Pope's comments on Islam

[parihaka]

Pope Benedict XVI did not intend to offend Muslim sensibilities with remarks about holy war, the Vatican said Thursday night, scrambling to defend the pontiff as anger built in the Islamic world over some of his remarks during his pilgrimage in Germany.
"It certainly wasn't the intention of the pope to carry out a deep examination of jihad (holy war) and on Muslim thought on it, much less to offend the sensibility of Muslim believers," Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, who accompanied the pontiff on the trip, said in a statement after Benedict returned to Rome.
A few hours earlier, Turkey's top Islamic cleric asked Benedict to apologize about the remarks and unleashed a string of accusations against Christianity, raising tensions before the pontiff's planned visit to Turkey in November on what would be his first papal pilgrimage in a Muslim country.
Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu, a cleric who sets the religious agenda for Turkey, said he was deeply offended by remarks about Islamic holy war made Tuesday during the pilgrimage to the pontiff's homeland, and called the remarks "extraordinarily worrying, saddening and unfortunate."
Bardakoglu said that "if the pope was reflecting the spite, hatred and enmity" of others in the Christian world, then the situation was even worse.
The pope made his remarks on Islam in a speech in which he quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and an educated Persian on the truths of Christianity and Islam.
"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the pope said.
"He said, I quote, '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,'" he quoted the emperor as saying.
Clearly aware of the delicacy of the issue, Benedict added, "I quote," twice before pronouncing the phrases on Islam and described them as "brusque," while neither explicitly agreeing with nor repudiating them.
In Egypt, Mohammed Mahdi Akef, the leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, also called for an apology.
"The remarks do not express correct understanding of Islam and are merely wrong and distorted beliefs being repeated in the West," Akef said in a statement Thursday evening. Akef said he was "astonished that such remarks come from someone who sits on top of the Catholic church which has its influence on the public opinion in the West."
The 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, based in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia said it regretted "the pope's quote and for the other falsifications."
Militant Islamic Web sites also unleashed a scathing campaign against the pope.
Lombardi insisted that the pontiff respects Islam.
Benedict wants to "cultivate an attitude of respect and dialogue toward the other religions and cultures, obviously also toward Islam," Lombardi said in a statement released by the Vatican.
"It is opportune to note that that which is at the pope's heart is a clear and radical refusal of the religious motivation of violence," Lombardi said.
"Proper consideration of the religious dimension is, in fact, an essential premise for a fruitful dialogue with the great cultures and religions of the world," Lombardi said.
While in Germany, Lombardi said that the pontiff had not given an interpretation of Islam as "something violent," although the spokesman said the religion contained both violent and non-violent strains.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Akef contended that the pope's remarks "threaten world peace" and "pour oil on the fire and ignite the wrath of the whole Islamic world to prove the claims of enmity of politicians and religious men in the West to whatever is Islamic."
The Organization of the Islamic Conference expressed hopes that "this sudden campaign does not reflect a new trend for the Vatican policy toward the Islamic religion."
In his address Tuesday, Benedict did not touch directly on the current controversy over Islamic extremism, although it is an issue he follows closely with concern. In Cologne, Germany, last year he urged Islamic leaders to take responsibility for their communities and teach their young to abhor violence.
Although officially secular Turkey is 99 percent Muslim, the main purpose of the pope's pilgrimage there is to meet with the spiritual leader of the world's 200 million Orthodox, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, whose headquarters, for historical reasons, are in Istanbul.
As recently as Saturday, while flying to Germany, the pope mentioned Turkey as one of his next pilgrimages abroad.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/14/europe/EU_GEN_Vatican_Pope_Muslims_Angered.php

 

[sparten]

He is only a 1000 years to late about offending muslim sensibilities. Urban II did that.

 

[araz]

Interesting. Attack the Prophet(PBUH) and ridicule Jehad, call us war mongers__ offcourse he did not intend to offend Muslim sensibilities?????I wish he had lstened to Pope John Paul,s sermons. There is nothing more irresponsible in these times than to attack another religion when you are in a seat of such authority. Do we not have enough war mongers than to add one more?
Araz

 

[Awesome]

He didn't want to offend us. He just wanted to say bad things to the Prophet. Why should we care about that?

 

[A.Rahman]

Mein Kampf is his real bible,Come on guys give him a break; he just retired from the SS brigade.

