So,
what is all this about the Pope and Islam anyway?
Pope Benedict XVI says he's "deeply sorry" for unleashing a violent backlash across the Islamic world, insisting he never meant to endorse an obscure medieval text that characterized the Prophet Mohammed as evil and inhuman.
But the apology yesterday, coming five days after his controversial lecture in Germany, failed to satisfy some Muslim leaders, who say the head of the world's 1.1-billion Catholics must offer a more forceful denunciation of anti-Islamic views.
Protests and violence persisted in several countries, with churches set ablaze in the West Bank and a hard-line Iranian cleric accusing the Pope of joining U.S. President George W. Bush in a new crusade against Muslims.
In Somalia, an Italian nun was gunned down in a hospital where she worked, and the Vatican expressed concern that the attack might be related to the outrage over the Pope's remarks.
This is interesting... the Pope unleashed the violent backlash? I've not known popes to be violent for many years (they did used to have armies and be emperors, of course). Is that really what Pope Benedict said--that's he's sorry for unleashing a violent backlash. Let's quote more.
"I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims," he said. "These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought," the Pope said at his weekly Angelus prayer.
He said he hoped his remarks would "appease hearts" in the Islamic world and insisted that the "true meaning" of his academic lecture "was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with mutual respect."
Hmmm.. looks more like he's sorry they took it badly rather than he's sorry he said it, and he certainly didn't own up to (nor should he) "unleashing violence" himself.
"Two churches were set on fire in the West Bank, a day after Muslims hurled firebombs and fired guns at four other West Bank churches and one in the Gaza Strip." Doesn't sound like the pope himself lit any fires or tossed firebombs, does it?
According to Reuters, "An Iraqi militant group led by al-Qaeda vowed a war against the 'worshippers of the cross' in response to a recent speech by Pope Benedict on Islam that sparked anger across the Muslim world."
Wow--what is it he really said, anyway? Must have been horrible. I found it here:
The Pope's comments, made during a visit to his native Bavaria in southern Germany, were couched in an historical reference to a 14th century Byzantine emperor.
"He said, I quote, '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 said, quoting the Byzantine source on the Prophet Muhammad, founder of the Muslim faith.
Well, that is pretty harsh. The same could probably be said about most religions in their early years. Moses' Jews did some pretty terrible things taking the Canaanites out of Canaan. The Christians had their nifty crusades, and of course no one expects the Spanish Inquisition...to be forgotten.
Note that the story in the Globe and Mail also has this interesting tidbit:
Only minutes after saying that he was sorry about his remarks about Mohammed, he [the Pope] cited a sometimes controversial passage from the New Testament, highlighting the gulf between Christian and Jewish attitudes to the crucifixion of Jesus.
He quoted a verse from St. Paul, the New Testament author sometimes accused of anti-Semitism. "We preach the crucified Christ -- a scandal for the Jews, a folly for the pagans," he said, citing the Italian translation. Most English translations typically use a more nuanced rendition.
I wonder if the Jews will break out into violent protest and burn the Pope in effigy. Will Jews burn down any churches or toss firebombs? Anyone want to take bets they won't?
In general, Christianity and Judaism have progressed past their widely violent times. Sure, there are still a few kooks and fanatics here and there, but as a large group neither asks "WWJD?" What Would Jihadists Do?