Indian Muslims Burn The Pope In Effigy, To Prove Jihad Is Peaceful- The Pope didn't say anything negative about Islam. He quoted a 600-yr-old dialogue between a Christian and a Muslim to point out the differences in the two religions' respective approaches to Reason, and he allowed both sides to speak.
- Furthermore, his address was a critique of the West, not Islam.
As even The Guardian knows, the Pope is innocent of any slur on Islam. For his pains to engage is deep cultural dialogue, the Pope has been amply rewarded:
- Turkey may rescind his invitation to visit
“I do not think any good will come from the visit to the Muslim world of a person who has such ideas about Islam’s prophet,” Ali Bardakoglu, a cleric who is head of the Turkish government’s directorate of religious affairs, said in a television interview there. “He should first of all replace the grudge in his heart with moral values and respect for the other.”
- The Parliament of Pakistan voted unanimously to condemn him.
- All manner of Islamic councils and governments are demanding an apology.
I blame the French. If Agence France Presse had not mischaracterized the speech thus, I don't think we'd be having this conversation. Of course, it would help if AFP or anyone in the Muslim world actually read the Holy Father's speech. Nevertheless, could there be stronger proof of the Holy Father's larger point --that it's difficult to have a "dialogue" with a people who scorn Reason? Not impossible, but difficult. Talk about not knowing who your friends are.
Maybe it will all blow over; I know the Vatican will be humble in its response. But I have a gut feeling this incident may turn out to be one of those clarifying moments of history.
UPDATE: So now it's "Benedict's Blunder"? Like hell! AFP et al did it, as I said above, and The Anchoress nicely elaborates.
