Please Don't Offend Those Who Desire to Kill You....

Muslims Burn The Pope in Effigy

It would seem that The Pope's recent speech regarding Islam has offended many Muslims. In this speech he was attempting to draw closer relations with Islam but perhaps unadvisedly used and old quote coupling Islam with violence. This has apparently pissed off the Muslim world.

Here is the quote from an obscure medieval text reording a debate between Byzantine emperor and an educated Persian:

"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."

This quote ired Many Muslims and calls for an apology were shouted from many clerics.

The Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, countered with

"It was certainly not the intention of the Holy Father to undertake a comprehensive study of the jihad and of Muslim ideas on the subject, still less to offend the sensibilities of the Muslim faithful."

Further, Father Miguel Ayuso Guixot, head of the Vatican's Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, stated that, he feared the Pope's words had been "misinterpreted". He added: "The Pope has worked tirelessly for inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue and for tolerance."

Apparently this appeasement was not enough for many.

In Beirut, Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, one of the world's top Shia Muslim clerics, said: "We demand that the Pope apologizes personally, and not through Vatican sources, to all Muslims for such a wrong interpretation." An influential Iranian cleric branded his remarks "absurd". Ahmad Khatami told worshippers at Tehran University: "The Pope has insulted Islam."

OK What to make of this?

Perhaps I am off, but I find it rather disingenuous for major Islamic leaders to shout their disturbance from the rooftops regarding the Pope's comments whilst they simultaneously remain near silent on the numerous violent attacks perpetrated on behalf of or in the name of Islam. How can we take seriously ANY indignation from these leaders?

Where is he angry condemnation from Muslim Clerics when another bomb goes off?

Where is the angry condemnation from Muslim Clerics everytime Osama or Al Queda releases another video detailing their murderous plans in the name of Allah?

Where is the angry condemnation from Muslim Clerics when another kidnap victim is beheaded in Allah's name and then sanctioned as justifiable by An Egyptian Cleric?

Sorry, but in my book, until these "Muslim Leaders/Clerics" stop talking out 2 sides of their mouths their credibility is SHITE. IM not sorry that, I refuse to accept any further hypocritical public bullshit from these doubletalking, selfserving "pillars of The Islamic Community." These are the same people who claim the the West's war on terror is actually a war on Islam. Uh, pardon me, but didn' Islam declare war on the west? Sure, one could argue that it is fringe members/radicals unassociated with mainstream Islam, BUT, until mainstream Islam starts denouncing these terrorist with the same vehemnce and righteous indignation as they denounce and old Catholic priest, then once again they sanction it and are responsible for it.

Carrying on: Further Proof that the BBC still has Head firmly implanted in own ARSE

In their article on the controversy, they take a faily critical viewpoint quoting Jesuit Scholar, Father Thomas Reese, an authority on the workings of the Vatican, told the BBC news website of his concerns: "The Pope's worst decision so far has been the exiling of Archbishop Fitzgerald," he said in an interview in April this year. "He was the smartest guy in the Vatican on relations with Muslims. You don't exile someone like that, you listen to them.

"If the Vatican says something dumb about Muslims, people will die in parts of Africa and churches will be burned in Indonesia, let alone what happens in the Middle East. "

Um, excuse there? So, what you are saying is that the Pope's obscure quote IS applicable today! If I read that correctly, if the The Pope says something Muslims don't like, people are going to DIE somewhere!

Lets take another look at that offending 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."

Hmmmm starting to ring a bit true......

Follow on Note:

To protest the Pope using a refernece saying Islam could be violent, some Palestineans did what? Oh yeah, some acts of violence!

Palestineans Attack 5 Churches