According to the Vatican, the Pope’s remarks have been misconstrued by those taking offence. The academic speech was meant as a “a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence, from whatever side it may come,” said Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
While the reactions have been modest compared to the beserk responses to the cartoons earlier in the year, among other things:
- Morocco withdrew its Ambassador to the Vatican
- an Egyptian political leader called the Pope’s remarks a mistake which would only be removed by a personal apology
- Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan called the comments “ugly and offensive” and said they should be withdrawn
- Yemen’s president publicly denounced the Pope
- 5 churches in the West Bank were attacked (this is more like we come to expect)
- Egypt’s foreign ministry summoned the Vatican envoy to Cairo to express “extreme regret” at Benedict’s speech.
No fatwas declared so far ….that we know of!
The Vatican said on Saturday the Pope was sorry Muslims had been offended and that his comments had been misconstrued, but Muslim countries and religious groups remained angry at what they said portrayed Islam as a religion tainted with violence. (Perhaps its the crazy jihadists carrying out barbaric acts in the name of Islam, and the crazed violent responses to being accused of violence that actually give Islam its PR problems?)
This is the comment that really made me laugh:
“How can (the Pope) imply that Muslims are the creators of terrorism in the world while it is the followers of Christianity who have been aggressive against every country of the Islamic world?” prominent Saudi cleric Salman al-Odeh said. “Who attacked Afghanistan and who invaded Iraq?”
Ummm … I’ll grant you the invasion of Iraq was pretty dodgy, but Afghanistan – even the most fanatical Islamist could hardly claim the Taliban were innocent of wrongdoing (harbouring Al Quaeda and its training camps) and did not deserve what they got.
I always thought that religious faith is supposed to bring with it inner calm and things like that. On the evidence we see of the behaviour of many Muslims, it doesn’t seem to be hitting the spot for them.
Update (18/09/2006): More reasoned and non-violent responses from those offended by the linking of Islam and violence.
Technorati Tags: Pope Benedict, Catholic Church, Vatican, Muslim, Islam, Mohammad, jihad, protests, violence, faith, religion
The quote that is being used is totally out of context to the rest of speech. The following lines after the offensive line were:
“God is not pleased by blood — and not acting reasonably is contrary to God’s nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. 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…”
It would be helpful if the instead of jumping up and down like madman they actually read the rest of the speech. Except they seem to like going nuts.
The problem with people like you and pop (oops pope) is that you dont understand what truely islam is. Just becoz someone goes out and blowup up a place he/she doesnt represent islam.
The media plays it all. And brainwashed people buy all the crap. See if a muslim guy speeds and gets a ticket, it will be all over media “islamic terrorist, has been detained for certain and certain crime”, But someone else, who isnt a muslim kills 50 people and yet he will be called, “a mentally disturbed, person did it”.
as for pope, he quoted it specifically piss of muslims, As for christians not being pissed off if someone badmouth chirstianity, becoz they dont give a shit about their religion.
The media beats up the story (it’s not just the perogative of the West), local population whips up into a frenzy, someone who may have said something they believed innocuous is turned into a focal point of outrage.
As a comparison point, did the Pope quote anyone about the blood shed before and after the Auto da Fé, or in bringing Christianity to Northern Europe?
I think the pope has a damn good understanding of islam. He’s study it for a several decades. The whole point of his speech was that one’s ideas of metaphysics can not be alter by violence. The way he went about saying it is not probably the best way.