The Pope alienates Muslims
Stav:
September 19th, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI got into serious trouble last week with followers of Islam. He delivered a speech about the historical and philosophical differences between Christianity and Islam, focusing on the correlation between violence and faith at Regensburg University in his homeland Germany. The Bavarian born Pontiff, upset Muslims when he quoted the remarks of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologos, who claimed in Constantinople (present day Istanbul and capital of the former Christian Byzantine Empire) “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.” The particular quote caused offence to the Muslim world, which rejects any criticism of the prophet. There was widespread condemnation in Friday prayers in mosques in Beirut, Karachi, Cairo and Turkey, where the Pope is expected to visit. Maybe next time the head of the Catholic Church decides to comment on Islam, he should also mention the Catholic Church’s own past including acts such as the Spanish Inquisition and the crimes committed in the name of Christianity by the Conquistadores in Latin America.