We’re peaceful and we’ll burn anyone who says otherwise
Pope Benedict XVI has expressed regret for the reactions by Muslims to his speech last week where he quoted a Byzantine emperor who claimed the prophet Muhammed’s teaching had brought along “evil and inhuman” ideas.
In his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday (17 September), the pope said: “I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages in my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims.”
Some groups have accepted the Pope’s comments as an apology, others haven’t.
Anjem Choudary, of the banned Al Ghurabaa, told a demonstation yesterday that those who insulted Islam would be “subject to capital punishment”.
Yesterday he said: “The Muslims take their religion very seriously and non-Muslims must appreciate that and that must also understand that there may be serious consequences if you insult Islam and the prophet.
“Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment.”
He then resorts to the weasel defence of claiming: “I am here have a peaceful demonstration. But there may be people in Italy or other parts of the world who would carry that out.” Like the peasceful, tolerant people that murdered a nun, perhaps?
A doctor said the nun, who was named as Sister Leonella Sgorbati, from Piacenza in northern Italy, had been shot four times in the back by two men with pistols. The attack was linked by some to the Pope’s remarks.
A Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said he hoped it was “an isolated event”, adding: “We are worried about the consequences of this wave of hatred and hope it doesn’t have grave consequences for the church around the world.”
Elsewhere, Ken Livingstone’s buddy, Yusuf al-Qaradawi has called for a day of anger, saying the Pope had not apologised.
At least seven churches have now been attacked since the speech in areas under the Palestinian Authority.
MediaWatchWatch also notes that the Pope has also annoyed a few Jews as well by quoting from St Paul, the anti-semitic founder of Christianity: “We preach the crucified Christ - a scandal for the Jews, a folly for the pagans”.
Jewish representatives yesterday expressed surprise at the latest incursion into sensitive territory.
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, a member of the board of the Council of Christians and Jews recognised the Pope’s right to quote his own religious texts but suggested that “it may be unwise in the current climate to choose those which relate to other faiths.”
“However, it is especially important that anyone who does protest does so verbally, not physically, otherwise they put themselves even more at fault.”
And this is the point really, isn’t it. The Pope is clearly an intolerant bigot with a mentality stuck in the Middle Ages, but this doesn’t give other groups of violent intolerant bigots a right of veto over what he may or may not say.
Monday 18 Sep 2006 | Paul | Vatican
