Posted on 09/18/2006 3:35:45 PM PDT by Esther Ruth
Iranian leader urges more papal protests
By LEE KEATH,
29 minutes ago
CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida in Iraq warned Pope Benedict XVI on Monday that its war against Christianity and the West will go on until Islam takes over the world, and Iran's supreme leader called for more protests over the pontiff's remarks on Islam.
Protests broke out in South Asia and Indonesia, with angry Muslims saying Benedict's statement of regret a day earlier did not go far enough. In southern Iraq, demonstrators carrying black flags burned an effigy of the pope.
Islamic leaders around the world issued more condemnations of the pope's comments, but some moderates in the Middle East appeared to be trying to put a damper on the outrage, fearing it could spiral into attacks on Christians in the region.
On Sunday, Benedict said he was "deeply sorry" over any hurt caused by his comments made in a speech last week, in which he quoted a medieval text characterizing some of the Prophet Muhammad's teachings as "evil and inhuman" and calling Islam a religion spread by the sword.
Benedict said the remarks came from a text that didn't reflect his own opinion, but he did not retract what he said or say he was sorry he uttered what proved to be explosive words.
The Vatican on Monday sought to defuse the anger, ordering papal representatives around the world to meet with leaders of Muslim countries to explain the pope's point of view and full context of his speech.
Roman Catholic leaders stepped forward to defend the pontiff. At an Italian bishops' conference, Cardinal Camillo Ruini underlined the bishops' "total closeness and solidarity to the pope" and said they deplored interpretations of the pope's comments "which attribute to the Holy Father ... errors that he has not committed and aim at attacking his person and his ministry."
Few in the Islamic world were satisfied by Benedict's statement of regret.
"The pope's words have caused a deep wound in the hearts of Muslims that won't heal for a long time, and then only after a clear apology to Muslims," Egypt's religious affairs minister, Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq, wrote in a column in the government daily Al-Ahram on Monday.
An influential Egyptian cleric, Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, called for protests after weekly prayers on Friday, but maintained they should be peaceful.
Extremists said the pope's comments proved that the West was in a war against Islam.
Al-Qaida in Iraq and its allies said Muslims would be victorious and addressed the pope as "the worshipper of the cross," saying "you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. ... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose the 'jizya' tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (being killed by) the sword."
Islam forbids drinking alcohol and requires non-Muslims to pay the "jizya" tax, though those who convert are exempt. The tax, sometimes called a head tax, has not been imposed in Muslim nations in about 100 years, though Islamic militant groups have tried to force non-Muslims to pay it on a local level in some countries.
"You infidels and despots, we will continue our jihad (holy war) and never stop until God avails us to chop your necks and raise the fluttering banner of monotheism, when God's rule is established governing all people and nations," said the statement by the Mujahedeen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of Sunni Arab extremist groups in Iraq.
Al-Qaida in Iraq said Muslims would be victorious and addressed the pope as "the worshipper of the cross" saying "you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. ... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose the 'jizya' tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (being killed by) the sword."
Islam forbids drinking alcohol and requires non-Muslims to pay the 'jizya' tax, though they were exempt if they converted to Islam.or early 20th century, though Islamic militant groups have tried to force non-Muslims to pay it on a local level in some countries.
Another Iraqi extremist group, Ansar al-Sunna, challenged "sleeping Muslims" to prove their manhood by doing something other than "issuing statements or holding demonstrations."
"If the stupid pig is prancing with his blasphemies in his house," the group said in a Web statement, referring to the pope, "then let him wait for the day coming soon when the armies of the religion of right knock on the walls of Rome."
In Iran, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei used the comments to call for protests against the United States. He argued that while the pope may have been deceived into making his remarks, the words give the West an "excuse for suppressing Muslims" by depicting them as terrorists.
"Those who benefit from the pope's comments and drive their own arrogant policies should be targeted with attacks and protests," he said, referring to the United States.
The anger recalled the outrage earlier this year over cartoons depicting the prophet published by a Danish paper. The caricatures, which Muslims saw as insulting Muhammad, set off large, violent protests across the Islamic world.
So far, protests over the pope's comments have been smaller. However, there has been some violence: Attackers hurled firebombs at seven churches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the weekend, and a nun was shot to death in Somalia.
Some 200 Khamenei loyalists in the Syrian capital, Damascus, held a protest Monday at an Islamic shrine, dismissing the pope's apology. "The pope's sorrow was equivocal," read one banner.
Dozens protested outside the Vatican Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, and schools and shops in the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir shut their doors in protest.
"His comments really hurt Muslims all over the world," Umar Nawawi of the radical Islamic Defenders' Front said in Jakarta. "We should remind him not to say such things which can only fuel a holy war."
Islamic countries also asked the U.N. Human Rights Council to examine the question of religious tolerance. Malaysia's foreign minister, Syed Hamid Albar, said Benedict's apology was "inadequate to calm the anger."
In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood said the anger should not be allowed to hurt ties with the Middle East's Christian minorities. But worries among Christians in the region are high.
Guards have been posted around some churches, and the head of Egypt's Orthodox Coptic Church, Pope Shenouda III, disassociated himself from Benedict's statements.
The Dominican mission in Cairo also criticized Benedict's words, saying he chose a text for his speech that "revived the polemics of the past."
"These comments, seen by many Muslims as hurtful, risk encouraging extremists on all sides," it said in a statement, "and put in danger all the advances in dialogue made in recent decades."
