Pope Benedict's comments about Islam could hurt religious harmony

JAKARTA, Sep 15: Pope Benedict's comments about Islam could hurt religious harmony, government and religious leaders in the world's most populous Muslim countries, Indonesia and Pakistan, said today.

A growing chorus of Muslim leaders have called on the Pope to apologise for the remarks he made in a speech inGermany on Tuesday when he used the terms "jihad" and "holy war".

Islamic scholars say the Pontiff's comments show how little he understands Islam and some have said Islamic countries should threaten to break off relations with Vatican.

The Vatican issued a statement to say the Pope had never meant to offend Islam.

In his speech at the University of Regensburg on Tuesday, Benedict quoted criticism of Islam and the Prophet Mohammad by 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who wrote that everything Mohammad brought was evil and inhuman, "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".

Benedict repeatedly quoted Manuel's argument that spreading the faith through violence is unreasonable, adding: "Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul." "The Pope's statements reflect his lack of wisdom. It is obvious from the statements that the Pope doesn't have a correct understanding of Islam," said Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Islamic organisation in Indonesia.

Syamsuddin said the remarks could hurt "harmonious" relations between Muslims and Catholics and urged Muslims against reacting excessively.

"Whether the Pope apologises or not, the Islamic community should show that Islam is a religion of compassion," he told Reuters.

Fauzan Al-Anshori, spokesman for the radical Indonesian Mujahideen Council, said the Pope misunderstood Islam and jihad and challenged him to a dialogue.

"Muslims can't eliminate jihad from the Islamic discourse, the same way Christians can't do away with the doctrine of Trinity," he said.

The Vatican press office said in a statement the Pope had not intended to carry out an in-depth study of jihad (Islamic holy war or struggle) and Muslim thinking about it, "even less to offend the sensitivity of the Muslim faithful".

TOLERANT RELIGION

Washington's response to September 11, invading Afghanistan and Iraq and tightening civil freedoms as part of a wider "war on terror", has created a widespread feeling among Muslims worldwide that their religion is under attack. A row earlier this year over Danish cartoons that depicted the Prophet Mohammad deepened the sense of a divide between Islamic culture and the West.

Anshori said the recent surge in Muslim radicalism was a response to America's "crusade" against Muslims.

"We believe in respect for each other, freedom for Muslims to practice Islamic teachings and for Christians to practice their religion," he said.

Pakistan, the world's second most populous Muslim country, echoed Indonesia's sentiment.

"Anyone who says that Islam is intolerant or Islam is spread through use of force shows his ignorance. Islam is a very tolerant religion," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.

"Statements of this nature are very unhelpful in the efforts that we are making to bridge the gap and promote understanding between different religions." The head of the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood called on Islamic countries to threaten to break off relations with the Vatican unless the Pontiff withdrew his remarks.

A top religious figure in Turkey suggested the Pope should reconsider a trip he is planning to Turkey later this year.

In Qatar, prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi rejected the Pope's comments and said Islam was a religion of peace and reason.

REUTERS