Why are the Muslims so offended by the Pope's comments?

Question

The pope quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th-century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam.

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," Benedict said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad 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.'"

Now they're going to blow something up and prove him right. Muslims say terrible things about every other belief system in the world. Hey, I have an idea.... Let's fight about who's imaginary friend is better!

Answer 1

Jesus didn't marry a 13 year old girl. Jesus wasn't a highway robber or rapist. Jesus didn't tell his followers to go kill non-believers.

Answer 2

Because the violent Islamic Mullahs can excite the ignorant masses of Muslims at the drop of a hat.

Muslims don't want us Christians to see the irony in Muslims being able to desecrate a Christian Temple in Jerusalem by spreading feces on images of Christ? But a Christian leader (the Pope) can’t remind people of what 14th century Byzantine emperor Manuel Paleolous II said about the profit Mohammad several hundred years ago. It wasn’t even the Popes own words or thought. He was repeating what Paleolous II supposedly said. . What’s with the hypersensitivity anyway?

The Muslims can dance in the streets; shout and yell; raise their fists all they want to but I do not believe the Pope owes Muslims an apology for anything.

Some have contended the terrorists are a form of radical Islam and a small minority of the faith. They say the large majority of Muslims are a peaceful people. I am beginning to wonder about these claims when I see the reported millions in the streets protesting what the Pope repeated.

Two faced or what? Is Islam a peaceful religion or a violence based religion? By what I am seeing and hearing, I would have to conclude the latter.

Muslims are proving they are dishonest and dangerous by their behavior.

Answer 3

superb questions. My take: Muslims don’t choose you and that i to make certain the irony in Muslims being waiting to desecrate a Christian Temple in Jerusalem via spreading feces on pictures of Christ? yet a Christian chief (the Pope) can’t remind human beings of what 14th century Byzantine emperor Manuel Paleolous II mentioned with reference to the income Mohammad various hundred years in the past. It wasn’t even the Popes very own words or theory. He substitute into repeating what Paleolous II supposedly mentioned. . What’s with the hypersensitive reaction besides? The Muslims can dance contained in the streets; shout and yell; strengthen their fists all they choose to yet i do no longer think the Pope owes Muslims an apology for something. some have contended the terrorists are a sort of radical Islam and a small minority of the religion. they say the great majority of Muslims are a non violent human beings. i'm placing out to ask your self approximately those claims when I see the reported hundreds of thousands contained in the streets protesting what the Pope repeated. 2 confronted or what? Is Islam a non violent faith or a violence based faith? via what i'm seeing and listening to, i'd would desire to end the latter. i think of Muslims would desire to get into the twenty first century and supply up their whining approximately each and everything. They exemplify the previous saying 'can dish it out, yet won't have the ability to take it'. hey, perhaps that has some Islamic origins to it.

Answer 4

Why in the world would a pope quote a conversation between Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar?

Is there no word in the 'Holy' Bible to speak of? Is there nothing better for a Pope to talk about but to condemn other religion?

Is this what Popes do? Create unnesessary outrage instead of focusing on peace and harmony?

Answer 5

I've thought alot about this.
At first, not being a Benedict fan, I thought he was in the wrong. After all that thought, though, I think otherwise.
Firstly, his point was a valid one: we must not act in ways contrary to God's will. Whatever religion it is, violence is not God's will. If Christianity, Islam, or whatever has used violence, it is contrary to God's will.
Secondly, Islam HAS been spread violently. Muslims all over the world are up-in-arms about this, but their historical consciousness seems to be lacking. Refusing to acknowledge the errors of one's tradition's past is dangerous.
Thirdly, when was the last time Benedict condemned anything a mullah or imam said that was inflammatory toward Christianity? I don't know the answer to this, but I don't think he ever has, aside from CONDEMNING VIOLENCE.
Fourthly, Benedict displayed a trait sorely lacking in the Muslim world: the ability and willingness to be critical about one's faith tradition. To my knowledge, there has never been an interior criticism of Islam by a Muslim; it would be deemed offensive and the critic would be condemned. This too is dangerous.
Islam is one of the world's great religions, and I believe that devout Muslims earnestly and honestly try to do God's will and live piously and peacefully. They are not exempt from criticism, though, just as Jews or Christians are not exempt from criticism. In aowrld growing more and more hostile over issues of honor and shame, it is necessary, if there is ever to be real peace, that we be honest with ourselves and with each other. This was Benedict's aim, and it is regrettable that what he said was ill-received. Christianity still needs to come to grips with its violent history; so too does Islam.

