Pope Benedict's long mission to confront radical Islam

Guardian | Observer ^ | 9/17/06 | John Hooper

[LibWhacker]

Four days into his reign, Pope Benedict called the journalists who had been covering his election to what was billed as a press conference.

Addressing the assembled correspondents, photographers, camera operators, sound recordists and producers, he noted that the media were capable of reaching and influencing not only individuals, but whole masses of people - indeed, the whole of humanity. He thanked us all for our hard work in putting that awesome power at the service of the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican for a few days. Then he blessed us - and, just as the reporters present were preparing to stick up their hands to ask questions - he left.

[goldstategop]

The current Pope wants reciprocity. Muslims have complete religious freedom in the West while non-Muslims have none in the Muslim World. For reconciliation and peace to exist between religions there must be equality between them. The Muslims desire not equal status with others but the submission of others to them. Here is where we must draw the line.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[Ruth A.]

Good article.

[yldstrk]

I think it was a positive and important step into the future. Muslims have got to learn how to dialogue with spoken exchanges of thoughts. Muslim attitudes of superiority must be replaced with respect for others.

[Bringbackthedraft]

"And it is tragic and dangerous when one sows pain, either deliberately or carelessly." .....New York Times editorial

AGRRRRRRRRRRRR! Didn't they have this Pope written up in the NYT almost like he was a member of the SS Einsatz Gruppen, or something, before he became Pope? The NYT should practice what they preach.

[308MBR]

I'm afraid this is why he's predicted to be the next to last pope. The last one will probably be a muslim at heart.

[308MBR]

I agree.

Too bad about Notre Dame this weekend. Pride goeth before a fall.

[goldstategop]

Here is where I stick it to the New York Times - with a brand new tagline!

"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." -Manuel II Paleologus

[El Gato]

The Muslims desire not equal status with others but the submission of others to them

Indeed, "Islam" means submission. They try to say it means "peace", but the only "peace" it represents is the "peace" of the grave, or submission to Islam.

[DJ Taylor]

More and more it is becoming evident to even the most impartial observers that two disparate religions such as Christianity and Islam can never coexist peacefully together. Christianity, based on love; kindness; understanding; and forgiveness, can never coexist alongside people who have lost their souls to a religion that is based on hate, cruelty, intolerance, and murder as is Islam.

[goldstategop]

As long as Islam takes and never receives the War Of Civilizations will continue to the end of time.

"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." -Manuel II Paleologus

[siunevada]

Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, was an outgoing former actor with a natural talent for gauging the effect of his words. The new pope is a shy ex-professor. Yet he has not so far seen fit to equip himself with an adviser to guide him through the minefield of making public declarations on sensitive, complex issues in a media age.

A savvy confidant, like the previous papal spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who came from a national daily newspaper, Spain's ABC, might well have prevented the crisis that enveloped the Vatican this week. He would have spotted immediately the danger in the pope quoting someone describing the teachings of Mohammad as 'evil and inhuman' and tried to persuade the pontiff to express his ideas in a rather more tactful fashion.

I think this is a misjudgement. The shy professor who isn't media-savvy.

He's not a man without experience with the media in his previous position and he may have had some notion that the media who live for 'conflict' would lift ideas out of context from his speech.

[Right Wing Assault]

'Any remarks which offend Islam and Muslims are against Christ's teachings.' - Egypt's Christian Coptic Pope Shenouda III

Shenouda is saying that since his people are getting reamed by Egypt and he doesn't want to make it worse.

But any remarks (or actions) which offend Christians are NOT against Mohammed's teachings. Of course killing them is OK, too.

The problem is that our guy said be nice, so people can hit us over the head with that.

But Mohammed was an SOB and also a "prophet" so no one can criticize Muslims for being SOBs.

[El Gato]

NYT almost like he was a member of the SS Einsatz Gruppen, or something

Well, he was the head of the organization within the Church formerly known as "The Inquisition".

I can't wait to see how all this plays out. The Muzzies may not realize what they are in for.

[Frank_2001]

"Muslim attitudes of superiority must be replaced with respect for others."

In other words, they need to learn what is, to them, the unfathomable concept of TOLERANCE. So, why do the lefties keep making excuses for those Islamofascists? I mean, the Left is all about "tolerance", right?;)

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[The_Reader_David]

Note that both islam and salem have the same consonants, and thus, in a Semitic language are fundamentally the same word.

The problem lies not so much with the translation of Islam as 'peace', as in a defective concept of peace among Muslims, in which only the peace which follows the cessation of hostilities by a total conquest exists, and the notion of a negotiated peace, or peace as a state of lack of emnity between either equals or friends does not exist.

[sageb1]

"Muslim attitudes of superiority must be replaced with respect for others."