 

[A.Rahman]

A statement from the Vatican failed to dampen growing worldwide Muslim anger over quotes in a papal speech that touched on the concept of holy war.

The Vatican last night said Pope Benedict XVI had not intended to offend when he quoted a 14th-century Christian emperor as saying the Prophet Muhammad had introduced only "evil and inhuman" ideas into the world.

"It certainly was not the intention of the Pope to carry out a deep examination of jihad and Muslim thought on it, much less to offend the sensibility of Muslim believers," a Vatican spokesman said.

The comments came after the Pope returned to Rome from his native Germany, where he delievered the speech.

Pakistan's parliament today unanimously adopted a resolution condemning him for making "derogatory" comments about Islam and seeking an apology from him for hurting the feelings of Muslims.

The resolution, put forward by the hardline MP Fazal Karim, was supported by both government and opposition MPs.

Chaudhry Ameer Hussain, the National Assembly speaker, allowed Mr Karim to move the resolution after he said the Pope had insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad by making "derogatory remarks".

The Lebanese prime minister, Fuad Saniora, instructed Lebanon's ambassador to the Vatican to seek clarifications on the pontiff's remarks, while Syria's grand mufti sent a letter to the Pope in which he said he feared the comments would worsen inter-faith relations.

The speech, about the relationship between science and religion, touched very briefly on the theme of holy war.

Stressing that the words were not his own, the Pope quoted from a book according to which, he said, the Byzantine emperor Manuel Paleologos II had said: "Show me just what Muhammad 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."
Clearly aware of the delicacy of the issue, the Pope used the words "I quote" twice before repeating the emperor's reported remarks on Islam, which he described as "brusque".

Since the pontiff's speech, given on Tuesday, Muslim leaders around the world have criticised his use of the emperor's words.

The Muslim Council of Britain has called on the Pope to urgently clarify his remarks. "The Byzantine emperor's views about Islam were ill-informed and, frankly, bigoted," Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, the organisation's secretary general, said.

"One would expect a religious leader such as the Pope to act and speak with responsibility and repudiate the Byzantine emperor's views in the interests of truth and harmonious relations between the followers of Islam and Catholicism."

An influential Iranian cleric joined the chorus, calling the comments "absurd" and claiming they showed the pontiff knew little about the religion.

Turkey's most senior Islamic cleric also asked the Pope to apologise for the remarks, which raised tensions ahead of the pontiff's planned visit to Turkey in November.

Ali Bardakoglu, a cleric who as the head of Turkey's religious affairs directorate sets the religious agenda for the country, said he was deeply offended by the remarks.

In Egypt, Mohammed Mahdi Akef, the leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, joined the calls for an official apology, saying the remarks quoted "do not express correct understanding of Islam and are merely wrong and distorted beliefs being repeated in the west".

However, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, came to the Pope's defence and said Muslims must learn to enter into dialogue without "crying foul".

"The Pope is a distinguished scholar and one unlikely to say offensive things," he said. "If he quoted something said 600 years ago, we should not assume that this represents the Pope's beliefs about Islam today. "Muslims, as well as Christians, must learn to enter into dialogue without crying foul. We live in perilous times, and we must not only separate religion from violence but also not give religious legitimacy to violence in any shape or form."

 

[A.Rahman]

I think this verse suits this topic:

002.011YUSUFALI:
When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only Want to make peace

 

[A.Rahman]

Pope weighs into controversy over Islam and violence during Germany visit

uploaded 13 Sep 2006



Canadian Press

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

REGENSBURG, Germanyآ -- Pope Benedict stepped into the controversy over Islam and violence Tuesday, citing historic Christian commentary on holy war and forced conversion.

In a speech at the university where he once taught theology, Benedict made an unusual reference to jihad, or holy war...

Benedict's speech was about faith and reason, and how they cannot be separated and are essential for "that genuine dialogue of cultures and religions so urgently needed today."

The German Roman Catholic Pope quoted from a book recounting a conversation between a 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and an educated Persian on the truths of Christianity and Islam.

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the Pope said.

"He said, I quote, '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,'آ " he quoted the emperor as saying.

Clearly aware of the delicacy of the issue, Benedict added, "I quote," twice before pronouncing the phrases on Islam and described them as "brusque," while neither explicitly agreeing with nor repudiating them.

