A part of me is bemused and amused by the furore surrounding Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks regarding Islam. After all, I don’t hold a brief for the Pope. I regularly disagree with his pronouncements; sometimes vigorously. However, I haven’t yet resorted to demanding a public apology for the offence he has caused me (actually, he hasn’t, I don’t take offence easily), nor have I felt sufficiently inclined to parade through the streets burning effigies. I leave such behaviour to the infantile followers of the “religion of peace” as once more they wheel out their “victim” status and complain that they have been offended. So bloody what? It really is about time they got over themselves. Not that that is likely to happen any time soon. Complaining about being offended is the daily grist for this egregious religion.
Whatever the pontiff said, as prodicus points out, it’s not what he said, so much as the reaction that follows that is important, here. Although, I do recommend reading what he said, as it is perfectly reasonable and it is a quotation taken out of context that is stirring up the controversy. The pope didn’t say that the religion of Mohammed brought “…things only evil and inhuman”, it was the emperor Manuel II Paleologus who said it. You’d have to be incredibly stupid to come to any other conclusion. That or incredibly devious in convincing your followers (who, doubtless will not have read the text) to believe it. They wouldn’t stoop that low, would they?
It seems they would. Islamic governments are tripping over themselves to ignore the context and jump on the offended “victim” bandwagon before it rolls out of town. When the Pakistani government claims that Islam is a religion of tolerance, you have to admire their chutzpah. As this quote from spokes-woman Tasnim Aslam neatly demonstrates.
“Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence.”
Indeed, I would suggest that with her effortless delivery of such a self-contradictory statement, she would be ideal for a position in our Home Office. So, once more, the world of Islam confounds its critics by going out of its way to prove them right.
Islam is not a religion of tolerance and peace; it is a conquering religion of violence and brutality – the Pope was positively generous in his speech. Although it would seem that in suggesting that conversion by swordpoint is not a good thing, he touched a nerve or two. Indeed, much of this furore is probably because Emperor Manuel II Paleologus was right on the button and they know it. Methinks they doth protest too much.
L,
If they think the successor of St. Peter is going to apologise to Islam then they are on to plums.
Thanks for the link to the Pope’s speech. I hope to post on it this evening and your post and link are most helpful
On the BBC website, it showed Muslims burning an effigy of the Pope then kicking it to bits because they hated the fact he portrayed Muslims as angry and violent people. Can they not see the irony there?
You have to have a sense of humour to understand irony… :whistle:
lbhh
Very true.
But, it seems the pope is, indeed, going to apologize. I get so angry when people in the public eye buckle under and apologize to the bullies of the world.
So I see… :dry:
This sets a very bad precedent, that the bullies of Islam have only to stamp their feet and critics can be silenced. Bad show all round.
“But, it seems the pope is, indeed, going to apologize”
I agree that “This sets a very bad precedent”, if it were true. The text that the BBC has headlined as an apology is nothing of the sort.
In it, the vatican does express regret, but the regret is that HH’s remarks have been taken out of context. It then invites all to read the full speech to see that the flawed interpretation quite evidently could not have been his intention.
That is not an apology – it is a polite way of saying “grow up and read the full speech”.
I have other wider thoughts on this that I will need to post in due course.
This was the only quote I could find on Aunty’s site. On its own it’s a bit mealy mouthed and could be taken either way. I’d have preferred to see something a bit more forthright – well, your words would do very nicely. Do you have a link to the rest of the “apology”?