Pope Calls Meeting With Muslims
Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will hold a meeting with representatives of various Muslim countries and Muslim groups. Representatives of Turkey and Iran as well as Italian Muslim organizations have already announced that they will attend the meeting on Monday.
Benedict's attempt to talk through the controversy comes as Christian-Muslim tensions rose in Indonesia over the executions of three Roman Catholic militants. Benedict had appealed to the mostly Muslim nation to spare the men.
Thousands of Muslim worshippers staged marches against Benedict in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and the Sudanese capital on Friday. The Palestinian protesters waved green Hamas banners and denounced the pontiff as a "coward" and an "agent of the Americans." But much of the Middle East was quiet.
The Vatican announced the pope's invitations Friday, saying they were extended to ambassadors to the Holy See from largely Muslim countries for a meeting at the papal palace at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.
Leaders of the Muslim community in Italy, who have advised the Italian government on politically delicate issues of Muslim integration in the largely Catholic country, also were invited.
Benedict's chief aide on inter-religious dialogue, French Cardinal Paul Poupard, also will participate.
Because of the Muslim holy day Friday, many diplomatic officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Turkey said its ambassador would attend, and Iran said its charge d'affaires would participate.
Pope Benedict is obviously a courageous man and not at all afraid to face up the controversy his words were used to stir up. At the same time, the absolute worst thing he can do is issue an abject apology. One hopes he understands that. His words were originally meant to start a dialog. They have done that and more. But bowing to the thuggish behavior of some of the bad actors in the Islamist world would only encourage further and more outrageous behavior.
UPDATE: For example, it's kind of hard to reason with someone who demands that the Pope be crucified. Literally.
World news | Gaius Friday, 22 September , 2006
By ck, Friday, 22 September , 2006 @ 4:17 pm
Mike over at coldfury has one of his best posts ever on the subject.