To Muslims: On Tuesday, the Pope cited an old text that said some of the teachings of Muhammad...?

Question

...were "evil and inhuman." In response, no fewer than 8 churches were fire bombed and or burned down by Muslims in protest.

My question is: If Muhammad taught you to burn down churches whose parisioners have done nothing to you, then the quote is accurate, is it not?

Despite being Catholic, myself, I am usually defending Muslims and explaining Islam to my less learned friends. I have many Muslim friends, and although they as well as I are/am sympathetic, this kind of behaviour does not help the Muslim cause/struggle. Moderate Muslims--you must speak out against your violent brethren.

Answer 1

What follows below is my response to a friend’s email concerning the same issue as what is being discussed in this forum:

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Its one thing for the common street hoodlum, or radical foot soldier, in Muslim countries, to be enraged by the comments made by the Pope. I don’t expect many of them to take time to deliberate the issue, or subsume the Pope’s comments in the proper context. They are reactionary beings. However, you would think that Imams’ and other Muslim clerics would me more academic in their reception of comments made by other religious leaders, affording their colleagues on the other side of the religious spectrum a fair hearing. Instead these so called learned men of Muslim upbringing are just as reactionary as the ruffians on the streets of Palestine, or the insurgents attacking their own people in Iraq.

It’s bizarre that both Jews and Christians are called to make concessions and penance to placate Muslim sensitivities, and yet any offense to Christian ideals or people by Muslim authorities is met with deafening silence. When Christian churches are burned to the ground, when our iconography is desecrated because of Islamic militancy, and when death threats are levied on our most revered religious figures, no one in our ranks cries out for apologies or even reparations. No calls for the destruction of Mosques; no command for the assassination of Muslim leaders; and no vitriolic statements from our religious leaders are made concerning Muslim clerics. Even when the more radical fringe of Christendom – men like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson – make inflammatory remarks concerning Muslims and Islam, there is a large outcry from both mainline Christianity and the western secular media denouncing their statements as inane and immoral.

It is the Muslim world that has failed dismally in their efforts to do the same. We always point the incriminating finger at those within our fold that act in a manner that is in discord with what we believe to be the noble thing to do. Muslim “moderates” standby quietly giving tacit approval to the aggression of their more “radical” brethren.

Muslims constantly lament the disproportionate military response to 9/11 that Bush has made. Many in the Christian wing and in the rest of the western world have called him on it, and criticize him constantly for it. Yet when Muslim people attack Christian churches for something as trivial as a cartoon or an insensitive statement made by another Christian, no one talks about the Muslim disproportionate reaction. At least our attack of Afghanistan and Iraq, though focusing on the wrong people, returned violence for violence. Muslims, in reaction to mere rhetoric, returns temporarily hurtful words with violence. Words are eventually forgotten; a loss of life has repercussions that never really go away. You tell me who is responding in a more disproportionate fashion? Who in this scenario is responding more unjustly?

I wonder if Muslims realize how utterly feeble minded they look every time they respond like this? I am curious if “moderate” Muslims are cognizant of the fact that the more they remain mute concerning the wrong doings of their radical counterparts, the more the rest of the world will see them as one in the same? For my part, I a little doubtful as to how divergent “moderate” Muslims are ideologically from their “radical” colleagues. Both of them believe that Muhammad is the supreme prophet, one who supersedes even Jesus in divine significance. Muslims of both “radical” and “moderate” stripe believe that Muhammad is also the ultimate paradigm of human behavior; a model that should be emulated as close as possible. Both, if truly candid, must acknowledge that Muhammad, UNLIKE Jesus, who is the Christian’s primary example for living, was a military commander that took part in violence, order assassinations, and engaged in all the brutality associated with a military enterprise. He ordered the execution of those whose only sin was to ridicule him. These are historical facts attested to in their Qu’ran, Hadith, and secular Arabian history. Maybe the so called “moderate” Muslims don’t vocalize dissent against the “radicals” in their midst because they know, in their heart of hearts, that those the world likes to marginalize as “radicals” really represent the manner of behavior Muhammad would have condoned. The “moderates” remain silent, so as not to underscore their secret agreement with “radical” tactics and their own cowardice at not acting on principles they agree with.

