Pope statement not enough: Muslim Brotherhood

Cairo, Sept 16: Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood today said Pope Benedict's statement saying he was sorry for upsetting Muslims by his recent comments on Islam did not go far enough.

''We want a personal apology (from the Pope). We feel that he has committed a grave error against us and that this mistake will only be removed through a personal apology,'' Muslim Brotherhood Deputy Leader Mohammed Habib told Reuters.

''Has he presented a personal apology for statements by which he clearly is convinced? No,'' he said.

In a speech on Tuesday the Pope repeated criticism of the Prophet Mohammad by the 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who said everything the Prophet brought was evil ''such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached''.

REUTERS