Muslim leaders have accused the Pope of attacking the Islamic faith after a speech earlier this week in which Benedict XVI referred to the concept of jihad, or holy war, says The Times.
A statement issued by the Vatican last night to clarify what was meant and to apologise for causing offence appears only to have made things worse. Religious and political leaders from Turkey to Pakistan, and organisations ranging from international Islamic bodies to militant websites, have accused Pope Benedict of displaying ignorance and bigotry.
In his address at the University of Regensberg in Germany on Tuesday, Benedict quoted from a book recounting a dialogue on the truths of Christianity and Islam between Manuel Paleologos II, a 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor, and an educated Persian.
“The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war,” the Pope said.
“He said, I quote, ‘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’.”
Apparently aware of the delicacy of the issue, Benedict described the phrases on Islam as “brusque”, and pointed out several times that he was quoting – although he neither explicitly agreed with nor repudiated the emperor’s views.
“Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul,” the pontiff said.
But in the Islamic world this has been taken to indicate that the Pope straightforwardly endorsed Manuel Paleologos’s views.
According to India’s NDTV news channel: “The Vatican has clarified that it was just a quote from a Christian Emperor and not the pontiff’s views. However, people in Muslim countries across the world are demanding an apology.
“The already widening gulf between a Christian west and the Muslim world is now openly out on the streets.”
“Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has called the remarks “regrettable” and said that they could encourage violence at a time when governments are seeking an understanding between the world’s religions.
The Pakistani Parliament then unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the pontiff for making what it called “derogatory” comments about Islam.
” ‘We believe that this statement will lead to a clash of two civilisations, because the Pope, despite being a religious leader, has bracketed himself with Bush,’ said Hafez Hussain Ahmed, Leader, MMA.
While the Associated Press report says: Turkey’s ruling Islamic-rooted party joined a wave of criticism of Pope Benedict XVI on Friday, accusing him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades with remarks he made about Islam. A party official said the pontiff would go down in history ‘in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini’ for his words.”
According to the BBC: “This is not the first time Pope Benedict has been at the centre of criticism for his views on Islam.
“Before becoming Pope, Cardinal Ratzinger, as he was known, was considered a theological conservative.
“He appeared to be uncomfortable with Pope John Paul II’s attempts to improve dialogue with the Islamic world. His predecessor was the first pontiff to step inside a mosque, during a visit to Syria in 2001.
“During his time as a cardinal, Pope Benedict opposed Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, saying it belonged to a different cultural sphere, adding that its admission would be a grave error against the tide of history.
“And in 1996, he wrote that Islam had difficulty in adapting to modern life.”
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.