 | “Around 2,000 Hamas followers swelled the streets of the West Bank town of Ramallah, criticising Pope Benedict XVI, whom they said 'knew nothing about history'...” |
Thousands of Palestinians on Friday led peaceful demonstrations across the Muslim world against the pope’s criticism of Islam, demanding a frank apology amidst appeals for dialogue and calm. Around 2,000 Hamas followers swelled the streets of the West Bank town of Ramallah, criticising Pope Benedict XVI, whom they said “knew nothing about history”.
| “He should debate with Iranian scholars so logic replaces his irrelevant comments...” |
Around 300 demonstrators filed into Tehran’s revolution square, burning US, British and Israeli flags and chanting “death to America” and “death to Israel”. “We want once again for the pope to apologise officially. He should debate with Iranian scholars so logic replaces his irrelevant comments,” said a leader of the protest. “We strongly condemn his comments and we ask Muslims and Christians to be alert in the face of attempts to create tension, and we ask the pope to correctly apologise,” he said. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has voiced respect for the pope and acknowledged that he had “modified” the offending remarks.
| “Qaradawi accused the pope of saying things 'even a secondary school pupil should not say'... |
Influential Qatari sheikh Yussef Al-Qaradawi accused the pope of saying things “even a secondary school pupil should not say”, in a sermon partly broadcast by Al-Jazeera. “The pope should have been prudent before making remarks that hurt a nation of a billion-and-a-half people,” said the Egyptian-born cleric.
| “'The pope has shown himself to be like Hitler, Lenin and the contemporary dictator and bloodsucker Bush,' said the head of the Kabul provincial council, Habibullah Hisam...” |
A gathering of around 300 angry scholars in Kabul called on mullahs across the country to use Friday prayers to read to their congregations the pope’s words. “In the history of humanity, the pope has shown himself to be like Hitler, Lenin and the contemporary dictator and bloodsucker Bush,” said the head of the Kabul provincial council, Habibullah Hisam.
| “Hundreds of Muslims took part in what the organisers called a 'day of anger'...” |
Meanwhile, thousands of Muslims from Cairo to Kuala Lumpur protested against the pope at mosques on Friday, demanding at least a full apology and in some cases a retraction of comments he made. At Cairo’s 10th century Al-Azhar mosque, hundreds of Muslims took part in what the organisers called a “day of anger”. The Friday preacher criticised the pope’s initial response to the controversy. “Not only do we not accept his apology, but his insulting words should be wiped out of the text,” he said.
Speakers after Friday prayers in Cairo linked the pope to the invasion or occupation of Arab and Muslim countries by the US, Israel and their allies. “Wake up Muslims! It’s a conspiracy between the pope and Bush!” said a banner strung between two mosque pillars.
“It looks as if the Vatican is providing religious justification for the wars waged in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said scholar Kamal Habib. In Malaysia, some 300 Muslims held a peaceful rally after Friday prayers. Waving anti-pope banners, supporters of the opposition Islamic party PAS demanded the pope resign and make a full apology. Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad urged Muslims to refrain from violent protests similar to those held over the cartoons. Asked if Muslim anger over the comments was seen as linking Islam with violence was justified, he said, “Not to the point of burning embassies and such.” |