TURKEY: ANOTHER STORY ABOUT THE PONTIFF VISITING TURKEY

Chance to heal Islam-West rift
29 November 2006

THIS is easily one of the most controversial visits by a foreign leader in recent times. But then Pope Benedict XVI is no ordinary leader. He is the spiritual leader of the Christendom. He is not like any other pope either. This pontiff has established his reputation as someone who is keen to get away from the legacy of his visionary predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who reached out to Islam and other faiths.

The world’s 1.6 billion Muslims still find it hard to forget the unreasonable and uncalled for remarks Pope Benedict made in September about Islam and its revered Prophet. It’s no wonder then that ordinary people in Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, are exercised over the visit that began yesterday, despite the pontiff’s qualified expression of ‘regret.’

But this visit by the Pope to Muslim Turkey, which not long had been the leader of the Islamic world as the seat of caliphate, could be a rare opportunity to heal the wounds inflicted by Benedict’s remarks at Regensburg, Germany.

While peaceful protests in Turkey on the eve of the Pope’s visit are understandable, they shouldn’t get out of hand to inconvenience the guest or sully Turkey’s image as a peace-loving, liberal and democratic society. As a visitor to Turkey, the Pope is a guest of the whole of Muslim world.

Turkey should use this papal visit to clear the serious misconceptions and prejudices its guest harbours with regard to Islam and Muslims. Pope Benedict is also known for his opposition to Turkey joining the European Union. Before taking over as Pope, Cardinal Ratzinger, as he was known then, Benedict had opposed Turkey’s EU bid, saying it belonged to a different cultural and religious sphere, adding that its admission would be a grave error against the ‘tide of history’.

Turkey now has a chance to convince the Pope why it belongs in EU.

Eventually, however, it is up to Pope Benedict XVI himself how he wants this historic visit to Turkey viewed by the Christians, Muslims and the rest of the world. If the Pope genuinely wants to promote peace and dialogue between his flock and Islamic world — as he insists he does — he would do well to reach out to the Muslims seeking amends for the pain and anguish he caused them in September. It’s time to heal.

Pertinent Links:

1) Chance to heal Islam-West rift