"The emperor goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable," Benedict said.

He did not relate the Persian scholar's response to the emperor.

"Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul," the pontiff said.

Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said the Pope was not giving an interpretation of Islam as "something violent" although the spokesman said the religion contains both violent and non-violent strains.

In the seventh conversation...the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels", he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: "Show me just what Muhammad 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."

Benedict did not touch directly on the current controversy over Islamic extremism, although it is an issue he follows closely with concern. In Cologne, Germany, last year he urged Islamic leaders to take responsibility for their communities and teach their young to abhor violence.

Last week, he told a gathering in Assisi, Italy, of Christian, Muslim and Jewish representatives that no one can "use the motive of religious difference as a reason or pretext for bellicose behaviour toward other human beings."

Benedict will make his first visit to a Muslim country in November, when he is scheduled to travel to Turkey.
....

In his university speech, Benedict stressed that "a reason which is deaf to the divine and which relegates religion into the realm of subcultures is incapable of entering a dialogue of cultures."

But he assured that his critique of modern reason "has nothing to do with putting the clock back."

"The positive aspects of modernity are to be acknowledged unreservedly," he said.

Source: Canada.com

 

[A.Rahman]

Comment of the Topic:

The Old Crusader habits die hard.

The same strains of bigotry, double standards and moral relativism we see generally in the West so clearly examplified by Bush and Blair run in the veins of this Pope.

He calls for Islamic leaders to 'take responsibility for their communities and teach their young to abhor violence' - will Christian leaders take responsibility for Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and the massacre of 250,000 Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent slaughter in Lebanon? What of the on-going slaughter in the Gaza?

Or are 'Chistians' graded on a 'different' scale? Is it alright for Christians to invade muslim lands and FORCE secularism (and Bush-Blair 'Bombed' Again Secular-Christianity) upon us and yet it is forbidden (violence/terrorism) for us to defend our people and lands?

He quotes from a Christian commentary of a Christian king and would not even quote the reply given by the 'Persian' scholar. Would he read the Islamic commentary on the same event? He calls for 'REASON' and yet cannot defend his faith by even bringing a balanced discussion?

Could he not 'reason' that IF Christians or Jews were 'forced' to convert to Islam, would there be Coptic Christians in Egypt? Or Croat or Serb Christians in the Balkans? Or Jews in Turkey and North Africa and even As Shams?

He is mistaken.

FORCED conversions is the speciality of the Christians. As happened to the Muslims and Jews of Al Andalus, during the protracted and Vatican sanctioned Spanish Inquisition - no doubt a moment of great quiet pride for Christiandom.

(Pope Sixtus IV promulgated the bull Exigit sinceras devotionis affectus, through which the Inquisition was established in the Kingdom of Castile, on November 1, 1478. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition)

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has informed us of their sickness of the heart when He subhanahu wa ta'ala warns,

"Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with you unless you follow their form of religion.

 

[A.Rahman]

In quotes: Muslim reaction to Pope

Muslim political and religious leaders around the world have been reacting to a speech by Pope Benedict XVI in which he mentioned the Prophet Muhammad.


PAKISTANI PARLIAMENT
The derogatory remarks of the Pope about the philosophy of jihad and Prophet Muhammad have injured sentiments across the Muslim world and pose the danger of spreading acrimony among the religions.


HAMID ANSARI, CHAIRMAN OF INDIA'S MINORITY COMMISSION The language used by the Pope sounds like that of his 12th-Century counterpart who ordered the crusades... It surprises me because the Vatican has a very comprehensive relationship with the Muslim world".



DIN SYAMSUDDIN, HEAD OF MUHAMMAD, INDONESIA'S SECOND LARGEST MUSLIM ORGANISATION The Pope's statements reflect his lack of wisdom. It is obvious from the statements that the Pope doesn't have a correct understanding of Islam.



AHMAD KHATAMI, IRANIAN CLERIC
It is unfortunate to see that the leader of the world's Christians is so ill-informed about Islam and speaks so shamelessly. Muslims around the world would surely react to such weak arguments and will invite those who misunderstand Islam to learn about the religion. We say that such insults will spread the influence of Islam further.



MOHAMMED MAHDA AKEF, EGYPTIAN MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD The remarks do not express correct understanding of Islam and are merely wrong and distorted beliefs being repeated in the West.





