Mentioning the Pope
Pope Benedict XVI spoke about
Islam and violence, and irrationality, intolerance
and violence resulting.
Several experts, Catholic Church and Islam,
agreed that the Pope’s speech did not appear to be a
major statement or condemnation of Islam.
The Pope’s quotation has been wrenched out of
context and called an example of Western
Islamophobia.
The first step of humility is unhesitating
obedience, which comes naturally to those who
cherish Christ above all. Attributed to the Pope.
The Benedictine legacy is one of submission to
authority and the new Benedict has already indicated
that this obedience must be expanded.
It is absolutely wrong to say the Holy Prophet
ever commanded his followers to “spread by the sword
the faith he preached”, is one Muslim scholar’s
comment.
After the quotation, the Pope went on to compare
Byzantine belief in Reason and the Muslim teaching
on God’s Transcendence.
The Pope afterwards called for positive and even
self-critical dialogue between world faiths.
The Pope’s words provide a golden opportunity for
Islam’s militants to inflame millions who have no
access to his full speech.
An Englishman, 40 years a Muslim, said he was not
hurt by the Pope’s words.But the response of many of
his fellow-Muslims was inappropriate.
 The Pope’s predecessor said churchmen must not be
afraid of being ‘signs of contradiction’ in modern
society by expressing unpopular views.
The Pontiff is more sophisticated than critical
Western comments might suggest. He’s not naïve. He
knows the stakes are high.
The Pope had meant to make clear that religion
went with reason and not violence.
The response - to the Pope’s perceived PR blunder
- by Muslim groups instead illustrates how
desperately the world needs to hear his message.
Instead of reaching out to help Muslims win their
battle for ideas against extremist, the Pope created
division and fuelled fanaticism.
The main-stream Media chattered about the Pope’s
lack of diplomacy and media savvy.
More alarming has been the lack of support from
Western political leaders for the Pope or for any
freedom of speech.
The question is not why Muslims are mad at us,
but why the governments of these nations have
portrayed us to their subjects in such a way to make
them mad at us?
Speaking truth and calling for a revival of
spiritual values seem quite important to the Pope.
St Benedict founded the Catholic monastic
tradition, a Church-refuge from the inherently
sinful world; demanding submission, humility,
unhesitating obedience.
Pope Benedict has warned about the dictatorship
of relativism, not recognising the definitive, the
highest value being one’s own ego and desires.
The Muslim faithful are called upon to think a
little more carefully about what the Pope has said.
A diplomat said the Pope had called a spade a
spade.
Is the quotation by the Pope from the Byzantine
Emperor offensive? It is.
The Pope has been called bigot, racist and
ignorant for that part of his speech, which offended
Muslims, in which he quoted ancient history.
“Christians and Muslims must learn to work
together in order to guard against all forms of
intolerance,” the Pope has said.
This was not just any quote that the Pope chose,
but possibly one of the most anti-Islamic quotes in
history.
Some may feel Muslims have overreacted on a minor
affair, but when someone of the Pope’s stature
speaks, millions listen.
The Pope’s address contained an invitation to a
frank and sincere dialogue with mutual respect.
What are the Pope’s views on the atrocities
committed by the Crusaders and the viciousness of
the Inquisition?
True Islam is not described in the Pontiff’s
speech: the analogy is absurd, like Jesus’s teaching
bearing on the relationship to aggressive Western
powers today.
Pope Benedict seeks better relations with Islam,
but he has one important provision – reciprocity (in
honest dialogue and treatment of Christians).
Islam has only partially experienced the modern
process of enlightenment and reform – something too
resisted by a number of pre-Vatican II Popes.
The Pope is said to agree with views of
conservative Muslim clerics that the teachings of
the Koran can not be modified in any way.
While the Pope rejects the simplistic notion that
Islam is evil, he is convinced that some of its
doctrines are morally indefensible.
The Pope’s view is that a profound ambiguity
about violence lies at the heart of Islam.
The Islamic understanding of God, believes the
Pope, is radically different from that of
Christianity.
The Pope’s remarks were at best ill-timed and
unhelpful. But the reaction – seeking to silence all
perceived criticism absolutely?
The Pope’s remarks could have been met (by
Islamic sources) with measured and reasoned debate.
The trigger for violence on each occasion (the
Danish cartoons, the Pope’s speech) was the claim
that Islam has been insulted.
Did nobody at the Vatican anticipate the Pope’s
words taken out of context and the likely Muslim
reaction?
Does he (writing his speeches himself) lack
experienced media-savvy advisers to warn him of a
remark’s inflammatory effects (on PR)? |