That would mean replacing the Qur'an with the "Book." ;)

[The_Reader_David]

The reason is simple. "Tolerance" for the secular left means hating the Gospel and the Torah, since by definition Christians and pious Jews (as opposed to the kind who run Hollywood) are 'intolerant' because they think people should restrain their natural lusts.

Muslims are far away, anti-Christian and anti-Jewish, and therefore are allies. The fact that close up and in power, they would even more rigorously regulate such things as sodomy, women's dress, and the like, doesn't seem to have occured to the left.

The spectacle of self-proclaimed 'progressives' lending support to people who want to spread a copy of 7th century Arabia over the entire globe is truly a wonder to behold.

[sageb1]

I'm wondering how many freepers pay attention to what Cardinals say around the world. From their ranks will come, perhaps, the last Pope.

[sageb1]

"As long as Islam takes and never receives the War Of Civilizations will continue to the end of time."

And the more they receive, the more they take.

[308MBR]

Plenty of "spokesmen" ARE running around apologizing right now.

[sageb1]

"he may have had some notion that the media who live for 'conflict' would lift ideas out of context from his speech."

Ya think? ;)

[goldstategop]

That's not surprising. They both share a mutual hatred of the West and its freedoms. As long the West exists, the Left and the Islamofascists will not let their differences divide them.

"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." -Manuel II Paleologus

[sageb1]

"Plenty of "spokesmen" ARE running around apologizing right now."

Are you referring to specific individuals? And if so, who?

[siunevada]

Ya think? ;)

He might be just a step or two ahead of Mr. Hooper of The Guardian.

[FreePoster]

"Pope Benedict's long mission to confront radical Islam"

The Vatican had better increase their military budget.

I like Pope Benedict, and I don't mind anything I read that he said. But talking about peace with Islam is just playing into the hands of the Islamofascists. Being nice is not going to impress or persuade them. In fact, they will just take it as progress in their efforts to make us cower. People have to stop being deluded by their wishful thinking about what they would like Islam to be. Islam, at least the kind that we read about in the news everyday, simply needs to be fought and defeated.

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

'Any remarks which offend Islam and Muslims are against Christ's teachings.' Egypt's Christian Coptic Pope Shenouda III"

ANY remarks???? That is absurd! I have been offended many times by remarks about the Catholic faith. I get over it! I accept it. I can handle being offended. I don't expect to be treated with kid gloves all the time, even when it comes to my religion. I don't think about how Jesus feels sorry for me when I get offended. I get over it without killing people and rioting in the streets. You don't even have to be religious to do that, you just have to be civilized and believe in free speech, freedom of religion and the right of free people to disagree.

[Kenservatized]

Peace...Smeace!

I have seen bumpers stickers I couldn't agree with more but I have reservations about sticking one on my car because I am a Christian. It is clever, though.

It reads, "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE. KILL TERRORISTS."

[FreePoster]

Any remarks which defend or uphold Christianity offend Islam.

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

My ideal bumper sticker is, "George W. Bush. Saving your a$$ whether you like it or not."

[RobbyS]

The proper role of man, according to the Koran, is to be the slave of God, who is perceived to be an oriental despot, like Mohammad and the Caliphs.

[RobbyS]

The liberals just don't think that the Islamists mean what they say. They think they are simply opposed to "imperialism," like Ho Chi Minh and his merry men. To them the religious rhetoric is not to be taken seriously.

[wolf78]

The most important passages of the article are the last ones:

Under Benedict, the key issue, in Vatican-speak, is not 'dialogue' but 'reciprocity'. Even before his election, there was a growing feeling among Catholic prelates that dialogue with Islam consisted largely of Catholic initiatives.

What is more, endless discussion did not seem to be solving the biggest outstanding problem between the two religions: that while Muslims were free to build mosques, worship and proselytise in the West, Christians were often denied religious freedom in Islamic countries.

Some of the smaller states on the Arabian peninsula have begun to allow Christians to practise their faith openly, but Saudi Arabia, for example, still bans all public expression of non-Muslim religions. In several other countries, Islamic law effectively deprived Christians of basic rights.

Benedict has made it clear that he sees freedom of worship as merely a start and that, for there to be full reciprocity, Catholic priests will need to be free to fish for souls in Muslim lands. Last May, he told a Vatican conference on immigration to and from Islamic countries, that while Christians had to respect Muslims, they also had the right to offer them what he called 'the Christian proposal'.

The German pope unquestionably respects Islam. But he equally unambiguously intends to stand his ground. The signs have been there ever since his inaugural mass. During the service, prayers were read out asking for God's intercession on behalf of oppressed Christians. Few noticed, but one was read in Arabic.

And with that the Pope is right.