Pope's apology for offensive remarks evokes mixed response from Muslims

Pope Benedict XVI has offered an apology for his 'offensive' remarks about the founder of Islam that have infuriated the Muslims worldwide.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church recently cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith" in Germany during a speech at Regensburg University where he taught in the '70s.

However, the Pope deeply regretted making that statement which invoked the fury of the Muslim community worldwide, adding that it did "not in any way express" his "personal thought."

"I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address ... which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims," the Pope said during the traditional Angelus blessing from his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.

"I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect," he added.

Earlier, attempts by the Holy See press office to dampen the upsurge of negative reactions had failed.

"The Holy Father has to heart a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation of violence" and by no means intended "to offend the sensibilities of Muslim faithful," the chief spokesperson for the Pope, Fr. Federico Lombardi, said in a statement.

According to Fr. Lombardi, this was said in the context of a 14th–century dialogue between a Byzantine emperor and a Persian wise man. The Pope then went on to reflect about the deep link between faith and reason, he explained.

However, Muslim communities worldwide were slow to accept the explanation even as the Pope's comments in Germany sparked widespread condemnation from Muslim leaders across the world with communal violence erupting in Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia and the Middle East – reminiscent of those that erupted after a Danish newspaper printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed a year ago.

While a hardline cleric linked to Somalia's powerful Islamist movement called for Muslims to "hunt down" and kill the Pope, an armed Iraqi group threatened to carry out attacks against Rome and the Vatican.

According to news reports, several Christian places of worship in the Palestinain territories came under heavy attack as unknown assailants threw Molotov cocktails threatening to kill all Christians.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf took a stern stance against what he called "sinister tendencies to associate terror with Islam," while a Malaysian minister asked the Pope to "take full responsibility" for what he said and its consequences.

Meanwhile, the Pope also said that the "true meaning" of what he said in Germany had been clarified by the Vatican's Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

Bertone said the Pope's words had been misinterpreted and were meant as a rejection of the religious motivation for violence, "from whatever side it may come."

That explanation had been angrily dismissed by many Muslim groups who pressed on with demands for a full and personal apology.

"The Pope made a mistake, he must recognize his mistake and apologize," said Abdel Moneim Abul Futuh, a senior official with Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood.

Mohammed Bishr, another senior Muslim Brotherhood member in Egypt, said the statement "was not an apology" but a "pretext that the Pope was quoting somebody else as saying so and so."

"We need the Pope to admit the big mistake he has committed and then agree on apologizing, because we will not accept others to apologize on his behalf," Bishr said.

According to news reports, Morocco has recalled its ambassador to the Vatican to protest the Pope's "offensive" remarks, and Afghanistan demanded the Pope apologize.

Turkey cast some doubt on whether Pope Benedict could proceed with a planned visit in November in what would be the pontiff's first trip to a Muslim nation.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted the Pope apologize to the Muslim world, saying he had spoken "not like a man of religion but like a usual politician."

Asked if Muslim anger would affect the Pope's trip to Istanbul, where he hopes to meet with Orthodox leaders headquartered there, Erdogan replied, "I wouldn't know."

However, many Muslim leaders are beginning to accept the Pope's apology and urge for peace.

Welcoming the Pope's "apology" Turkey's top Islamic cleric, Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu, said, "He says that he respects Islam and didn't want to hurt the feelings of Muslims. I find that a civilized position."

Some Syrian Muslim and Christian clergymen also expressed satisfaction urging that inter–religious harmony should prevail.

Mohammad Habash, a legislator and head of the Islamic Studies Centre, said, "I am not happy to see a rift between Islam and Christians or between the West and the East.... We have to avoid our countries and religions from entering these kinds of conflicts."

He said the Pope has submitted a "clarification and not an apology," but, Habash added, "It is our duty to call for calm and dialogue. We understand the reasons for (Muslim) anger, but we do not call for it and we call instead for calm and dialogue."

Meanwhile, Isidore Battikha, the Greek Catholic Bishop of Homs in central Syria, said "that's what we were expecting from the Pope as the teachings of Jesus call for tolerance and moderation."

"We are pleased that he has corrected this mistake and we hope that hearts would remain open between Muslims and Christians and to go on with the process of coexistence," he added.

In India, Muslim leaders, initially outraged by the Pope's statement, also welcomed the pontiff's apology. "Even though your statements have hurt our sentiments, we assure you that in no way will they hinder the cordial relations that we enjoy with our Indian Christian brethren. We do accept your apologies and also request you to refrain from making such ill informed, prejudiced and ahistorical statements in the future," a group of eminent Muslim social activists and newspaper editors said in an open letter to the Pope. "You have every right to voice your opinion though we humbly suggest that you study the works of at least the German scholars of Islam who have over the centuries contributed to a constructive and analytical critique of Islam. Indeed your verbal barrage has been untimely to say the least."

Muslim clerics in India also welcomed the apology tendered by Pope Benedict XVI for the comments he made against the Prophet of Islam.

"It's a welcome step. We appreciate that the Pope has realised the hurt his remarks had caused to the religious sentiments of the Muslims and could have had an adverse impact on their relations with the Christians," said Naib Imam of Eidgah Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali of Lucknow.

"In fact, this was precisely our demand. We had asked the Pope to clarify or apologise for comments made against the Prophet of Islam," said Maulana Rashid.

Calling for cessation of all demonstrations and agitations by members of the minority community in this connection, the cleric said religious leaders should exercise restraint in commenting on matters related to others’ faith and religion.

"Now that the pope has tendered an apology, the Muslims should also forgive him," Maulana Rashid said. "The issue should be considered to be closed after the Pope's apology."

Maulana Rashid also disagreed with the demand from a section of Muslims that Pope should quit saying that it is up to the Christians to decide about it.

"The move would foster better relations between Muslims and Christians all over the world," he said.

On the other hand, Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad, who had led a demonstration on the issue, was more cautious in his response. "I have heard that the Pope has apologised. Since the issue is very sensitive and of great significance to the community, I would not comment on the matter unless I see the complete text of the statement issued by the Pope," said Maulana Jawad.

Muslims in Britain have also welcomed the apology by the Pope for the offence he caused with remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.

But some said he should have gone further in distancing himself from the "derogatory" comments made by a 14th century Byzantine emperor that he quoted in a speech in Germany.

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari, general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the apology was a "welcome step" but the Pope needed to repudiate the views he quoted to restore relations between Muslims and the Catholic Church.

"It's certainly a welcome step that the Pope recognises the hurt that his speech caused. He quoted the words of the emperor who made very derogatory remarks about the Prophet, and his inclusion has caused enormous hurt," Dr. Bari said.

Ihtisham Hibatullah, of the British Muslim Initiative also welcomed the Pope's apology. "Even though the remarks weren't intentionally directed at offending Muslims, the Muslim community worldwide was deeply offended," he said.