Answer 6

Because he quoted someone saying that much of what came from Mohammad was evil, such as advocating spreading Islam by the sword. He is the pot calling the kettle black, because some of what came from Christianity was also evil, such as the Inquisition and the Crusades.

Answer 7

Muslims are offended. It is like A Muslim saying Jesus is a Zombie because he was born again. or Jesus is a Bastard or something along those lines. If you dont read and UNDERSTAND the holy text then you cant make accusations about it.

THAT is why Muslims are Upset

Answer 8

The pope spoke about Islam without reading first its scriptures, the Noble Qur'an, and Prophet Muhammad's hadiths, but sufficed to cite a conversation between a Byzantine emperor and a Persian Muslim intellectual," said in a statement, a copy of which was sent to IslamOnline.net.

"The pope forgot that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came with a message that struck the right balance between this life and the Hereafter, between individual and society and between rights and duties," he added.

"Everything that Prophet Muhammad brought was good and by far surpassed the things brought by Christianity and Judaism," he continued.

Sheikh Qaradawi said Jihad in Islam is for self-defense and not to impose the Muslim faith on someone and the Noble Qur'an says: "There is no compulsion in religion."

"To say hat Prophet Muhammad brought evil and inhuman things like spreading faith by the sword is either a calumny or pure ignorance, in effect."

And the prominent scholar wondered: "Does the pope want to close the door on dialogue and new crusades to be readied?"

"We hoped that the pope would call for a constructive dialogue between all religions and civilizations to lay to rest clashes and feuds," he said.

Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, echoed Qaradawi's statements.

"The Pope's statements reflect his lack of wisdom. It is obvious from the statements that the Pope doesn't have a correct understanding of Islam," Syamsuddin told Reuters.

The Pakistani parliament Friday also unanimously called on the pontiff to take back his words.

"This House demands that the pope should retract his remarks in the interest of harmony between religions," said the resolution passed by the National Assembly of the overwhelmingly Muslim country.

Crusade Language

Sheikh Qaradawi wondered: "Does the pope want to close the door on dialogue and new crusades to be readied?"

The comments also stirred anger in India with the head of the National Commission for Minorities saying the Pope sounded like a medieval crusader.

"The language used by the pope sounds like that of his 12th century counterpart who ordered the crusades," said Hamid Ansari, chairman of the National Commission for Minorities.

A member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board also slammed the pope's words, saying they were "nothing but blasphemy," and called on Muslims to "exercise restraint and not lose their cool."

In Turkey, the Anatolian state news agency quoted Ali Bardakoglu, the head of Ankara's Directorate General for Religious Affairs, as describing the Pope's words as "extremely regrettable".

"I do not see any use in somebody visiting the Islamic world who thinks in this way about the holy prophet of Islam. He should first rid himself of feelings of hate," NTV's website quoted Bardakoglu as saying.

Bardakoglu, whose directorate controls all imams in Turkey and sends imams to Turkish communities abroad, recalled atrocities committed by Roman Catholic Crusaders during the Middle Ages in the name of their faith against Orthodox Christians and Jews as well as Muslims.

Answer 9

Both Christinaity and Islam are inherintly peaceful religions whose ideas have been warped by their followers.

Answer 10

The Pope should not be reading something like this in a speech. What if he were to read from the bible about plucking out your eye, or killing someone? That's just wrong. He is supposed to uphold peace, not cause hatred.

Answer 11

He quoted the wrong stuff, and being the pope, the main man of Christianity, he should know better.