An Islamic group headed by influential cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi on Friday demanded Pope Benedict XVI apologise to Muslims over inflammatory remarks he made in 2006.
The Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars also accused the pope of fuelling “sedition” between Muslims and Christians, in a statement coinciding with the start of the pontiff’s three-day visit to Lebanon.
The union “demands the pope of the Vatican apologise to Muslims over what he said during his speech in Germany… just as he had apologised to Jews,” said the statement issued late on Thursday.
In 2006, Benedict offended Muslims by appearing to link Islam with violence in a speech at his former university in Regensburg, southern Germany.
The union, chaired by Egypt-born Qaradawi, said it had “tried to open dialogue with the Vatican” without success and had demanded that he “apologise but he did not.”
It accused Benedict of “fuelling sedition between partners in the same country,” referring to Muslims and Christians in Lebanon, by “planning to sign an apostolic exhortation that contains dangerous messages and ideas.”
The messages included a “warning from the Islamisation of the society and spreading fear among Christians from political Islam in the region,” said the statement.
“It is strange that at the time the pope warns from political Islam, he himself practices large-scale political Christianity,” it added, urging Benedict not to sign the “apostolic exhortation because it carries wrong false information and is intended to cause sedition between Muslims and Christians.”
The pope is expected to sign the final report on a synod of bishops he convened two years ago to study the future of Christians in the Middle East, tackling concern over their exodus.
Lebanon has been riven by sectarian tensions as fighting rages next door in Syria.
Why demand an apology when he was right?
Physician, Heal Thyself!
So they're now demanding an apology for something that was said 6 years ago that they didn't agree with? Seems more like Muslim groups are " data mining" for anything they can toss out there to try to ignite more riots, protest and unrest. The pope was correct. Do not apologize. My faith is just as important to me as a Islam is to a Muslim…
Right, the pope should apologize for WORDS while Islamic imams exhort their followers to kill infidels and burn their homes and churches? SICK SICK SICK!!!!!
message to Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi…STFU! message to muslims…FU!
message to jonodough ……shut your damn hole you MOTHERFUKER!
message to christians … in islam it is wrong to critize other religions ….so i humbly ask all christians to do the same!
The Pope,just like his master Jesus Christ, preach non-violence, torlerance, forgiveness and reconcilation. He has done nothing wrong so why must he apologise?
While truces between Islamic and non-Muslim polities were acceptable, the Koran taught that these were to be limited in duration. Ultimately, no permanent peace between Muslims and nonbelievers was possible until all nonbelievers submitted to Muslim rule, and the Dar al-Islam encompassed the whole world.
Pope is prejudiced person preaching against muslims and islam. Muslim believe in Christ more than the christians. They have altogether forgotten the preaching of christ
islam is a scourge on any society it touches. Period
in reply to aryanazlam – you're absolutely wrong on all counts and apparently do not know any TRUE Christians. Muslims believe in Christ only as a prophet but not as THE PROPHET. CHRIST JESUS IS THE PROPHET, PRIEST AND KING! This is the question I ask you – can a prophet lie? If you believe that Christ is a prophet then why don't you believe His Words? He says, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME." John 11:25
So many Christians attempt a dialogue with Islam but the efforts seem to remain pretty much one sided. Where are all the peaceful Muslims who regret all the violence, which has ever happened in the name of Jihad?
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