Holy Crusades, Mr. Holiness!
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said recent remarks by the Pope on Islam were in line with what he called a "crusade" against Muslims, says the BBC.
The row began last week, when the Pope repeated criticism of the Prophet Muhammad by a medieval scholar. The speech sparked worldwide protests by Muslims. The Pope has apologised and said the views quoted were not his own.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the remarks by Pope Benedict XVI last Tuesday were the "latest link" in "the chain of a conspiracy to set in train a crusade". Other links, he added, included the cartoon satirising Muhammad and "the insulting remarks of some American and European politicians and newspapers about Islam".
Iran's supreme leader also said: "We do not expect anything from [US President George W] Bush, because he works for global, plundering companies and powers. "But these remarks are very much a cause for regret and surprise from a senior Christian official."
So... we can't publish cartoons, we can't quote Byzantine scholars, we can't argue with sharia law, we can't watch a play from 1741, we can't flush books down a toilet, we can't.... What exactly are we allowed to do that won't drive devout Muslims into raging frenzied, mobs to burn down buildings and issue death threats? Why are these rampaging people not held responsible for their own behaviour? They're only words. I'm no papist, belive me, but if you think what you're offering is any better I'm here to tell you - it ain't. It's the same superstition, cruelty and dogma that it was before Muhammad got here. Your god, his god, everybody's god. They're all the same so just calm down and get on with life. He's apologized twice already for Christ's I-don't-want-to-offend-anybody-sake!
The row began last week, when the Pope repeated criticism of the Prophet Muhammad by a medieval scholar. The speech sparked worldwide protests by Muslims. The Pope has apologised and said the views quoted were not his own.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the remarks by Pope Benedict XVI last Tuesday were the "latest link" in "the chain of a conspiracy to set in train a crusade". Other links, he added, included the cartoon satirising Muhammad and "the insulting remarks of some American and European politicians and newspapers about Islam".
Iran's supreme leader also said: "We do not expect anything from [US President George W] Bush, because he works for global, plundering companies and powers. "But these remarks are very much a cause for regret and surprise from a senior Christian official."
So... we can't publish cartoons, we can't quote Byzantine scholars, we can't argue with sharia law, we can't watch a play from 1741, we can't flush books down a toilet, we can't.... What exactly are we allowed to do that won't drive devout Muslims into raging frenzied, mobs to burn down buildings and issue death threats? Why are these rampaging people not held responsible for their own behaviour? They're only words. I'm no papist, belive me, but if you think what you're offering is any better I'm here to tell you - it ain't. It's the same superstition, cruelty and dogma that it was before Muhammad got here. Your god, his god, everybody's god. They're all the same so just calm down and get on with life. He's apologized twice already for Christ's I-don't-want-to-offend-anybody-sake!
posted by jp at 15:26
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