Um...so hoping Muslims understand what he really said in his speech is apologizing?
OK, lets break this down - Confirming his respect and esteem for those who profess the Islamic faith, This applies to all people. The Pope respects life, and hopes all can come to Christ. Even murderers.
he (the Pope) hopes they will be helped to understand his words in their true sense.”
Now what was the “true sense” of his words? “Pope Benedict XVI quoted criticisms of the Prophet Muhammad made by 14th century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Palaeologus, who claimed that the Islamic prophet had brought "things only evil and inhuman" on the world, "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".
No retraction. He said it again! Islam brought things evil and inhuman on the world through violence.
I am very proud of Pope who spoke these words.
"there are quotes" geesh!
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