SHEIKH YOUSSEF AL-QARDAWI, QATARI MUSLIM CLERIC AND HEAD OF ISLAMIC SCHOLARS' ASSOCIATION
Our hands are outstretched and our religion calls for peace, not for war, for love not for hatred, for tolerance, not for fanaticism, for knowing each other and not for disavowing each other. We condemn this and we want to know the explanation of this and what is intended by this. We call on the pope, the pontiff, to apologise to the Islamic nation because he has insulted its religion and Prophet, its faith and Sharia without any justification."




ALI BARDAKOGLU, SENIOR TURKISH MUSLIM I do not see any use in somebody visiting the Islamic world who thinks in this way about the holy prophet of Islam. He should first rid himself of feelings of hate.



SALIH KAPUSUZ, DEPUTY LEADER OF TURKEY'S RULING AK PARTY He has a dark mentality that comes from the darkness of the Middle Ages. He is a poor thing that has not benefited from the spirit of reform in the Christian world. It looks like an effort to revive the mentality of the Crusades.



GRAND AYATOLLAH MOHAMMAD HUSSEIN FADLALLAH, SENIOR LEBANESE SHIA CLERIC We do not accept the apology through Vatican channels ... and ask him to offer a personal apology - not through his officials - to Muslims for this false reading



ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE STATEMENT The OIC hopes that this sudden campaign does not reflect a new trend for the Vatican policy toward the Islamic religion ... and it expects the Vatican to express its real vision of Islam.



YOUSEF AL-KHOEI, HEAD OF ISLAMIC CHARITY He should really know better than quoting a 14th Century Christian emperor who was a political man who made his statements for a political reason... I do not know why people choose to quote things out of context when you have clear instructions in Islam which says no forced conversion. Why do we need a Christian emperor to tell us what Islam is?



DR MUHAMMAD ABDUL BARI, MUSLIM COUNCIL OF BRITAIN
One would expect a religious leader such as the Pope to act and speak with responsibility and repudiate the Byzantine emperor's views in the interests of truth and harmonious relations. Regrettably, the Pope did not do so and this has understandably caused a lot of dismay and hurt.

 

[Cheetah786]

Did he( ) said that before he Molested some boys or after.

 

[KashifAsrar]

Pope criticises Islamic extremism



Quotes Byzantine Emperor Saying Prophet Mohammed Has Brought Things Only Evil & Inhuman


Regensburg (Germany):
Pope Benedict XVI hit out at Islam and its concept of Holy War late Tuesday during one of the last public appearances of his six-day visit to his Bavarian homeland.
The thinly-veiled attack on extremist Islam’s justification for terrorism came in a complex theological lecture to staff and students at the University of Regensburg, where the former Joseph Ratzinger taught theology in the 1970s.
Using the words, “Jihad” and “Holy War” in his lecture, the pope quoted criticisms of Prophet Mohammed by a 14th Century Byzantine Christian emperor, Manuel II.
“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,” Benedict quoted him as saying in a debate with a learned Persian.
“The emperor goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable,” said Benedict, during his 32-minute lecture on the relationship between faith and reason. “Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul,” he added.
Reiterating his concerns about a modern world “deaf” to God, he warned that other religious cultures saw the West’s exclusion of God “as an attack on their most profound convictions”. “A reason which is deaf to the divine and which relegates religion into the realm of subcultures is incapable of entering into the dialogue of cultures,” he said.
Although the section of the lecture dealing with Islam was relatively short, its inclusion made his address at Regensburg the most political of his six-day visit, which had previously dealt exclusively with spiritual matters.
Later presiding over an ecumenical meeting with Orthodox Christian and Protestant leaders, the pope led prayers for the success of ongoing discussions with other Churches aimed ultimately at uniting Christians, a clear aim of his pontificate. At an openair mass earlier on Tuesday attended by some 250,000 pilgrims, the pope urged them to stand up for their beliefs in the face of the “hatred and fanaticism” tarnishing religion. AFP

 

[sparten]

We have never been called evil and inhuman, by a member of the Hitler Youth before.

 

[glyn]

We have never been called evil and inhuman, by a member of the Hitler Youth before.

Ha ha. Very witty! I will send your comment around my circle of friends as I'm sure they will enjoy the irony. Well done!

 

[Neo]

We have never been called evil and inhuman, by a member of the Hitler Youth before.

Ouch...good one!