Pope Benedict XVI to meet Muslim ambassadors

Pope Benedict XVI to meet Muslim ambassadors
22 September 2006

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI is to meet the ambassadors to the Holy See of predominantly- Muslim countries in an act of reconciliation following his controversial remarks on Islam, the Vatican said Friday, confirming reports in the Italian media.

The meeting was scheduled to take place on Monday in the pope's summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, in the hills south of Rome.

The head of Rome's main mosque and other Muslim religious leaders were also expected to attend, Italian Muslim officials said.

The move is part of a diplomatic offensive launched by the Vatican in the aftermath of a speech by Benedict that has sparked angry reactions in the Islamic world.




The pope has said he was sorry that his speech at a German university last week, in which he quoted a 14th-century Christian emperor as referring to elements of Islam as "evil and inhuman", may have offended Muslims.

Despite his apology and his insistence that he had been "misunderstood", protests are continuing in several Islamic countries.

Hundreds of people staged on Friday in Tehran renewed demonstrations against the Pope's remarks.

The demonstration was held after the Friday prayer ceremony which was held in downtown Tehran by former president Akbar Hashemi- Rafsanjani.

Rafsanjani said that although "Mr. Pope" has already clarified that his speech on Islam was just quoting history and not meant to insult world Muslims, "still it was a bad thing to happen."

Friday's demonstration was organised by the Islamic Propagation Office and aimed at "exposing the fury and hatred" of Iranian Muslims over what Iran calls the pope's "anti-Islamic" remarks, but according to local press sources, demonstrators were warned not to use any slogans against the pope himself.

Rafsanjani, who still plays an influential role on Iran's political scene as head of the arbitration body, the Expediency Council, said that in the middle of global efforts for enabling dialogue among religions, the pope's remarks triggered renewed religious tensions.

"The remarkable thing, however, is that the ordinary Muslim people started the protests, the governments (protests) came later, and this shows that the Muslims have realised their power and are ready to defend their religion and sanctities," the cleric said.

During his stay in New York, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad indicated he was satisfied with the pope's apology, but urged him to speak more cautiously in future, warning that his remarks on Islam could lead to war.


This is Pityful. They want every religon but islam wiped out yet they wanna pray for them. It's worse than i thought. The pope speaks the truth now he gotta put spin on it to please the muslims.

Muslims need much more than a prayer. Islam was created by a false prophet, they honor a fake pagan Mood God called Allah, and they worship a large black metorite as an Idol. Islam WAS created by the sword. Muhammad himself said that his Arab people needed a religion to unite the many Arab tribes that were fighting among themselves so they could dominate their neighbors and enemies....Militarily. He used some Judao/Christianty teaching and mixed it with alot of the Arab pagan Moon God Cult. Islam needs to reform itself and adopt a more peaceful religion that eliminates the teachings in the Koran that incourages intolerance, violence against Infidels. Until this is done no amount of prayers will help this twisted religion.

Allah IS God. Allah (or God) is not the problem! The problem is the ignorant, stupid followers of Mohammed. They don't know their rear end from a hole in the ground.