Vatican defends pope's speech as criticism builds
USA Today On DeadlineSept. 15, 2006
The Vatican is defending remarks from Pope Benedict XVI after Islamic clerics and scholars said the pontiff's remarks on holy war were offensive to Muslims. The Associated Press has a summary of the controversial passage:
"The pope made his remarks on Islam in a speech Tuesday at the University of Regensburg. He quoted from a book in which 14th-century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel II Paleologos and a Persian have a conversation about truths of Christianity and Islam.
"'The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war,' Benedict 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."' Indicating the delicate nature of the topic, Benedict said 'I quote' twice before reading passages about Islam, and he described them as 'brusque.' However, he neither explicitly agreed with nor repudiated the passages."
Immediately following the speech, experts told The New York Times the entirety of the text was tougher on Western society than on Islamic soceity but also that the remarks "ran the risk of offense." A story today in the Times says some of the toughest responses are coming from Turkey, which the pope is scheduled to visit in November; and Pakistan's parliament today has condemned the pope and asked for an apology.
You can read the prepared text of the pope's speech on the Vatican website.
Posted by Patrick Cooper at 07:53 AM/ET, September 15, 2006 in World Permalink
posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 8:51 AM
2 Comments:
Thank you kindly for your comment and link. Pope Benedict, as the Vicar of Christ, is a voice of reason, rationality and Christian compassion crying out in the wilderness against irrationality and hatred. I'll definitely call the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C. to express my support.
God's blessings to you!
Thanks for directing me to these other videos concerning radical Islam's response to the Pope's speech in Regensburg.
Fighting violent jihad by providing a means by which a percentage of Americans can vote with their pocketbook at the gas pump is, I believe, a forward-looking and savvy initiative. Drying up the coffers of oil-rich state sponsers of terror through the successful implementation of such economic disincentives could greatly deter the export of violent jihad from these Islamist regimes.
Hopefully, your initiative will be wildly successful and become an increasingly effective instrument against militant Islam.
I've linked to your website below on this blog, in the subsection, "Fighting the Worldwide Jihad of Militant Islam".
Please also see my blog, "Crusaders for Truth," for further discussion on a Christian's response to Islam and terrorism.
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