http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1721144/posts
Islamic scholars dissent with Pope - cordially
Posted on 10/17/2006 by Teófilo
It is my hope that His Holiness considers the Muslim scholars' letter seriously. I have held that as soon as mobs began to gather, the pope's primary duty was to do whatever he could to defuse the situation, for the safety of his flock (short of denying dogmatic truths or doing/suggesting anything immoral). Unfortunately, the Vatican has done little in this regard, and that little was done quite late and quite ineptly.
The biggest problem is that what Benedict XVI said angered not only Muslim extremists, but angered even moderate and secularist Muslims. He really needs to rebuild those bridges, for the sake of the safety of Catholics and other Christians who live in Muslim neighborhoods around the world.
Taking this letter seriously would be a good step forward.
I dunno. Such issues must be an important matter of consideration, certainly. But I think you have to factor in the fact that any response that could be interpreted in any way -- even misinterpreted -- as "submissive" would only have encouraged extremist Muslims (and conversely discouraged moderates) including encouraging violence, including violence against subject Christians.
Gotta remember that, not as to Muslims as a whole, but as to those Muslims inclined to extremism and violence, you're basically dealing with THUGS here. It's a regrettable, but undeniable, rule of dealing with thugs that ANY expression of weakness, compromise or accommodation does not appease but them but rather encourages them and drives them to yet more extreme levels of violence.
In addition, even IF genuinely moderate Muslims were also offended by aspects of the Pope's remarks, it is still nevertheless, and whether they immediately recognize it or not, an insult to their dignity to be overly obsequious: to walk around them always on little tippy toes because they're just too delicate and sensitive to treat like grownups.