I am disappointed at my Pope for apologizing for statements that are truthful. The truth is always offensive. Jesus made statements to the Pharisees that were infused with controversy. He never apologized for them, despite how inflammatory they might have been. There is no need for Pope Benedict XVI to qualify his statement with an appeal to proper context. Even as an isolated statement, the statements by the Byzantine emperor, that the Pope was quoting, are a truthful assessment of Islam’s prophet. The Catholic Church needs stop being politically correct. The Catholic Church needs to cease abiding by a culture of appeasement. Why should the Pope apologize for the narrow minds of those who cannot read a statement in its context, or who cannot admit to the dark side of their faith? Contrition and forgiveness are foundations to the Christian faith, but to be contrite, when one is not at fault, makes a mockery of reconciliation. If the church continues to be spineless like this, even I will want to leave it.

Answer 2

Worldwide leader of Catholic community quoting an 14 century emperor, that a major religion in the world with millions of followers worldwide, is evil and inhuman and it has not given anything good to humanity is really in poor taste. By quoting this he has not contributed anything positively to good-will between Christians and Muslims.

There are crores of Muslims in the world and few people take this into streets and react violently. All the media attention is got for these incidents and people think whole Muslim world is reacting violently.

Answer 3

I agree with you that this gives a bad image to Islam, but I also believe provoking Muslims all the time like that will lead to no solution. It is only human nature to want to get back at those who keep annoying you in a way or another and it seems the west has nothing better to do lately than to poke at and offend Islam.
And I do not think blaming people for REACTIONS is anything near justice.

Answer 4

Every Muslim was driven from Spain, or put to the sword, or forced to convert, whereas the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church remains in Istanbul to this day. Indeed, if comparisons are the issue, Muslims consider Christianity's record to be the darker of the two. Who was it, they ask, who preached the Crusades in the name of the Prince of Peace? Who instituted the inquisition, invented the rack and the stake as instruments of religion, and plunged Europe into its devastating wars of religion? (Huston Smith, The Illustrated World's Religions )

Answer 5

If that's true Vinny... that is very wrong of those Muslims. Some "Muslims" are violent people, but they really don't understand Islam. I doubt what they did was sanctioned or endorsed by their mosque or their local Muslim community. There are bad seeds in every community and it's those who probably don't attend prayers or educate themselves on their religion that commit such atrocities.

Answer 6

Imam Ibn Taymiyah, demanded the release of Christians POWs along with Muslims from Qultoo Shah—a Tartar after the sacking of Baghdad.

The Muslim state must also defend minorities against internal injustice or oppression and offer protection of body,blood, money (including that of Liquor and swine), property, Honor, Social Welfare Against Disability, Old Age, and Poverty, The Right to Freedom of Belief, The Right to Work and Earn Profits, The Right to Occupy State Ranks:

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was reported to have said, “He who unfairly treats a non-Muslim who keeps a peace treaty with Muslims, or undermines his rights, or burdens him beyond his capacity, or takes something from him without his consent; then I am his opponent on the Day of Judgment”. He is also reported to have said, “He who harms a non-Muslim who keeps a peace treaty with Muslims has harmed me, and he who harms me has harmed Allah”
“He who kills a non-Muslim who keeps a peace treaty with the Muslims will not smell the scent of Heaven, though its scent can be traced to as far as a march of 40 years”
“By Allah, respect the Copts of Egypt, for you shall conquer them, and they shall be your supporters in the cause of Allah”

See Full Article:

http://www.missionislam.com/conissues/motherofallterrorists.htm

Answer 7

It's OK. They can do whatever they want because they are sure they are getting revenge for Mohammad. That's what terrorism is all about...use violence to solve everything. Make people afraid to speak against Islam. Terrorism. Oh yeah, did I mention terrorism? If the shoe fits....

Answer 8

Here is a link to the English translation of the Pope's controversial speech: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060912_university-regensburg_en.html

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

Amen from the Moses corner.

They don't even respect their own Mosques, so how do you expect them to respect the house of worship from some other religion?

Answer 10

ayeaye matee good work. In addition i sugest none of us respond positively to sponcers of aggression and hate. That was really not too bright for him to do.

Answer 11

They went around proving that infact the Pope was right.