The Vatican needs to show greater respect for Islam if Al-Azhar University is to restore formal relations with the Holy See, and Pope Benedict XVI should still apologize for his comments made over four years ago about Islam, according to two Muslims with close associations to the university.
Speaking to reporters Feb. 23 at a Sant’Egidio conference in Rome, Muhammad Rifaa Al-Tahtawi, a former spokesman of the university, complained of too many “negative signals” coming from the Pope and the Vatican in its relations with Islam and said dialogue should be based on “mutual respect.”
Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the largest religious institution in the Sunni Muslim world, voted Jan. 20 to suspend dialogue with the Vatican because it claimed Benedict was interfering in Egyptian affairs after he called for greater protection and religious freedom for all religious believers in the country.
Both Catholic and Orthodox Coptic leaders said Al-Azhar had misinterpreted the Pope’s words, having mistakenly believed the Pope was calling on Western governments to intervene to protect Christians in the Middle East — words they interpreted as a kind of crusade. Various mainstream media reports were blamed for misleading reports.
However, Al-Tahtawi, who was Al-Azhar’s spokesman when relations were frozen, complained of “different negative signals,” beginning with the Pope’s Regensburg lecture in 2006. “It’s not an excuse to say ‘I didn’t insult you, that I just repeated what someone else has said.’ This is not acceptable,” he said.
When asked: “If that is the case, why can’t Muslims forgive him?” he replied: “It’s not a question of forgiveness. He has given an apology for the Holocaust, but there has been no apology for the Crusades. [We] need this. Why? Because the Pope is not only considered chief of Catholics; he is a man of universal authority.”
As an example, he said Muslims would like the Pope to speak more forcefully against Israel, not simply calling for a two-state solution, but speaking of Israeli “aggression, occupation, and that there are people under siege.”
Al-Tahtawi denied the university, which had close ties with the Mubarak regime in Egypt, was pressured to suspend ties by the former government. “This I know for sure: Even some of the government were not happy with this drastic decision,” he said. “It was resented — our ambassador [to the Holy See, Lamia Aly Hamada Mekhemar] was sent away crying, and the foreign minister asked why they did it. The sheik [Ahmad Mohamed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar University] did it.”
Al-Tahtawi also claimed the decision was “very popular,” although he said he himself would have tried to prevent it if he had been consulted.
The former spokesman stressed he was speaking in a personal capacity and not as a representative of Al-Azhar. He resigned as spokesman on Feb. 5 in order to join anti-Mubarak protesters in Tahrir Square, saying at the time that his opinion of the previous government did not match that of Al-Azhar.
Asked whether he thought relations would be restored, Al-Tahtawi said he was certain they would be. “I really believe that others are keen to resume this, but they want it to be a fruitful dialogue: not dialogue for dialogue’s sake, but a dialogue that could lead to real results based upon mutual respect.”
Hasan Shafie, a special envoy of the grand imam and also a speaker at the Rome conference, told reporters that Al-Azhar’s decision is not final and that the university never severs ties permanently with other religions or communities. But he said, up to now, the Pope “has not retracted what he said in Germany about Islam and Muslims. We await an apology, not to Al-Azhar, but to the Islamic world.” He added that with his scholarly background, the Pope “should know that Islam is not contrary to reason.”
Pope Benedict gave a lecture on “Faith, Reason and the University — Memories and Reflection” Sept. 12, 2006, at the University of Regensburg. During the lecture, he quoted Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus, who in 1391 stated in his book Dialogue Held With a Certain Persian, “Show me just what Mohammed 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.”
According to the German text, the Pope’s original comment was that the emperor “addresses his interlocutor in an astoundingly harsh — to us, surprisingly harsh — way.”
The Holy Father apologized for any offense he had caused and made a point of visiting Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, and praying in its Blue Mosque.
Al-Tahtawi said he believed it wasn’t enough to have two meetings a year, one in Rome and the other in Cairo, that result in just a statement. “No, it must be a dialogue between equals,” he said, “and these were the opinions expressed at the time.”
“We have great respect for the Vatican, for the Pope as a man of universal human authority,” he went on. “He is a symbol of peace and justice, so what is required from him is not the same as what is required from me or you. He is judged by his actions, so we want him to be above all differences and make a gesture that will make Muslims feel that he cares for them as human beings, as he cares for everybody.”
When it was put to him that Benedict XVI often says and does all these things, Al-Tahtawi said he needed to do “something stronger.”
