Posted on 11/27/2006 7:22:31 AM PST by Mark Felton
ISTANBULTens of thousands of Turks have protested the Pope's visit to this Muslim country with placards and chants that denounced Benedict XVI as an enemy of Islam.
The protest of more than 25,000 people yesterday was an extraordinary sight in an officially secular country, where the government is counting on a smooth papal visit to boost Turkey's chances of joining the European Union.
"For Western civilization to develop it needs an enemy and the Pope openly says that this enemy is Islam," Recai Kutan, chairman of the Islamist Saadet Party, told the crowd.
The protestors jammed one of Istanbul's major boulevards, waving banners and Turkish flags under the gaze of 4,000 police backed by armoured vehicles and hovering helicopters.
One large English-language poster read, "Go home Pope" and showed the pontiff's face on the head of a pig, blood oozing from his mouth.
Another demanded he apologize for wars from the Christian crusades to Iraq. One accused the Vatican of producing terror while another said, "Jesus is not the son of God, he is a prophet of Islam."
In Rome, the spiritual leader of the world's Roman Catholics asked thousands of followers gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray for the success of his four-day trip to Turkey, which begins tomorrow.
"I want to send a cordial greeting to the dear Turkish people, rich in history and culture," the Pope said yesterday during his weekly noon address. "To these people and their representatives I express feelings of esteem and sincere friendship."
Benedict XVI sparked outrage in much of the Muslim world with a September speech in Germany, where he suggested Islam was rooted in violence. He later expressed regret for the offence his comments may have caused, but stopped short of the apology many in Turkey are demanding.
The Pope first angered many Turks in 2004 when, as the powerful Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he rejected the country's bid to join the 25-nation European Union, describing its Muslim faith as being "in permanent contrast" to Europe's Christian heritage.
His main mission is to support Turkey's dwindling Christian communities and work to heal a 1,000-year-old rift with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, regarded by many as the spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians.
Well we have a lot in agreement then. I just hope and pray that the Pope will be safe during his trip. Thank you for all the information you have given me.
Thank you. ^.^
You should go back and read the context of the discussion thread you jumped into. It was being used in terms of the idea of "getting them before they get us."
In the case of Iraq...
I find it both amusing and annoying that so many people here feel the need to turn every discussion of Asia Minor or the Middle East into an apologetic for the Bush Administration's adventurism in Iraq. It has nothing to do with the discussion at hand. The issue in this article is the Pope's trip to Turkey.
First place I thought of was San Francisco!
the Pope is incredibly concerned about Muslim agression and the Islamic takeover Western civilization. It will be part of his agenda.
Iraq dominates any meaningful discussion of Mid East hodtilities. It skews the perceptions and policies of both sides, the Turks and the Pope.
The dominating issue of the Iraq war is the validity and necessity of the war, and will further modulate the tone and attitudes of both parties.
Thus the validity of the war is of paramount concern to both parties.
I absolutely do not apologize for the war on behalf of Congress who are responsible for the war. Bush cannot choose to go to war.
Its a shame you get so defensive when justification is given for the Iraq war.
That people would choose to put blinders on and ignore the overriding context of the Popes visit to Turkey would be like discussing the Pope visiting Poland in 1943 without mentioning WWII or the NAZI's.
Iraq dominates any meaningful discussion of Mid East hodtilities. It skews the perceptions and policies of both sides, the Turks and the Pope.
What an utter load of subjective nonsense. I expect that the hateful pronouncements of the President of Iran and the conflicts between Israel and its various enemies is of as great a concern, if not moreso than US adventurism in Iraq. I can tell you with a certainty that the weight of centuries of Christian-Muslim hostilities is of far greater concern to him than the transient geo-political fizzle that is the US occupation of Iraq.
I absolutely do not apologize for the war on behalf of Congress who are responsible for the war. Bush cannot choose to go to war.
Don't be ridiculous. The bushbots and the neocons seem to be running from this ill-advised action faster than rats from a sinking ship. Your pitiful attempt at throwing the blame at Congress is utterly hilarious.
The only context in which Christianity is even remotely involved in the US action in Iraq is an evil one. The poor simpletons who believe they can hasten the eschaton are doing Satan's work if they think they can use this to establish the Kingdom of God. You can spin all you like, but the Pope (the current and previous) was and still is unequivocally opposed to our attack on and invasion of Iraq.
I repeat, you are on the wrong thread. The sooner you realize that everything discussed here is not about justifying Iraq, the sooner we can all move along to something far more important and meaningful.
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