What do you think about the Pope's speech on Islam?

[orangeblossom]

Muslims are demanding a "PERSONAL" apology from the Pope over his remarks on Islam. I read this in an article posted on the Lebanese news sites & it is all over the news.

Apparantly, in Lebanon the most senior Shiite cleric (Fadallah) denouced the Pope's recent remarks about Muslim Holy War, and demanded that the Pope 'personally' apologize for insulting Islam. Not only that, but it is spreading throughout the Muslim world. Please BARE IN MIND.....about a "Muslim Holy War."

Here is a quote, from the article, of what the Pope said in his speech that has them all in a stir:

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war. 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." -----Pope Benedict XVI.

This was quoted from a 14th Century book, that was in a conversation between Byzantine Emperor Manuel Palesologos II and an educated Persian, on the truth of Christianity and Islam.

Fadlallah's reasoning & others: He/they "protests in the strongest terms the Pope's comments, particularly (PAY ATTENTION) his quoting without ANY OCCASSION of the words of the emperor in which he insults Prophet Mohammad."

Well, let's look at some OCCASSIONS: 9/11, 3/11, London Bombings, Bali Bombings, India Train Bombings, Video Tapes of Beheadings, Insurgents in Iraq - bombings, President of Iran's letter to President Bush, kidnappings, the attempted bombing of Toronto, the attempted hyjacking of 10 American planes, HA's call of their 'Islamic Resistance & kidnapping,' TRAINING CAMPS, etc., etc., etc.

Not only that, but I refer the shia leaders to the programs as "Blood Libel." I point to the Imams' attention, all the calls BY their people......we are fighting a "Holy Jihad." ----I am sure I am NOT misquoting them on their video tapes that they submit to the world. They MUST truely believe that they can go on tv, even on Al Jazzerra, put down other religions, never anyone stating that this is wrong & pointing out elements of it. I refer to them all the video tapes that one can watch on Memri, that demonstrates their contempt and vicious remarks on other faiths. I would like to point out, that across the world, one can find video tapes on news, that shows we are actually called "pigs and monkeys" from staunch Islamic followers. They even make CARTOONS for their children on it. -------are these enough occassions?

When are we 'permitted' to rebuttal what they say? Never? Should we simply ignore the "reasons" that bombings are done for? What I am trying to say, is that they ACUTALLY GO on tv, scream their point about Islam in our faces, we got trouble in the world about it......and when someone says something.....they must then bend and 'apologize' for it.

I mean, let's face the facts.......the War on Terrorism is not against just people who are out for their own indiviual causes.....BUT ON PEOPLE WHO ARE 'FIGHTING by the SWORD' for Islam. To sugar-coat it, just makes a person more dumb. They just found more modern means to do it.

My only question now, is that since there was a HUGE uprise over the cartoons, are they NOW going to burn the Vatican down? I guess we will just have to wait and see.

[Agnosthiest]

You must have heard the headline news about Pope Benedict recently.

What do you think about his speech when he mentioned a quote stating that Islam's contribution to religion is evil and inhumane?

[Mil]

Flavor Flave!!!!!

[andak01]

You must have heard the headline news about Pope Benedict recently.

What do you think about his speech when he mentioned a quote stating that Islam's contribution to religion is evil and inhumane?

Honestly, neither I nor most people have read the entire speech in context. I think the media tends to exploit anything that is divisive. He didn't say it, he quoted it. I don't know the rest. If that's actually how he feels, I'm not sure I want to know the rest. Condemning one of the major religions of the world in a public speech is juvenile. In fact, it harkens back to the 13th century.

[Katoom]

The Pope, knowing well what the reaction of Muslims would be (remeber the Cartoon of Muhammad) should not have said what he said... If not for fear of his own saftey, then for the Millions of Christians who live in the Islamic world...

Two churches (Non-Catholic) were burned, and Al-Qaeda asked its followers to "Kill the Worshipers of the Cross"...

It is known worldwide that Muslims tend to get violent when they feel insulted... So my philosophy is "If you don't gain anything in pissing them off, don't piss them off"

[Aviva]

The Pope, knowing well what the reaction of Muslims would be (remeber the Cartoon of Muhammad) should not have said what he said...

So the world must adjust it's behaviour to please Muslims, now?

The Pope should stand his ground.

[Katoom]

So the world must adjust it's behaviour to please Muslims, now?

The Pope should stand his ground.

A Nun was shot and killed in Somalia...

