Pope To Meet With Islamic Envoy

The Pope has chosen to meet with an envoy of Muslim leaders to discuss what the Pope has said last week in Germany when he cited a quote from a byzzantine emporer.


www.cnn.com...

Benedict will meet Monday with ambassadors from predominantly Muslim countries. A Muslim council that advised the Italian government on integration issues also was expected to participate, the ANSA news agency said.

I personally am glad the Muslims will meet with the Pope, but I do not think a man of his status should be begging for forgivness from overly sensitive Muslims.

The pope said Sunday that he was "deeply sorry" about the reactions to his remarks and that they did not reflect his own opinions. Earlier this week, he said his comments were open to misinterpretation and that he had "deep respect" for Islam.

If you ask me, the leader of the Christian world (Catholic) begging Muslims for forgivness is not only a sign of weakness but submission, we are weak and the Islamic radicals have won. We fear them. What does the most powerful religious organization in the world have to fear from rioting ignorant religous radials burning flags in the streets?

mod edit: Added source provided by Rockpuck

[edit on 23-9-2006 by UK Wizard]

I don't believe that he's Begging for anything other then personal support from his own church as it is divided and the people as a whole are very loose at this time and wants reunification, he had to have known the ramification of the quote used and want reaction he would get in this sensitive time we are in. It was a small yet distructive comment, with intention to disrupt, the BIGGER QUESTION is WHY did he say it.

My answer:

www.abovetopsecret.com...'

I personally find it very sad that the Pope would have to apologize. Granted it is probably the right moral thing to do but it is a shame that the muslims have to act so childish.

If we had the time we could drag up a few derogatory remarks made by Muslims against almost any living being on this planet. The Quran has a few nasty little lines in it for a start. By the way, our local evening newspaper now actually quotes from the Quran in it's religious section at the end of the editorial column.

Originally posted by alien life uk
If we had the time we could drag up a few derogatory remarks made by Muslims against almost any living being on this planet. The Quran has a few nasty little lines in it for a start. By the way, our local evening newspaper now actually quotes from the Quran in it's religious section at the end of the editorial column.

well when its from someone in authority I'm sure we in the West will hear about it. Has a few nasty lines? You really haven't done your research, and so what if it now quotes the Qur'an?

Anyway, I am glad of the Pope's response, as aside from the problem being with 'over sensitive Muslims', he actually made some very bold and innacurate statements with regards to the fundamentals of Islam if one examines the speech, the problem was not, or should not have been entirely with that one quote from the Byzantine Emporer. This looks like a step towards 'Christendom' learning and clarifying about Islam, not bowing down to it.

Here is what Iran's supreme leader Khamanei said

"The accusation Pope brought on Islam's negligence of
contemplation (intellect) is just like denial of light of the Sun, because none of the heavenly books has emphasized the intellect to the extent the holy Quran did and the illuminating civilization of the Islamic Ummah is indication of Islam's focus on science."

www.worldpress.org...://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0609184560180355.htm

[edit on 22-9-2006 by sal88]

Arius I agree that the Pope should not have to appologize to Muslims, though I do think it shows Christians in a better light then Muslims, as they appear like you said like children.

It is Not about winning.

It is Not about appearing weak.

It is Not Even about Islam!

It IS about demostrating the Humility and Compassion which Jesus Himself taught!

I am no longer a practicing Catholic. In fact, I no longer even consider myself to be a Christian, in the accepted sense. Yet even I can recognize the Pope's basis for this act of apparent "contrition"; it is, as some might say "What Jesus might do".

Whether or not an offense against Islam was intended (and I would certainly hope that it was Not!) is immaterial; an offense was stated as percieved (If the Islamic out-cry persuant to the Pope's remarks are, in fact, no more than self-serving rants for purely political gain, those so engaged will have Allah to answer to.). Knowing neither the mind nor the heart of those claiming to be agrieved, the Pope must assume that he has indeed offended, however unitentionally. By the tenents of his own faith, the Pope must therefore attempt to make ammends with those claiming injury, or their representatives.

To ignore one you may have injured is a strange interpetation of Christ's Way, is it not?

Mmm I agree it should have something to do with religion as in he should appologize and be a bigger man, it is none the less political in nature and he will be seen all around the world as giving into over sensitive 3rd world muslims burning flags in the streets. From the leader of a religion to another, how is this not appearing weak? The Pope, leader of over 1 billion Catholics cannot speak his own mind, whether it was a quote or not.

This is getting ridiculous. First of all the Pope may have accomplished his goal, which was to have a dialogue about this problem in the muslim community over a long ago quoted remark (furthering a faith by the sword being wrong) not being addressed.

He didn't apologize for saying it, he expressed regret that it was misinterpreted.

The outbreak of violence and threats of violence over the quote the Pope used only reinforces what he said, something is wrong with this picture and we need to talk about it. The muslims that have chosen to react so vehemently are doing nothing to show the observation made a long time ago seem to have some truth to them. The fundamentalists don't see the irony and hypocrisy of this? These muslims need to be addressed by their own leaders and they aren't. This is what the Pope was calling for.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this meeting. Is it possible to accomplish anything when everything is being so twisted?

History will show that this pope is not to be compared with the less than holy pope's of the middle ages. At least he is trying to act like a Christian. When they keep provoking the west and the west finally lays the smack down I think history will show that the west did turn the cheek and were smacked in both cheeks before we react.

Yes, appologize to Muslims, but the hypocritical Muslims should appologize for their childish behavior, why is this not adressed by anyone? Why is it politically incorrect to observe the uncivilized nature of the PEOPLE of the islamic religion. Sure the religion preaches peace, though I my self doubt it is all about peace, it is a religion derived from the culture it was created in which has changed little in the past 1,500 years.