Iran says Pope’s speech ‘in line with’ US policy
TEHERAN - Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Pope Benedict’s remarks on Islam were in line with what he said was the United States’ ‘crusade’ against the religion, state television reported.
The Pope’s first big crisis since his election 17 months ago was sparked by a speech in Germany on Tuesday when he repeated criticism of the Prophet Mohammad by a medieval scholar who said everything the Prophet brought was evil.
‘The Pope’s remarks were the latest chain of the crusade against Islam started by America’s (President George W.) Bush,’ Khamenei said in a televised speech.
‘The Great Satan (United States) is playing its role in this issue.’
Bush upset many Muslims after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 by referring early on to the global war against terrorism as a ‘crusade’, a term which for many Muslims equates with a Christian battle against Islam.
The White House quickly stopped using the word, expressing regrets if it had caused offence.
Washington cut ties with Teheran shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution and pushes for UN sanctions on Iran over Teheran’s disputed nuclear programme.
Iran’s most powerful figure, Khamenei said he was deeply saddened by the Pope’s speech.
‘Such remarks made by a senior Christian figure is deeply regrettable and surprising,’ Khamenei said.
The Pope said on Sunday he was deeply sorry Muslims were offended by him citing 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus and said it did not represent his personal view.
Iranian government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham told a weekly news conference the Pope’s comments were a ‘good gesture’ but not enough, demanding a clearer apology as soon as possible.
‘Mr. Pope’s move to say that his remarks had been conveyed in the wrong way was a good gesture and a necessary explanation but it is not enough,’ he said.
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NO APOLOGIES FOR THE TRUTH, EVER ! ! !
I am sure the Pope is sorry that moslems are unable, completely unable to handle the truth...
The realization that any conversation among 'religions' is not possible must be hard to come to grips with for the Pontiff...I could have told the Pontiff that very thing, of course if he wants to sign on the dotted line of the 21st centuries Pact of Umar, I am sure all moslems are going to listen and even applaud...
Pertinent Links:
1) Iran says Pope’s speech ‘in line with’ US policy
2) Pact of Umar
We heard from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanam [died 78/697] as follows: When Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, accorded a peace to the Christians of Syria, we wrote to him as follows:
In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate. This is a letter to the servant of God Umar [ibn al-Khattab], Commander of the Faithful, from the Christians of such-and-such a city. When you came against us, we asked you for safe-conduct (aman) for ourselves, our descendants, our property, and the people of our community, and we undertook the following obligations toward you:
We shall not build, in our cities or in their neighborhood, new monasteries, Churches, convents, or monks' cells, nor shall we repair, by day or by night, such of them as fall in ruins or are situated in the quarters of the Muslims.
We shall keep our gates wide open for passersby and travelers. We shall give board and lodging to all Muslims who pass our way for three days.
We shall not give shelter in our churches or in our dwellings to any spy, nor bide him from the Muslims.
We shall not teach the Qur'an to our children.
We shall not manifest our religion publicly nor convert anyone to it. We shall not prevent any of our kin from entering Islam if they wish it.
We shall show respect toward the Muslims, and we shall rise from our seats when they wish to sit.
We shall not seek to resemble the Muslims by imitating any of their garments, the qalansuwa, the turban, footwear, or the parting of the hair. We shall not speak as they do, nor shall we adopt their kunyas.
We shall not mount on saddles, nor shall we gird swords nor bear any kind of arms nor carry them on our- persons.
We shall not engrave Arabic inscriptions on our seals.
We shall not sell fermented drinks.
We shall clip the fronts of our heads.
We shall always dress in the same way wherever we may be, and we shall bind the zunar round our waists
We shall not display our crosses or our books in the roads or markets of the Muslims. We shall use only clappers in our churches very softly. We shall not raise our voices when following our dead. We shall not show lights on any of the roads of the Muslims or in their markets. We shall not bury our dead near the Muslims.
We shall not take slaves who have beenallotted to Muslims.
We shall not build houses overtopping the houses of the Muslims.
(When I brought the letter to Umar, may God be pleased with him, he added, "We shall not strike a Muslim.")
We accept these conditions for ourselves and for the people of our community, and in return we receive safe-conduct.
If we in any way violate these undertakings for which we ourselves stand surety, we forfeit our covenant [dhimma], and we become liable to the penalties for contumacy and sedition.
Umar ibn al-Khittab replied: Sign what they ask, but add two clauses and impose them in addition to those which they have undertaken. They are: "They shall not buy anyone made prisoner by the Muslims," and "Whoever strikes a Muslim with deliberate intent shall forfeit the protection of this pact."
from Al-Turtushi, Siraj al-Muluk, pp. 229-230.
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