Muslims Not Satisfied by Pope’s Regret for Inflammatory Comments

In a speech last week that infuriated millions of people around the world, Pope Benedict XVI quoted a medieval text that called some of the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings "evil and inhuman" and said that Islam is a religion spread by the sword. Muslim countries and Islamic groups immediately reacted to the inflammatory comments, calling for the pope to apologize and retract his remarks. Seven churches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were firebombed, and a nun was shot to death in Somalia. So the ruler of the Catholic Church, who should be at least attempting to help guide the world to peace, instead caused further discord and violence.

On Sunday, Benedict responded to the criticism of his remarks by saying that he was "deeply sorry" for any hurt caused by his comments. He said that the text he quoted didn’t reflect his own opinion, but he stopped short of making an actual apology. He did not retract his comments or say that he was sorry for offending millions of Muslims around the world. By clearly ignoring the angry demands for an apology, the pope only served to inflame the situation further.

In South Asia and Indonesia, protests broke out within hours after Benedict’s "regret" statement, as furious Muslims said that the statement did not go far enough. Demonstrators in Iraq burned an effigy of the pope. Although some moderate leaders in the Middle East tried to put a damper on the public outrage, Islamic leaders in many countries condemned the pope’s lack of an apology. Egypt’s religious affairs minister, Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq, said that the pope’s comments "have caused a deep wound in the hearts of Muslims that won’t heal for a long time, and then only after a clear apology to Muslims."

The Vatican on Monday continued doing damage control by ordering Catholic leaders around the world to meet with the leaders of Muslim countries to explain the pope’s point of view and to discuss the full context of his speech and the reasons for his use of the medieval quotes. Cardinal Camillo Ruini said that the Italian bishops have "total closeness and solidarity to the pope" and that criticism of the pope’s comments is being leveled by those who "aim at attacking his person and his ministry."

But the word "ministry" can hardly be applied to comments that only served to fuel anger and increase violence. Al Qaeda in Iraq issued a statement Monday denouncing the pope and saying, "You and the West are doomed, as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, and elsewhere." The statement added, "We will continue our jihad (holy war) and never stop until God avails us to chop your necks and raise the fluttering banner of monotheism, when God’s rule is established governing all people and nations."

Ayatollah Ali Khamenie, the supreme leader of Iran, said that Muslims everywhere must rise up to protest against the United States. "Those who benefit from the pope’s comments and drive their own arrogant policies should be targeted with attacks and protests," he said.