Can someone explain the Islamic reaction to the Pope's comments?

Question

If the Islamic people want the rest of the world to understand their religion and their beliefs, then why do they react to comments about their violent nature with violence? Isn't this just reenforcing the rest of the world's image of what they are so upset about? I really want to understand all of this. If someone with an Islamic background could explain this to me, I would appreciate it a great deal. Thanks.

Answer 1

This is a case of ignorance breeding ignorance. Anyone who says anything about muslims is condenmed by others as racists, or facists and then the islamic fundamentalists go crazy (again). This is a prime example of what religion does.

Answer 2

I am a Muslim and can tell you that Muslims that are reacting in such a way are far from the true teachings of Islam.

What the Pope has said is wrong and I strongly disagree with the quote he used. The Pope is an intelligent man and must have known the kind of outrage this would cause. If he so wants to bridge the gap and understanding between Christainty and Islam then he should not have quoted from incorrect sources. His appology half harted and does not explain what sentiments or context he meant this in. He was clearly aware of the impact this would have and such I know exactly what sentiments and context this was meant in - to further attack Islam the religion of peace - the fastest growing religion in the world!

For correct views of the Holy Prophet Muhammad in the Eyes of Non-Muslims please see the following link:

http://www.alislam.org/library/links/eyes.html

Answer 3

Um....the Pope publicly said something really nasty and insulting? I am neither catholic nor Muslim, and I thought what the Pope said was totally wrong and unnecessary. Of course people are upset! He's blaming an entire religion and culture for the acts of a few fundamentalists who are using their religion as an excuse to promote their own agenda. It's kind of like how people on Y!Answers are blaming all Christians for the opinions and activities of the Christian fundamentalists whackjobs and Evangelicals. Generalizing and stereotyping any culture or group is just wrong, especially if you are a public figure. And people need to also remember that the Pope only represents the Catholic church, and not all Christians.

Answer 4

This morning's news is that they are not accepting his apology. He read a comment from a 14th century dialogue between an Islamic scholar and a Byzantine emperor discussing the place of violence in religion to make the point that violence is incompatible with religion. In response, Muslims reacted violently in their bid to prove that they are a peaceful religion. When given an apology that wasn't even necessary because of the context of the comment being misrepresented and taken out of context by the Islamic community, their response was to react with further violence and reject peace and forgiveness. They have proven the point that he wasn't even trying to make, and now, the MUSLIM'S owe the world an apology! They show themselves to be the people they take to the streets to protest that they are not.

"He said we're violent! No we're not! Let's riot to prove it!"

Answer 5

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060912_university-regensburg_en.html

Above is a link to the Pope's address that has so deeply offended
the Islamic community. I don't believe anyone needs to apologize for pointing out what is unfortunatly the obvious truth about Islam as practiced in the Middle East witnessed on our t.v's and published in every newspaper in the world . Islam is not a religion of tolerance or forgiveness

Answer 6

I think they can't accept any opinion about the prophet mohammed, it doesn't matter if it's the public reading of a middle ages text or a cartoon about their behavior and their abuse of violence... Anyway, they don't want us to understand them, they want to convert us to Islamism, as we did during the crusades... Same situation in different ages...
I think the Pope's comments are something that most of us are thinking, but he mustn't say that because the consequences will be payed by catholic religious living in Muslim countries...

Answer 7

My friend, I'm not a Muslim, but I've been quite familiar with Islamic mentality for some time, and especially after the consecutive Western wars against and predilections towards the Islamic world.
As you may know, Islam established its geographical extent mostly by means of the sword; conquering and invading, and there was that logo they put forth to every nation in their path which said "Aslim (be a Muslim) taslam (and you survive)".
Muslim invasions conquered southern Europe and in many parts like Andaluzia (Spain) and Sicily, they established domains that lasted hundreds of years. But after all that glory, their routing from Spain marked the beginning of their demise. True, the Ottoman empire outlived all other empires in the souther and north-eastern Meditterranean and Eastern Europe, but that too, ended up pounded by superpowers which worked its elimination to its last.
Ever since, and with the establishement of Israel, the Islamic world was diagnosed with "persistent paranoia" about anything relating to the Western or Christian world, and to some extent, that was true. Seeing the plight of the Palestinian people under the aggression of Israeli occupation, with but few attempts ever made to limit Israel within at least its internationally recognized borders, and the unconditional support of superpowers for it, even to the level of exempting it from implementing the numerous UN resolutions while all others are forced to do it, all mounted up to build into a capacity of hatred that drove a large portion of Muslims to desire a fight against those powers, even if it required detonating oneself.
Indeed, listen to the retorts of demonstrators, and what 'El Qaeda' said about "detonating the Vatican"; it's their "good morning", "good evening" alternate ever since the ominous 9/11 disaster and its ensuing wars on Afghanistan and Iraq, and the inhuman treatment of Muslim prisoners at 'Abu Ghraib' and the so-called 'Gitmo', and other offenses against Islam.
Bottom line is, my friend, is that whatever you do, don't expect to wreap the breeze out of sowing the wind; it's always the whirlwind. Don't think that putting someone under your feet keeps you safe; the short guy can reach for your testicles, and probably kill you.
What the Pope said, probably meaning no offense, was something abhorrable enough to remind the Muslims of what the West is accusing them of on a daily basis, and for this to come from a religious, unarmed source, it is much easier to battle and demand apologies. It is a given chance to rise up and show the world that the West, in its entirety is waging war of all sorts on the Islamic religion world round. And keep in mind, that Islam was never a religion that tolerates criticism, let alone conquests. It was the one to conquer first, and always the one to criticize, but now the wheel seems to have turned, and we cannot simply expect them to take it silently, can we?
One cannot say enough to explain the Islamic frustration out of seeing their world; their culture; their creed, being given third or fourth grade on world level, let alone being accused of generating and harboring all sorts of fundamentalism and terrorism. Their response is quite understandable, if one puts himself in their shoes. It's quite a quagmire that the west has put them into, don't you think?

Answer 8

Some Muslims have simply degenerated into irrational paranoia - the only way to understand these types is found in medical literature dealing with mental illness. Like all severely deluded people, the one thing they cannot abide is being confronted with reality.

Answer 9

The violent reactions are from crazy people. Just a few or the millions of Muslims. Don't take the crazy reactions to heart.

Answer 10

As an outsider, I would more wonder how Catholics would react to a Mullah judging their actions or inactions. I know it took the Pope 50 years to apologize for Catholocisms back-turning on the Nazi's extermination of another religion.