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Muslims Enraged By Pope's Remarks On Spreading Islam By Violence
Cybercast News Service ^ | 09/15/06 | Patrick Goodenough

Posted on 09/15/2006 7:40:18 AM PDT by Froufrou

Religious scholars and clerics across the Middle East are raging about Pope Benedict XVI's comments on Islam, which he made during a speech in Germany this week. Some are demanding that the pope apologize to the world's Muslims.

This is the latest of a series of rows over non-Muslims' views on Islam, although previous arguments have involved less prominent individuals than the head of the Roman Catholic Church, whom Catholics see as the direct spiritual descendant of the Apostle Peter - and whom some regard as God's representative on earth.

From the Egyptian Brotherhood in Egypt to Islamist clerics in the Gulf, from shari'a judges in Lebanon to top religious figures in Turkey, senior Muslims have criticized the pope's speech at the University of Regensburg in Bavaria on Tuesday.

Some have called on Muslim governments to sever ties with the Holy See and to expel Vatican representatives from their countries. A scheduled papal tour to Turkey in November also is drawing flak.

It's not clear whether critics who have slammed the pope have read the full transcript of his 3,700-word address, but what they have seen or heard is enough.

Specifically, Pope Benedict cited a 14th century discussion on Islam and Christianity between a learned Persian and the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus.

He quoted the emperor as saying to the Persian, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The pope told his academic audience that Emperor Manuel II had then explained why spreading faith through violence was unreasonable, that "violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul."

He also quoted the emperor as saying, "Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats ... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death ..."

In his scholarly discourse, the pope said Manuel II had argued that it was "unreasonable" to spread faith through violence.

Benedict spoke at some length about God being "reasonable." Quoting the verse from John's gospel in which John writes "In the beginning was the Word," he noted that the Greek word for "Word" - logos - also means "reason."

"John thus spoke the final word on the biblical concept of God," the pope said.

He concluded by saying that Christians invited "our partners in the dialogue of cultures" to reason.

The translation of the full text of the speech, as prepared for delivery, has been made available by the Vatican.

A Vatican spokesman said Thursday the pope wanted to "cultivate an attitude of respect and dialogue toward other religions and cultures - obviously toward Islam too"

"What is at the pope's heart is a clear and radical refusal of the religious motivation of violence," said spokesman Federico Lombardi.

Among those condemning the pope's words about violence and Islam were the head of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization based in numerous Arab countries which gave birth to the Hamas terrorist group in the Palestinian territories.

The pope also was criticized by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian-born scholar based in Qatar and regarded as the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. Qaradawi has come under fire for praising Palestinian suicide bombers and for calling on Muslims to fight against U.S. forces in Iraq.

Qaradawi was quoted as telling al-Jazeera television that the pope should "apologize to the Muslim nation for insulting its religion, its prophet and its beliefs."


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: benedictxvi; catholic; islam; muslims; pope; popebenedict; trop; truthhurtsbadboohoo
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To: thebaron512
worth repeating, here is the core truth of the situation and explains why we are at war with the Mohamedans
"Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world." -- Sir Winston Churchill

21 posted on 09/15/2006 7:50:17 AM PDT by Mark Felton ("Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.")
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To: edcoil

The true solution is for them to acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Saviour.


22 posted on 09/15/2006 7:51:02 AM PDT by Mark Felton ("Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.")
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To: Mark Felton
"Finally a Pope who knows the importance of telling the truth."

???????? Finally ????????

23 posted on 09/15/2006 7:51:07 AM PDT by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: MeanWestTexan
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1701712/posts
24 posted on 09/15/2006 7:52:49 AM PDT by Tripleplay
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To: avg_freeper

Avoiding the truth is akin to not telling the truth.

As a Bishop this Pope wrote a letter explaining how the greatest threat to civilization today is the spread of Islam. He was the first within the Vatican to begin to realize the most important struggle in the world.

Those who seek to destroy Christianity are the anti-Christ.


25 posted on 09/15/2006 7:53:27 AM PDT by Mark Felton ("Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.")
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To: Froufrou

Shouldn't Rosie ODonnell rebute this. The Pope is obviously a Christian Extremist.


26 posted on 09/15/2006 7:53:36 AM PDT by laissez- faire (Play Like A Champion Today)
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To: Mark Felton

A couple of days ago, Rush Limbaugh failed to realize this. He was blindsided by a woman caller who got him to say on the air the Islam is the ROP!!!


27 posted on 09/15/2006 7:53:57 AM PDT by fishtank
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To: Mark Felton

The more a Muslim tries to act like Mohamed then the more murderous they become.

The more a Christian tries to act like Jesus then the more peaceful they become.


Indeed. Documented here: Mohammed's Koran -- Jesus' New Testament

28 posted on 09/15/2006 7:54:12 AM PDT by EdReform (Protect our 2nd Amendment Rights - Join the NRA today - www.nra.org)
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To: stm

Swiss Guard has the gig.


