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.
Only one tendancy associates Muslims with terrorism, and it is indeed sinister: the tendancy of Muslims to commit acts of terrorism.
As the leader of a faith who proclaims all humans are children of God, he esteems them for being beloved of God, and for the fact that they believe they adore God (even if we don't believe they do it right, or even if you believe the God they adore isn't the God of Abraham, like they think they do.)
Even if we hate what they do, even as we fight against what they want to do to us, they are still human, and therefore beloved of God.
But Benedict has made it clear in many places that he is not indifferent to walks of faith (meaning that he believes any faith is as good as another). He believes completely that Jesus is the way, and has written extensively on it. But he also wishes to be a peacemaker, too, which is to say, you don't insult the person you are trying to make peace with.
The part of him who believes, says "Islam, you are deficient in your belief," while the part of him who makes peace says, "We will have to agree to disagree, and let's learn to live together on the same world. And we will do this best by being reasonable together."
The Enemy, (and our enemies) of course, doesn't want reasonableness, because that allows dialogue, which may lead to the opening of hearts and minds to the truth.
And right now, the world view in the Islamic sphere thinks anything that doesn't go to further Islam is an attack, especially if it comes from America, Europe or Israel. And if anything goes wrong, it is an attack by America, Europe or Israel.
This then is the world we live in.
LOL! Translation: All us non-Muslims are sorry that you Muslims are offensive.
"Call it whatever you want but there is no way he showed courage. I have lost respect for him. I'm sick over this."
You have mentioned not being Catholic. Perhaps you were just looking for an excuse to not respect Pope Benedict XVI. But, since perhaps you are so much more courageous than the pope, get yourself on television that will be aired all over the world and tell the Muslims what you really think about them. Oh, btw - be sure to let the Islamofascists know where you live, just like they know where Pope Benedict lives. Then, and only then, will you have convince me that you are courageous. Until then, perhaps you are a wuss. Just saying.
Well said
Not at all because I consider ourselves allies. This is why I was so renewed with respect for him when I heard the original story. He knew he spoke for the world-wide Catholic church when he spoke the original words and he knew that all Muslims can locate the Vatican. I don't know if his words put him in danger from the Muslims or not although with these radicals, there is a risk.
However, now trying to back pedal will not remove the risk.
Radical Muslims also know where Bush lives. That's why the place is heavily fortified. At least Bush is willing to call Islamofascism for what it is and stick to it. I have a new respect for him since he started using the correct language. No one cares where I live but I have to be willing to call this spade a spade just like everyone else.
Stop saying this unless you can show any back pedaling! You are ignoring the facts and proving Catholic Iowan is correct.
having scanned the various threads on Pope Benedict's [non]apology, your's is most definitely a narrow minority view. it is clear there was no apology and your oft proclaimed lost respect for the Pope, and heartbreak over this, rings hollow.
Fine. You think he has not back pedaled and I do. We disagree.
well my goodness, of course you are entitled to your opinion. But there has been ample evidence presented on this thread to indicate that the Pope in no way negated even a single word that he originally uttered. his original statement stands without amendment. you were merely being asked to support your contention as to backpedaling by pointing out WHAT constitutes the backpedal, given that nothing he said has been in any way changed.
Here is something from another thread: "We want a personal apology (from the Pope). We feel that he has committed a grave error against us and that this mistake will only be removed through a personal apology," Muslim Brotherhood Deputy Leader Mohammed Habib told Reuters. "Has he presented a personal apology for statements by which he clearly is convinced? No," he said.
Ignoring reality is not a good thing.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1702603/posts
Now on CNN:
"(CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI has said he is "very upset" that his speech on Islam offended Muslims and expressed his respect for their faith, according to the Vatican."
You're right; no apology in that article, p.
The weakness and capitulation you apparently see in an act of apology isn't even an issue for the Pope. The Pope is not interested in an "in your face" defiance, nor is the Pope interested in a "Yeah, truth hurts, you sorry SOB" approach. Nor is the Pope even concerned about appearing weak or as capitulating. If you read his talk, you would see that the Pope is interested in a reconcilliation and a mutual understanding if not agreement on the true nature of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the dehellenization of the Church progressed. Those attitudes are left to those who cannot rise to the level of hoping and praying for reconcilliation of all faiths in the understanding of the nature of a God that is not pleased by violence and bloodshed, as the Pope stated.
I would really like to see these "moderate" Muslim leaders more concerned with the actions of their fellow muslims, and less concerned about what the Pope says.
There's a saying that "reality takes its revenge on those who deny it".
The reality is that the Pope said what he wanted to say, that he has not retracted it because there is no reason to do so, and that he actually is a very courageous man.
Any "religion" whose adherents take to the streets in violent protest as a result of a cartoon, or the quoting of a 14th century Pope forfeits any claim to be an actual religion.
If Muslims have such a thin skin and react with vitriol at the slightest provocation, they ought to try being a Christian in America, where we are slandered and legislated against EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!
As much as I respect President Bush, he also generally also can't say enough how Islam is a "religion of peace." Is that backpeddling, too?
As to your being willing to "call this spade a spade," I guess be glad you're not a public figure. If you were, and continued to be so brave, the Islamofascists might be looking for you, too. Tends to happen to those who dare speak out against Mohommad and his minions.
Thanks for trying hard to make the mistake of this bl00dy headline unhappen. Unfortunately, many post after reading the headline but without reading the rest of the thread...
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