Last week, Pope Benedict insulted Muslims and Islam itself when he delivered a major address at the University of Regensburg, Germany, in which he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor who regarded some of the prophet Muhammad’s teachings as “evil and inhuman.”
Although the Pope apologized earlier today, many people doubt the apology fully displayed regret. The Pope seemed to say that he is sorry that his speech offended Muslim’s, but he didn’t say that he is sorry for what he said.
Tariq Ali points out the backwards priorities of this reactionary Pope:
Was Benedict’s most recent provocation accidental or deliberate? The Bavarian is a razor-sharp reactionary cleric. A man who organises his own succession to the Papacy with a ruthless purge of potential dissidents and supervises the selection of Cardinals with great care leaves little to chance.
I think he knew what he was saying and why.
Choosing a quote from Manuel II Paleologos, not the most intelligent of the Byzantine rulers, was somewhat disingenuous, especially on the eve of a visit to Turkey. He could have found more effective quotes and closer to home. Perhaps it was his unique tribute to Oriana Fallaci.
Perhaps.
The Muslim world with two of its countries—Iraq and Afghanistan– directly occupied by Western troops does not need to be reminded of the language of the Crusades. In a neo-liberal world suffering from environmental degradation, poverty, hunger, repression, a ‘planet of slums’ (in the graphic phrase of Mike Davis), the Pope chooses to insult the founder of a rival faith.