29 posted on 09/15/2006 7:54:25 AM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: Tripleplay

osted on 09/14/2006 5:35:05 PM PDT by NYer

KASSEL, Germany, SEPT. 14, 2006 (Zenit.org).- A Turk has been arrested in the stabbing of a 70-year-old Salesian parish priest who was attacked at the door of his rectory.

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the attack last Monday on Father Aloys Weber.

The Salesian International News Agency (ANS) reported the incident Wednesday, detailing that the assailant repeatedly accused the priest of being "the incarnation of evil."

On Monday afternoon, the assailant went to the door of the rectory. When Father Weber opened the door, he was stabbed three times, twice in the abdomen and once near the heart.

The Salesian was rushed to the hospital, where he was operated on. He is listed in serious condition, ANS reported.


30 posted on 09/15/2006 7:54:41 AM PDT by Mark Felton ("Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.")
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To: Mark Felton

Right after the Catholic priest do and stop molestiong boys.

Sadly the church is more afraid of men then of God and the church seems to have lost its way.

I know this will get me flamed by a few of you but they will not respect us until we are respectable and get rid of the current leadership hiding these men.


31 posted on 09/15/2006 7:54:59 AM PDT by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
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To: edcoil

Dog bites man.


32 posted on 09/15/2006 7:55:29 AM PDT by poindexters brother
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To: Froufrou
An excellent take on Islam.

I am reading a very good book (by one of the best Military Stories' writer ever--IMHO--W.E.B. Griffin) "By Order of the President" in which a Russian character describes the problems with Muslims and their religious beliefs.

The Russian says the reason the "rag-heads" hate all infidels is because: "They got left behind and don't like it."

He continues: "Take away their oil reserves and what do they have?" "They once dominated the known world. Now with the exception of their oil, they are completely unimportant--more to the point, powerless--in the modern world. They simply don't have the skills and culture to compete in it. They gave the world mathematics, and some of the most wonderful architecture--so long as the architecture is based on one stone laid on top of another."

Continuing: "All the skyscrapers in the Arab world were designed and built by infidels And their airplanes were designed and built by infidels and their telephone systems...even their sewers. And they need the infidels to keep everything running."

Continuing: "This isn't the way Muhammad told them it was going to be. He promised them, in the Koran, that they would control the world. And they all know this because their higher education in the Arab world consists mostly of men--only men--memorizing the Koran. And since nothing is their fault, it has to be someone else's--the infidels.

More: "The Muslim world is four hundred--maybe five hundred--years behind the Western world, and adding to that problem is their religious hierarchy who likes it that way. People in power are never in favor of a system change that will see their power diminished. This is also true of the Western world of course."

Concluding: ”They have--as we see examples of just about every day--thousands, tens of thousands, perhaps many hundreds of thousands of faithful who are perfectly willing to sacrifice their lives because their mullahs tell them it will please God. And also send them directly to heaven, where they will be receive the attention of grateful whores. This, I think you will have to agree makes for a very dangerous situation for Western society"

While this is purported to be a fictional story, I believe Griffin has (from whatever source he garnered the above explanation) hit the nail right on the head.

33 posted on 09/15/2006 7:55:51 AM PDT by seasoned traditionalist (ALL MUSLIMS ARE NOT TERRORISTS, BUT ALL TERRORISTS WHO WANT TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY, ARE MUSLIMS)
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To: stm

I've heard they've got modern weapons as well....

34 posted on 09/15/2006 7:56:43 AM PDT by fishtank
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To: Tripleplay

Well, that didn't take long (happened yesterday):

"KASSEL, Germany, SEPT. 14, 2006 (Zenit.org).- A Turk has been arrested in the stabbing of a 70-year-old Salesian parish priest who was attacked at the door of his rectory.

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the attack last Monday on Father Aloys Weber.

The Salesian International News Agency (ANS) reported the incident Wednesday, detailing that the assailant repeatedly accused the priest of being "the incarnation of evil."

On Monday afternoon, the assailant went to the door of the rectory. When Father Weber opened the door, he was stabbed three times, twice in the abdomen and once near the heart.

The Salesian was rushed to the hospital, where he was operated on. He is listed in serious condition, ANS reported."

Islam means "peace," you know. (Blech).


35 posted on 09/15/2006 7:58:15 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Kol Hakavod Lezahal)
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To: Mark Felton

Dying en masse would work, too.


36 posted on 09/15/2006 7:58:45 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Kol Hakavod Lezahal)
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To: seasoned traditionalist

VERY interesting, and thanks for sharing! I have been told that Kuwaitis are all stinking rich. And do nothing! I can't factor this factoid into the resentment held by the Middle East for us. We work hard for what we have, and it's way less than their sheiks and 24-kt gold airplane fixtures have.


37 posted on 09/15/2006 7:59:06 AM PDT by Froufrou
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To: fishtank

Knights Templar, you know.


38 posted on 09/15/2006 8:00:16 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Kol Hakavod Lezahal)
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To: BipolarBob

What doesn't seriously piss them off?


39 posted on 09/15/2006 8:00:17 AM PDT by stockstrader
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To: laissez- faire

Oh, dear. I'm afraid she could whip him.


40 posted on 09/15/2006 8:00:57 AM PDT by Froufrou
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