Reports at the time of the suspension of ties said that Grand Imam Mohamed el-Tayeb had accused the Pope of not liking Islam, a charge firmly denied by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Asked if this was the case in a L’Osservatore Romano interview Jan. 29, the cardinal said: “Far from it, just read the words addressed to representatives of non-Christian religions at the very beginning of his pontificate, April 25, 2005, in which Benedict XVI expressed his appreciation for ‘the growth of dialogue with Islam’ and hoped to ‘continue to establish bridges of friendship with all religions, in search of the authentic good of every person and of society as a whole.’”
The cardinal had hoped the scheduled meeting in Rome between the Vatican and Al-Azhar would go ahead, but no meeting was held. However, Al-Tahtawi and Shafie did meet with Archbishop Cyril Vasil, secretary of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, who was also addressing the Sant’Egidio conference on the theme: “A Program for Coexistence: Christians and Muslims for a Future Together.”
Edward Pentin writes from Rome.
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My heart is full that these Muslim brothers are so sensitive. Perhaps while they are wallowing around the 12-13th century they will spare a thought to the Muslim atrocities which ignited the Crusades. God bless us all
If Muslims want respect, they should support religious freedom and freedom to convert to other religions in their countries.
Again we see the muslim leadership obfuscating the issue. The issue is NOT what the Pope said 4 years ago or 400 years ago. The issue is we are witnessing a worldwide muslim civil war and the carnage that is it’s toll. It is not the Pope’s fault, nor the Israeli’s nor the CIA’s fault that muslims kill muslims by the score in the 21st century. It is the muslims fault. No non-muslim should feel guilty or “apologize” for being critical of muslim violent behaviors.
Perhaps the Church should ask for an apology for the wars of aggression in the Middle East, Sicily, and Spain as a gesture of good faith from the Muslims. After all, lets talk history for real. Then it may be appropriate for the Church to consider discussing the Crusades. Don’t forget that the Muslims waged war on Christendom for hundreds of years.
The Islam wants the Pope to be their messenger of terror! Well, Islam needed to be civilised then, it needs to be civilised now. But obviously we are too advance for that carry on, so leave them behind. They either want to dialogue or not and we are not wasting time. Let them to their own fate..
Personally, I don’t believe there’s anything to apologize for. Also, declaring that we’ll apologize for this if they do for that just leads to childishness. But with that said, they are obviously looking to the Holy Father for something, whether it’s healing or something else. The Pope must make the next move. Maybe he should offer a mutual “forgive and forget” scenario for the sake of the dialog; then both sides can move on and make headway. Peace is always worth pursuing, and maybe there will be room for discussion of religious freedom in Muslim countries soon.
‘Negative signals’ from the Vatican? While Muslims slaughter Christians with impunity? And they demand respect! I am genuinely bewildered at just how blind some people can be. Staggered. God help them.
That Emperor Manual II Paleologus said that what Mohammed brought was evil and inhuman was but the truth. The Holy Catholic Church is destined to suffer anyway. Let us pray we are not ashamed of the truth, and the Holy Father doesn’t apologize for it.
And still many spineless Christians still want to suck up to the Radical Muslims. Hitler’s Appeasement in WW2 was to give him Czechoslovakia I think. It didn’t work. Like Hitler, Radical Muslims will crush every “infidel” they can get their hands on. Way back when, The Crusades started because the Muslims were murdering and pillaging sea side Christian communities. Nothing is changed for centuries. Doesn’t The Church teach that Catholics are allowed self defense?
Stand up, Holy Father! Do not lose heart to these hypocrites!
I would be concerned only if Mohammedans said something nice about the Holy Father. One does not want the approval of the followers of a pagan moon god.
The solution is Verbum Domini
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20100930_verbum-domini_en.html#_ftnref130
What is the answer that will result in Peace….love?
New Advent just reported another attack on Christian church in Egypt. Where are the Muslim scholars now?
Islam must go by the way of the dinosaur, because it enslaves the human spirit. By the sword, by intimidation, by discrimination it insults God who created every man with an intellect and a free will and intended that man should love and serve Him freely. To serve, love, and obey free of intimidation is the greatest praise man can offer God. Islam deprives God of this glory.
‘Islamic Scholar’. Talk about an oxymoron! How’s ‘anorexic sumo wrestler’, or ‘saintly abortionist’, and ‘loving rapist’.
Within the eternal struggle between good and evil, we find ourselves in a time when all voices of reason, including the Church, have fallen into the wishful thinking that there is some benefit of a dialogue with evil.(Maybe if I point out the error of a demon’s ways he’ll reform, maybe if I talk politely to a “religion” started by a false prophet they’ll quit being evil) Unfortunately, this doesn’t work, the enemy uses our weakness against us anyway they can. That’s what evil does. That’s why it’s called evil and not just a different opinion.
This is appalling, Islam is not evil. Think about what you are saying! Just because there are some hysterical fanatics who adhere to that faith (as there no doubt are within Christianity and the other world religions), it is no justification for such sweeping and erroneous judgments.
