Christian Rage and Muslim Moderation
Ever since 2006, when Benedict cited a medieval Christian emperor talking about Islam as "evil and inhuman," and the usual Muslim rabble-rousers whipped up the usual Muslim riots, more responsible members of the world's Islamic community have hoped to restore calm and reason. And now this. "The whole spectacle, with its choreography, persona and messages provokes genuine questions about the motives, intentions and plans of some of the pope's advisers on Islam," said a statement issued by Aref Ali Nayed, a spokesman for 138 Muslim scholars who established the Catholic-Muslim Forum for dialogue with Rome earlier this month.
Bishop Paul Hinder, the Vatican's representative in Arabia, was reluctant to criticize the pope, of course, but when I reached him in Abu Dhabi Wednesday morning he clearly had reservations about the way Allam was received into the Church. He said that local Christians took him aside at Easter services and asked him "why it had to be done in such an extraordinary way on a special night." Hinder contrasted Allam's conversion to Catholicism with former British prime minister Tony Blair's, which "was done in a private chapel."
"What I cannot accept is if it is done in a triumphalistic way," said Hinder. That is, if Allam were not declaring only his personal beliefs but intentionally demeaning the faith of Muslims. Yet it is hard to read the spectacle of his conversion otherwise, because that's exactly the tone in which Allam writes. He has made his career portraying Islam as a religion that terrorizes. Allam says he has lived in hiding and in fear for years because of reaction to his columns in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra, which regularly denounce excesses by Muslims and praise Israel. Allam converted to Catholicism, he says, as he turned away from "a past in which I imagined that there could be a moderate Islam." Speaking as if for the pope, Allam told one interviewer in Italy, "His Holiness has launched an explicit and revolutionary message to a church that, up to now, has been too prudent in converting Muslims." A Vatican spokesman says Allam was not speaking for the pope.
Allam claims he is hoping his public embrace of Catholicism will help other converts to speak out in public. But that hardly seems likely. The more probable scenario is that others will feel even more vulnerable, while Allam's books, like many Muslim-bashing screeds that preceded them, climb the best-seller lists.
Unless—and this really would be news—the Muslim world just turns the page.
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Member Comments
Posted By: Mariana S @ 05/06/2008 10:34:52 PM
Comment: Chistopher Dickey has problems with the Catholic church. When JPII was dying, he wasn't doing it fast enough for Dickey and of course Benedict's election was a catastrophe. Newsweek should consider hiring reporters for the Vatican beat who have no animus toward Catholics. They don't have to LOVE Catholics, but it would be nice if they did not so overtly hate them.
Posted By: getzel @ 04/21/2008 5:45:10 PM
Comment: Dickey: No I do not agree, I think the Dickey representation of the actual market conditions is as accurate as if Dickey wrote the world is flat;
The idea that Islamis are now: I am Ok and you are OK and if we just talk I am sure we can be good friends; and if westerners want to criticize and make fun of Islam that is OK. For Dickey to write that Islam has moderated because he found a few people who say one thing in English; & no doubt have a completely different tune in their native language, is beyond irresponsible, & may be treasonous.
The Islamis say openly that they use this type activity as a ruse to lull pacifist into encouraging pacification.
What the actual market conditions are: Terrorist &/or Islamis are at war with The West because terrorist believe Islam can not survive against a free market, free speech to criticize Islam, representative Republic. Yes, terrorist believe Islam is doomed to the trash heap unless freedom to criticize Islam and democracy are eliminated. That is why they send suicide murderers and attack the West. Propaganda, the big lie???
..if only Israel???is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Moslem terrorist bump against another culture they say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing in Kosovo: same thing In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslem terrorist are contiguous with another people: They say the same thing they say about Israel: If only???Sharia???and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam???
there is no such thing as "moderate Islam".... As Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said the other day, and I quote, "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it".... Islam is in pursuit of dominance. It wishes to exact its imperialist agenda by force on a worldwide scale (8:39).
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Posted By: getzel @ 04/21/2008 5:44:22 PM
Comment: The Jews are the only ones with any claim to the land; no one else was there for any period of time, unlike the American Indian who was also nomad. Nor do you state any claim to the land, only invalid objections to Jewish claim to the land.
I do not agree with your numbers. There has been a continuous Jewish presence in Israel since at least 1313 BC: 2000 years before Mo was born. Jews maintained the countryand had a Capital in Jerusalem for hundreds of years before Mo was born. Just as in Kosovo 1997-2008 where Moslem hordes kill rape and murder Christians and run them out of town and now few Christians live there. So Moslem Hordes did the same to Jews in the Jews land of Israel. Stealing does not make for a legit deed. Moslem hordes did the same thing to Christians in Lebanon 1979-present; now fewer Christians than before. Liars and thieves figure, but figures do not lie. Thanks for the opportunity to remind everyone about Moslem land thieves.
A. I suspect you are trying to say, the erroneous point, that Jews do not belong in this area. Jews lived in this area for 1800 years before Mohammed was born; Jews are documented in this area dating to +/- 1313 BC.
B. Jews had a capital in Jerusalem +/_ 1000 years before Mohammed was born. There is written documentation to prove it. 20th and 21st century ( and previous centuries) archeology to prove Jewish presence and verify the written documentation.
C. Since the Jewish presents predates the Moslem presence and has been open and continuous for +/- 2300 years and includes deeds; it is bazaar to claim the Jews have no claim to the land; and such a statement could only be made by one who has ones mind made up and is not interested in facts
The Ottoman Turks were the government in the middle east until from around 1300 until 1917-8. France and England were given Mandates of these areas of the middle east after the demise of Ottoman Turkey . All of the counties of the middle east were drawn by lines in the sand in the 20th century; including Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Lebanon et al. These countries are either all legitimate or all not legitimate as they were all created the same way at near the same time.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Arabs, Persians, & Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against a free market, free speech, republic with: womens rights & no honor killing: murdering women is legal in Sharia.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam
Intelligence analyst: Getzel