Muslims anger at Popes remarks

[speedymama]

Story here .

I wonder if a Fatwa will be taken out against the Pope who had the temerity to say something about Islam? His comments have been misconstrued and to be honest, I don't understand what all the fuss is about.

Both Christianity and Islam have a bloodthirsty history but I think that Muslims are becoming too hypersensitive towards their religion. Why is it that clerics like Abu Hanza can stand on the streets of London, spewing hateful rhetoric about the West but the minute anybody in the West says something about Islam, Muslims around the world get their headscarves and beards in a twist? Chill out for goodness sake. I don't recall the Muslim collective condenming the Iranian President when he called for Israel to be wiped of the planet. I'm certain that there are many Muslims who make disparaging remarks about Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism etc. Religion is not just about words, it is about living up to what you preach and how you treat others. No wonder so many people in this country are turned off religion.

I personally agreed with everything the Pope said and interestingly, so did my male Muslim friend.

[saadia]

In the current climate his comments were unwise to say the least. Why make things worse?

[southeastastra]

yes i sort of agree with saadia, why did he have to say anything

[bluejelly]

I have read what he actually said-- it was judgemental rather than inflammatory, but still think insensitive in the current climate.

Really got very little time for the pope I'm afraid. He could do a lot more to open dialogue ( as he claims he was doing in this instance) and reform the more medieval aspects of his church.

[expatinscotland]

He needs to spend more time focusing on his own church's needs rather than those of others, IMO.

[Blu]

I have read the transcript of the Popes full speech, and as far as I can see he was indeed quoting something that was aid by a 14c Christian Emperor, and I cannot then follow the logic through the rest, and apparantly main purpose and thrust, of his speech. The statement about Islam leads into an interesting discussion about whether God is self-transcendant (complicated but interesting philosophical point)...but I still can't quite work out why the Pope needed to quote all this....

But quoted widely as "Prophet Muhammad had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things, you could predict that that might be seen as hostile.

[HRHQueenOfQuotes]

What on earth was the point in bringing up something from history that was said such a long time ago!!! What did he think he was going to achieve.........obviously it wasn't a faux pas (sp) as his speech will have been read by several others before it was made 'public' and you would have thought at least one of those would have the sense to say "errr perhaps this isn't a wise thing to say"............

[bluejelly]

He was obviously badly advised [ironic emoticon]

[morningpaper]

It was a strange part of the speech ... I agree with Blu, I couldn't follow the logic of it myself

Nice pic of the BBC of some 'muslims' burning an effigy of the Pope in revenge for him calling Islam violent

DOH idiots

[Blu]

[Tinker]

[morningpaper]

Sobernow, you are in my prayers, along with your pagan children



Seriously, this is great shame; Benedict always gave them impression that he thought JPII was a bit soft with his interfaith work, which, sadly, was one of the indisputably good things he did. Benedict always had a cheery look on his face and a promise of dismantling it.

[kittywits]

I just think we should have freedom of speach back. There has been an incidious curbing of the right to speak one's views.
I am offended day in and day out by people, but hey that's part of life. You shouldn't expect to go through life without being offended .
Certain groups of people are just too up their own arses and they need to be told to live and let live. The muslims are especially awful in this respect. The trouble is that everyone does cower and give in to their demands for fear of violence. It's wrong, it's bullying and hypocrasy.
Voltaire said " I disaprove of what you're saying, but I defend to the deathh your right to say it"
This mad, mad world gets madder by the day and it frightens me. Where will it all end up?
Big brother seems more and more a reality now.

[Rhubarb]

I am offended by those who are constantly offended!

Have we no sense of humour left?

[speedymama]

Several weeks ago some Bengalis staged a protest about Monica Ali's book "Brick Lane" in response to filming that was taking place. When the journalist spoke to some of them, they admitted that they had not even read the book but still felt that they should protest. That was also the case with Salmon Rushdie's book, Satanic Verses.

That sums up the society that we have now. Freedom of speech and expression is being curtailed in order to cow-tow to the hypersensitve, easily offended bullies. The Pope, like Ali and Rushdie, was not insighting hatred or insulting Islam and imo, vituperative responses like burning effigies of him only illustrate the point he was trying to make which was that the use of violence in the name of religion is wrong.

Today, George Clooney called for the world community to come together to stop the genocide in Darfur (Arab Muslims are slaughtering indigenous black Africans). I think this is a more worthy issue for the decent and sincere followers of Islam to focus on rather than the Pope's speech but then again, pigs may fly.

[Rhubarb]

Exactly! Instead of going up in arms about how we are mistreating them and insulting them, how about they concentrate on what is happening in their home countries? Or the atrocities happening in other parts of the world? Staging huge protests about what someone has said when people are being butchered and raped and turned out of their homes just for having the audacity to be alive feels petty and uneducated imo.

[kittywits]

But it's very easy to throw a hissy fit and threaten to give someone a smack if you don't get what you want. It's not easy to address any actual problems, Why would they want to do that? Too much effort really.

[sorrell]

Well, I've little time for the Pope (irrelevant to my life completely) but it is his JOB to talk about religion. At least he wasn't calling for the killing of all non Catholics and wiping certain states off the face of the earth, eh?

[morningpaper]

Today, George Clooney called for the world community to come together to stop the genocide in Darfur

[sorrell]

Clooney's a good bloke and politically aware. I like him. Even though he is very good looking, has a palazzo in Italy and lives the life of Riley.

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

Strange isn't it, how Muslims can be offended by his words and they can then turn around and be violent in their protests?! How about a peaceful protest? Or is that against their religion?

And don't get me started on English flags and bingo halls called Mecca being offensive...hang on I just need to pop outside and see which country I live in...ah I think It's England.

Please close Englands door.

[kittywits]

I think the door was removed a while ago

[edam]

Agree, I'm sick of religious people complaining that they are 'offended' and somehow the rest of us have to dance round their delicate sensitivities. While they are more than happy to stamp on ours (ie non-religious people of all persuasions).

Pope's speech was indeed confusing but he made it clear the section that has caused the row was a quote.

Speedymama's dead right, a. most of the people protesting won't have bothered to check out the speech and b. the world is ignoring Darfur. I don't know whether the fact that the genocidal bastards in Darfur are Muslims has anything to do with the lack of action (and I wouldn't be surprised if there were non-Muslims in the government who are encouraging/permitting it too). But it's a notable point that is swept under the carpet in any discussion of the issue.

I saw a report from Darfur with a refugee recounting how her son was cowering behind her skirts as the militia rode through. They tore her son from her and threw him on a bonfire, FFS. That's what we should be condemning, along with all other atrocities committed by whichever faith/culture. Not speeches and plays, FFS.

[stitch]

i think you cannot equate the pope to some so called muslim cleric standing on the streets of london and spewing bile.
the pope, by definition is the leader of the christian church, he speaks for his followers who follow his lead. his words, do, and indeed should have more weight than abu hamza type blokes. iyswim.

quoting something like this, from half a millenium ago, was, i am sure a calculaated move. the church is nothing if not smart, they would have known exactly what sort of reaction this would provoke. and the people are providing it.
so instead of concentrating on the atrocities occuring in Darfur, or lebanon, the media is concentratingt elsewhere
sad

[surprise]

Definition of a Holy War - a fight over who has the best imaginary friend. Nuff said.