France's Chirac calls for tact after Pope furore

PARIS, Sep 18 (Reuters) French President Jacques Chirac today refused to criticise Pope Benedict over recent comments that sparked worldwide Muslim anger but called for a more diplomatic use of language.

A speech by Pope Benedict last Tuesday was seen as portraying Islam as a religion tainted by violence, causing dismay among Muslim states while some religious leaders called it the start of a new Christian crusade against Islam.

''It is not my role or my intention to comment on the Pope's statements. I simply want to say, on a general level ... that we must avoid anything that excites tensions between peoples or between religions,'' Chirac said on Europe 1 radio.

''We must avoid making any link between Islam, which is a great, respected and respectable religion, and radical Islamism, which is a totally different activity and one of a political nature,'' Chirac added.

The head of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics said yesterday he was deeply sorry Muslims had been offended by his use of a medieval quotation on Islam and violence, but failed to quell the anger of some Islamic groups demanding a full apology.

He added that the quotation did not represent his personal views.

Before the Pope spoke and mollified some Muslims, there were attacks on churches in the West Bank and a protest in Iran. In Somalia, an Italian nun was killed in an attack one Islamist source said could be linked to the dispute.

Reuters SSC GC1458