Pope needs to keeping speaking out against violence/religion
Check out my Los Angeles Daily News column today on the continuing brouhaha in the Muslim world over Papa-Ratzi's comments:
"Never ones to miss a golden public-relations opportunity, and winding down from unbridled furor at Dutch cartoonists, leaders across the Muslim world and corresponding radicals have picked a new, nefarious Enemy No. 1: the pope.
Oh, and a 65-year-old nun who had devoted the past 38 years of her life to helping the sick and needy in Kenya and Somalia and was shot in the back four times Sunday, hours after a leading Somali cleric condemned the pope.
'I am sure the killers were angered by the pope's speech in which he attacked our prophet,' a witness to the shooting told The Associated Press.
The thing that makes this killing even more senseless is that Benedict XVI didn't even attack their prophet. In his Sept. 12 speech at the university where he once taught in Regensburg, Germany, he quoted from a book a conversation about Christianity and Islam between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and an educated Persian.
'The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war,' the pope 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."'
Neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the emperor's comments, the pope noted that violent conversion was 'contrary to God's nature,' as well as contrary to reason.
Cue the violent response in the Palestinian territories, Pakistan, Iran and all the usual angst-ridden locales where charred spots still exist on the pavement from torching Danish flags. ..."
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