THE CRUSADES & THE INQUISITION

IRAN: REFORMISTS ATTACK POPE

Tehran, 2 Oct. (AKI) - by Ahmad Rafat - Iranian reformists who have been fighting for survival ever since president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected last year have repeatedly attacked Pope Benedict XVI over a controversial speech he made last month linking Islam to violence. Hojatolislam Mohsen Kadivar, a cleric jailed twice for his criticism of violence in the name of Allah and his sponsorship of women's rights, told Adnkronos International (AKI) he believes "this pontiff fears Islam and its expansion and therefore wants to fight it instead of looking for dialogue."

According to the cleric, "with the election of Joseph Ratzinger the Vatican has moved away from the climate of dialogue created by the late pope John Paul II."

Kadivar also said the pontiff had meant to offend Muslims by quoting a 14th century Christian Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who spoke of the Prophet Mohammad's "command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." After the speech, violent protests took place worldwide, ambassadors to the Vatican from Muslim countries were recalled and terror threats were issued against the pope, Rome and Italy.

"His quote was incomplete and unilateral," the cleric said, also noting that "the past of the Christian Church is made of violence, from the inquisition to the crusades."

Moshen Kadivar is persuaded the Catholic Church is trying to counter the demographic growth of Muslims with an offensive against Islam.

He is not the only cleric or Iranian reformist to accuse Benedict of having offended Muslims on purpose.

Abdol Karim Sorousc, a well known reformist who teaches at Harvard University, says the pontiff is "a Catholic fundamentalist who uses arrogance as he doesn't know how to counter the rise of Islam through reason."

The Movement for the Liberation of Iran, an outlawed yet tolerated organisation founded by Iranian Muslim who want to separate religion from the state, has issued a statement calling Benedict's words "senseless."

"A pontiff who has not condemned Christian-Western colonialism in the world cannot define Islam a religion which tries to impose itself through violence," the statement also said.


Pertinent Links:

1) IRAN: REFORMISTS ATTACK POPE