Pope on meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II

Pravda ^ | 12 September 2005

[Thinkin' Gal]

In this photo made available by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II and his wife Rania in the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, Monday, Sept. 12, 2005, a meeting the king said was a positive step in developing an honest dialogue between moderate Islam and the West. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano, Arturo Mari)

 

Pope on meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II

16:52 2005-09-12

Pope Benedict XVI met Monday with Jordan's King Abdullah II, who called the talks a positive step in developing honest dialogue between the Islamic world and the West.

Abdullah said in an opinion piece published Monday in the Corriere della Sera newspaper that his audience with the pope was part of the effort to build a dialogue between Islam and the West and that it "will take forward a positive and respectful dialogue between our two faiths."

Benedict has echoed similar themes in past comments about terrorism and relations with Muslims, the AP says.

Abdullah and his wife, Queen Rania, met with the pope at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

In his editorial, Abdullah called on the international community to reject attempts by extremists to create a clash of civilizations between Islam and the West.

He said such a clash weakens efforts to bring peace and prosperity to the world.

"All of us must assume the responsibility to reject hatred, ignorance and violence," Abdullah said. "This requires an honest and continuous dialogue between the West and the Islamic world."

During his meeting with Muslim leaders last month in Cologne, Germany, the pope invited Muslims to join Christians in trying to combat the spread of terrorism and "turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism" behind it.

Abdullah said Jordan's government had launched an initiative, the "Amman Message," which calls on Muslims to reject extremism, embrace moderation and tolerate other religions. He said the initiative sought to "unite the voices of moderation that constitute the majority of Muslims here in Italy, in Jordan and across the world."

[bearsgirl90]

He said the initiative sought to "unite the voices of moderation that constitute the majority of Muslims here in Italy, in Jordan and across the world."

Does anyone really buy this crap?

[Terpfen]

Well, according to your quote, the Pope does.

[Thinkin' Gal]

"All of us must assume the responsibility to reject hatred, ignorance and violence," Abdullah said. "This requires an honest and continuous dialogue between the West and the Islamic world."

Talk is cheap. "Continuous dialog" = continous whining and perpetual demands and tantrums in order to avoid accountability for the hideous blight on the planet known as Islam. And why do I suspect that the Islamic definition of "honest" is quite fluid, elastic, flexible, and/or just plain amorphous?

[Alberta's Child]

King Abdullah II is the key moderating force in the Arab world today. He's actually half British, and was educated at top prep schools in Great Britain and commissioned an officer in the British Army before attending Georgetown University in the late 1980s. His wife, Queen Rania, is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian who worked for Citibank and Apple Computer before they married. She's also one gorgeous Queen, I tell ya.

As the royal family of Jordan goes, so go the prospects for Western influence in the Middle East.

[Jeremiah Jr]

There’s that Cheshire cat grin again…