Imagine the insanity of being asked to apologize for something said by somebody hundreds of years ago, or something done in a cartoon. You can't reason with people so wrapped up in a violent religion.
I do, however, propose to send Cleveland's own Kook-sin-itch to the offended muslims with an olive branch and maybe one of his Department Of Peace ambassadors to chat amiably with the poor souls. I'd be willing to risk Dennis the Menace's well being. Wouldn't you?
Nothing like keeping the fires all stoked up and getting everybody on board.
Hah. So Islam has some residual resentment against the non-Muslim. How about the resentment building to titanic proportions of the non-Muslim being tormented by the Muslim thugs at every turn?
Ethnic cleansing has become a most politically incorrect strategy in recent years, but at a certain point, political correctness be cursed for the handicap to clear action that it is.
I believe the term is "whup-ass". When things are over, former Muslims will be BEGGING to have the opportunity to become atheists, or Baptists, or Buddhists, or even Zoroastrians.
Don't matter what, just as long as the preference is not "Muslim".
The Mahdi’s (Amad's fav guy) ascendancy to power is said to be preceded by an army from the east who will be carrying black flags or banners of war.
Sheikh Kabbani states:
Hadith indicate that black flags coming from the area of Khorasan will signify the appearance of the Mahdi is nigh. Khorasan is in todays Iran, and some scholars have said that this hadith means when the black flags appear from Central Asia, i.e. in the direction of Khorasan, then the appearance of the Mahdi is imminent.
Another tradition states that:
The Messenger of Allah said: The black banners will come from the East and their hearts will be as firm as iron. Whoever hears of them should join them and give allegiance, even if it means crawling across snow.
In Islam there are two flags. One is white and one is black. Written across both flags in Arabic are the words, “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger”. The white flag is called Al-Liwaa and serves as the sign for the leader of the Muslim army and is the flag of the Islamic State. The black flag is called Ar-Raya and is used by the Muslim army. It is also called the flag of jihad, and is carried into battle. One flag is governmental and the other is a military flag.
When Muhammad returned to his home city of Mecca after being exiled for eight years, he returned as a conqueror. With him were ten thousand Muslim soldiers. They carried with them black flags. On the flags was one word written in Arabic: punishment.
I was once talking to a group of young Muslim men and asking them some questions. I asked them if the obvious superior militaries of America and Israel compared to the militaries of any Islamic nations were a source of difficulty for many Muslims. One of these men then became very angry at my question and snapped out, “You Americans and Zionists better get ready, because the black flags are coming!” At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about. Later I learned the meaning.
Satan is pissed off!
Let me make certain I’ve got this straight: (1) the Muslims are upset about the Catholic Pope’s recent remarks, particularly a historic quote asserting that Muhammad might condone (promote?) the spread of Islam by violent means; thereupon, (2) to demonstrate that Islam is indeed a religion of peace, contrary to the Pope’s direct or oblique suggestion, the Muslims (a) kill a Catholic nun, (b) burn several Catholic cathedrals and Jewish synagogues, (c) burn the Pope in effigy, (d) openly call for the assassination of the Pope, and (e) engage generally in violent activities inconsistent with civilized humanoid behavior. What’s wrong with this picture??? Tell me again why I should trust a Muslim in the context of peaceful coexistence?
This is the first time I've seen the word "liquor" used in this quote. Earlier versions used "wine" in their translations, which, when preceeded with a promise to "break up the cross," and, it's directed at the pope, I took as a reference to the Mass. So, no more churches, no more sacraments, and no more "bribing your way" through dhimmitude.
It's "convert or die."
So let me get this straight... The Muslims offend the Pope, who is the leader of the Christians... because the Pope was offending Mohammed... who is the leader of the Muslims..
Got it!
It's truly unfortunate that common sense doesn't seem to be a factor on how we MUST deal with these rabid animals.
Attempting to "understand" their sick culture will be our undoing.
More innocent Americans will die...perhaps you and me and our families in some nuclear nightmare.
It's probable that even something like THAT will not wake up these islamic appeasers, and you can expect a complete surrender as soon as the islamic knife is at their cowardly throats.
This whole business makes me physically ill.
Pakistani religious students march, holding a placard, right, which reads, 'apology is not enough, prove it practically,' to condemn the anti-Islam remarks of Pope Benedict XVI which hurt the sentiments of Muslims, Monday, Sept. 18, 2006 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Protests continued to demand that Pope apologize fully for his remarks on Islam and violence. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Pakistani religious student takes part in a march, holding a placard, right, reads, 'Muslim rulers hence take notice,' to condemn the anti-Islam remarks of Pope Benedict XVI which hurt the sentiments of Muslims, Monday, Sept 18, 2006 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Protests continued to demand that Pope apologize fully for his remarks on Islam and violence.(AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Girls attend a protest against remarks by Pope Benedict in Amman September 18, 2006. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN)
An Iraqi burns an effigy of Pope Benedict and a U.S. flag during a demonstration in Basra city, south of Iraq September 18, 2006. Chanting slogans and burning a white effigy of Pope Benedict, some 150 demonstrators in the Iraqi Shi'ite city of Basra demanded a papal apology on Monday for comments that have offended many Muslims worldwide. REUTERS/Atef Hassan (IRAQ)
Iraqis set fire to an effigy of Pope Benedict XVI during a protest in the southern city of Basra. Pope Benedict XVI's personal apology for criticising Islam has failed to stem anger in some parts of the Muslim world despite calls for calm from Islamic and Western leaders.(AFP/Essam Al-Sudani)
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