Two Churches were burned....

Al-Qaeda has vowed to kill Christians (innocent Christians)...


What the Muslism did and will continue to do is disgusting, but my point is that the west and I'm sure the Pope knows their ugliness, so my question is:

Is it all worth it ??

[Aviva]

A Nun was shot and killed in Somalia...

Two Churches were burned....

Al-Qaeda has vowed to kill Christians (innocent Christians)...


What the Muslism did and will continue to do is disgusting, but my point is that the west and I'm sure the Pope knows their ugliness, so my question is:

Is it all worth it ??

I think it was a genuine mistake on the Pope's part. Many Muslims can't see this and just riot all the same. Maybe the Vatican thought they'd try to see the context on his comments or maybe they didn't have Muslims at the forefront of their mind when they wrote his speech.

My point is that the world should come out and condemn Muslims for their reaction rather than appeasing them or being scared of them.

[Katoom]

.

My point is that the world should come out and condemn Muslims for their reaction rather than appeasing them or being scared of them.

You're right...

but the problem is that out of the 1.2 Billion muslims, about 750 Million are uneducated people who will follow the Mullah's commands (Demonstrate, kill, destroy churches....etc)

people like Bin Laden, Nasrallah, Ahmedinejad,and abu Bakir Bashir are loose and they have a LOT of followers...

Instead of people (like the Nun in Mogadishu) getting killed, maybe the Pope can choose his words more wisely...

P.S : i am not Muslim and i hate muslims, but i live among Muslims and i know them well enough to know that they believe that the cartoon and the Pope's commets are LEGITIMATE reasons to Kill the "Infidels"...

[Aviva]

P.S : i am not Muslim and i hate muslims, but i live among Muslims and i know them well enough to know that they believe that the cartoon and the Pope's commets are LEGITIMATE reasons to Kill the "Infidels"...

Yes but we should all stand up against them and tell them they're wrong to behave like this and their claims are NOT legitimate.

I don't care how many of them there are.

[Agnosthiest]

Honestly, neither I nor most people have read the entire speech in context. I think the media tends to exploit anything that is divisive. He didn't say it, he quoted it. I don't know the rest. If that's actually how he feels, I'm not sure I want to know the rest. Condemning one of the major religions of the world in a public speech is juvenile. In fact, it harkens back to the 13th century.

here is the full speech of the pope...

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/06091802.html

particularly...

• I was reminded of all this recently, when I read the edition by Professor Theodore Khoury (Münster) of part of the dialogue carried on - perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near Ankara - by the erudite Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both. It was presumably the emperor himself who set down this dialogue, during the siege of Constantinople between 1394 and 1402; and this would explain why his arguments are given in greater detail than those of his Persian interlocutor. The dialogue ranges widely over the structures of faith contained in the Bible and in the Qur'an, and deals especially with the image of God and of man, while necessarily returning repeatedly to the relationship between - as they were called - three "Laws" or "rules of life": the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Qur'an. It is not my intention to discuss this question in the present lecture; here I would like to discuss only one point - itself rather marginal to the dialogue as a whole - which, in the context of the issue of "faith and reason", I found interesting and which can serve as the starting-point for my reflections on this issue.
  
  In the seventh conversation (controversy) edited by Professor Khoury, the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. The emperor must have known that surah 2, 256 reads: "There is no compulsion in religion". According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Qur'an, concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels", he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness, a brusqueness which leaves us astounded, on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: "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". The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. "God", he says, "is not pleased by blood - and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death...".
  

I must say, though it is the media's fault to exploit, it is the muslim world's fault to shoot first and ask questions later.

[Mediocrates]

I suppose it's easy to kill people who won't hit you back. What a ringing endorsement that is.

[Aviva]

I suppose it's easy to kill people who won't hit you back. What a ringing endorsement that is.

That's true.

Muslims shoot a nun in the back. I'm mean - I can't think of a more cowardly act.

[Agnosthiest]

Muslims shoot a nun in the back. I'm mean - I can't think of a more cowardly act.

Beslan, Russia. Massacred pre-school infidels.

[Turkısh_Boy]

P.S : i am not Muslim and i hate muslims, but i live among Muslims and i know them well enough to know that they believe that the cartoon and the Pope's commets are LEGITIMATE reasons to Kill the "Infidels"...

some muslıms arent so much care pope you cant say like that. Im sure that you even dont know much muslım person keep your idea in your body.....