WHY SHOULD WE EVER APOLOGISE FOR THE CRUSADES?!! WE WERE ONLY PROTECTING WHAT WAS AND REMAINS SACRED TO US. WE SHOULD HAVE GONE ON WITH THE CRUSADES….
The reason Islam is evil. Jesus is Lord and the Son of the Father. Muhammed claims to have direct communication with the Father, Muhammed claims the Father denies Christ as His Son, thus Muhammed lies and is a false prophet. Islam is a religion that denies Christ, if Christ is messiah and Lord, Islam is the product of evil and is evil.
Kendallpeak, peace be with you. Jesus is indeed Lord and whilst Islam follows Jesus as a prophet second only to Muhammed, they do not accept his divinity and, frankly, that is up to them. It doesn’t undermine our faith. It is simply that they are wrong as to who Jesus truly is, as so many other people are. But that does not make them evil.
Jesus came into our world for all people, including—- especially—those who hate him and it is up to us to carry the light of his Spirit to them, as well as those who are simply indifferent or ignorant, and that may be very costly.
Salaam Aliekum.
john
john, peace also to you. I’m thinking of the saying “hate the sin, not the sinner.” I, of course, hate no one. I also do not think Islamists are,somehow genetically evil. I do think Islam is evil. I compare it to Nazi Germany. The German people are not and never were evil by nature, but they were at one time dominated by an evil belief system that couldn’t and shouldn’t have been negotiated with. The belief was evil. While it is true that they are free to practise their false religion, and that we should always show Christian love to all, it is not love to proclaim a lie and falsehood to be equal the One Truth and the One Way.
Kendallpeak, thank you. I agree that there are aspects of Islam which are troubling, particularly some applications of Sharia law, such as the severe attitude which is displayed to those who convert to another faith (Christianity) and indeed, to those who simply follow another faith. And right now one thinks of the dreadful murders in Pakistan of Shahbaz Bhatti, Minister for Minorities in the Pakistan Government, and, before Christmas, the murder of Salman Taseer, Governor of Punjab, both Christians. The Pakistan Government seems to be unable or unwilling to find the killers or to protect Christians and other minority groups. But I think it is the difficult road of engagement which will lead at some point to freedom of worship and the mutual respect which underwrites it.
best regards,
john
Utterly ridiculous. Islam persecutes Christians daily, has invaded Christian nations (see Spain), and has never apologized for anything ever. They don’t want to be equal. They want the Pope to be a good little dhimmi and do what they tell him. Islam needs to stop blaming others and face its problems.
Fr. J, agreed. To john. Not to sound argumentative but one of our problems in dealing with evil is allowing the blessing of language to be used against the blessing of commen sense. I refer to “..there are aspects of Islam which are troubling, particularly some aspects of Sharia law..” TROUBLING? How very polite to refer to murder, mutilations, and the total oppression of women as troubling. This pc word shouldn’t offend anyone. No, islam is not “troubling”, it is as barbaric as Nazism or the KKK. No one says some aspects of the KKK are “troubling”, they call it what it is. To hide the evil terror of islam behind pc words is, well, it’s troubling.
The problem with most people’s view of Islam is that they have never read the Koran. If they had read it, they would hold a very different opinion of Islam; they would know for sure that it is an evil heresy that Mohammed invented to control the ignorant masses. It is completely without love. It is carnal in every possible way. It is a base ‘religion’ that appeals to the baseness of our fallen nature. It must annihilate the free will (thus the meaning ‘surrender’) to survive in the intellect; any real examination of it’s basic tenets show it for the evil it truly is and any decent human being would drop it like a hot potato. If you do ever read it, be prepared to be totally bored to death and amazed at Mohammed’s bald-faced rip-off of Biblical text and general content, but his victims were ignorant of the Bible and still worshiping the Moon Goddess ‘Allah’ (I’m not kidding, Allah was first the Goddess of the Moon in Mohammed’s city) so he used it to propel himself into power. His followers are still ignorant. Anyone who gives Islam an equal footing with Catholicism is as ignorant as those first illiterate pagans of the 7th century. I’m sorry this isn’t PC, but the Truth isn’t PC.
Well,full circle. I think the most troubling thing about this exchange is that you use the same language and display the same characteristics as those whom you accuse. And yet you profess to be Christians.
And if the Koran is as full as you say with Biblical text and content, why do you hold it in such contempt?
Fr. J, are you a Roman Catholic priest, because that is what the prefix “Fr.” would indicate in my country?
Because if that is so, and if our other writers are also Roman Catholic (I’m not, by the way, but I hold the RC Church in high regard), I cannot understand how the attitudes which you display are so diametrically at odds with those of the Catholic priests and laity who I know here.
