Pope could use Turkey trip to calm anger in Islamic world

ANKARA – Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to predominantly Muslim Turkey in late November could strengthen dialogue and friendship between religions and people and help defuse the anger in the Islamic world triggered by the pope’s remarks on Islam and violence.

The Islamic world – from Turkey, a secular and pro-Western country, to the Middle East and Pakistan – was outraged at the pontiff’s remarks last week. Turkey’s ruling Islamic-rooted government accused him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades and called on the pontiff to offer a sincere and personal apology.The anger began after Benedict, in a talk in Germany on rejecting religious motivation for violence, cited the words of a 14th century Byzantine emperor who characterised some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as “evil and inhuman,” particularly “his command to spread by the sword the faith.”The pope said Sunday that he was “deeply sorry” that Muslims took offence, and stressed that the emperor’s words did not reflect his own opinion, however, most in the Islamic world, including the Turks, were not satisfied.”Either apologise, or do not come,” read a banner carried by a group of protesters belonged to a religious workers’ union, Diyanet-Sen, in Ankara on Tuesday, the state-owned Anatolia news agency reported.The protesters demanded that the Justice Ministry arrest the pope on his arrival in Turkey and face trial on charges of insulting Islam and causing hatred based on religious differences, the agency said.Nampa-APTurkey’s ruling Islamic-rooted government accused him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades and called on the pontiff to offer a sincere and personal apology.The anger began after Benedict, in a talk in Germany on rejecting religious motivation for violence, cited the words of a 14th century Byzantine emperor who characterised some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as “evil and inhuman,” particularly “his command to spread by the sword the faith.”The pope said Sunday that he was “deeply sorry” that Muslims took offence, and stressed that the emperor’s words did not reflect his own opinion, however, most in the Islamic world, including the Turks, were not satisfied.”Either apologise, or do not come,” read a banner carried by a group of protesters belonged to a religious workers’ union, Diyanet-Sen, in Ankara on Tuesday, the state-owned Anatolia news agency reported.The protesters demanded that the Justice Ministry arrest the pope on his arrival in Turkey and face trial on charges of insulting Islam and causing hatred based on religious differences, the agency said.Nampa-AP