Then again maybe it doesn’t matter, we live with difference.
Pax et bonum,
John
John,
You need to go and read the Koran for yourself. Until you do, you are as ignorant as the rest of those who pretend that Islam is a religion of peace and justice.
As for holding the Koran in contempt even though it uses Biblical text and content, and at risk of giving the current administration any ideas, how’s this:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect ‘disunion’, establish ‘injustice’, insure domestic ‘violence’, provide for the common ‘expense’ to promote the general welfare ‘state’ and secure the blessings of ‘license’ to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Would you not have distain for such a forgery that promoted evil in the guise of good; a document clearly derived from an earlier and authoritative source twisted and mutilated for the sole purpose of deceiving and manipulating others? And what about the nation this ugly document would spawn: A nation that demands that you adhere to this constitution or be openly and lawfully subject to persecution, even murdered by those who do?
I know you think that to be Catholic means one should just be a blind pacifist but that would be a misconception. Being catholic includes defending the welfare of others and ourselves against the evils constantly at odds with The Truth, and No, Truth is Not relative to one’s temporal subjective opinion.
It never ceases to amaze me that so many defend Islam with the ‘freedom of religion tolerant open-mindedness’ argument, while it’s these very freedoms Islam will Not tolerate. It’s not unlike claiming a person has the right to develop the Plague and spread it to the rest of the community; it’s a recipe for extinction.
Pax et bonum? Not if Islam has any say in it.
Paul, with respect, I think you are missing the point. All I have to know in my dealings with Moslems or others is contained in our Holy Scripture - not theirs, theirs is irrelevant to how I act - specifically, the two Great Commandments given by our Lord narrated in the Gospels.
pax et bonum,
john
To be entirely blunt, islam is a false faith, bringing together Judaism and Christianity with a bit of ancient Arab paganism and then corrupting the lot to fit a very primitive society of the 7th century where it largely remains. I is almost sufficient to quote their book that “...men have authority over women because allah made the one superior to the other…and…if your women misbehave you should whip them…” Are you women of the world listening? I have been watching them since the 1970s. We can never come together with them. They are responsible for 95% of the terrorist acts in the world in the last 50 years. A small minority you say? Hitler’s Nazism and Lenin’s communism started as ‘small minorities.’ The majority of muslims, so tediously called peaceful and innocent, are standing by just as the Germans did. Those who stand in the face of evil and do nothing are guilty of it. The islamist movement is malign and intractable. I am now too old to see the result of this malignancy but you younger ones, your grandchildren and great grandchildren, will be fighting them in the streets of your town. Speaking of the monster Hitler, the world refused to prepare itself for him and to fight him when he started and thus resulted the longest and bloodiest road back to civility that the world has ever seen. His plans and conquests pale before the specter of conquering islam.
If one looks at Truth and sees the purity, uncontaminated, untainted unblemished existence of it, you’ll see that regardless of which angle you address an issue, it is still the Truth. It doesn’t change or switch sides to accommodate or pacify, it simply is - standing on its own premise and merit (without human assistance). Therefore, to add justification, interpretation and excuses to the quotes cited by the Holy Father as a cause or a stir to seek an apology and thereby rendered it as negative vibes coming from Rome to the extent of suspending a worthy and meaningful relationship, in other words “dialogue”, is simply an act of invalidating the actual quote rather than understanding the full context of the speech. It is like taking one line of a script to assess the entire film.
For example: The actual quote did indeed take place and that is a fact. The incurred backlash from the Muslim community and namely Al-Tahtawi and the Grand Iman in this case is reacting to the said quote and seem to wonder why the Holy Father cite it. But within their assessment is the key point of where they feel rejected and judge that the Vatican is against Islam. One could see that it is not just the Muslim community that falls prey to reaction such as this, but that it is a common human trail/weakness.
May the Vicar of Christ continue to speak the Truth in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Lily of France
Can anyone in Suadi Arabia convert to Christianity? NO- Can anyone in the west covert to the Islam. Yes That says it all. Case closed! The Muslims are nothing but liars. Where there is too much sun and heat there is too little logic!
A muslim occupies the oval office ! The problem is 54% of Catholic voters helped to put him there. The most Pro-Abortion politician, backed by wealthy atheist, bent on destroying our nation & those supposed Catholics bear the responsibility for his every corrupt action. The party of death is not the one my father cherished. It has been taken over by communist unions, moral degenerates & politically correct misfits. Our only hope is to replace everyone of them in 2012.
Shake the dust from our sandals and move on to those with whom authentic dialogue is both possible and desired.
What kind of nonsense? This is not interesting. There is no such a thing.
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