UPDATE: Pope's Speech Sparks Muslim Anger

From The Telegraph (UK):

Angry protests against Pope Benedict XVI erupted in the Islamic world today as the Vatican struggled to explain a reference by the Pontiff to the Prophet Mohammad’s “evil and inhuman” contribution to religion.

The Vatican has tried to defend the Pope after comments he made about Islam and jihad prompted anger in the Muslim world. [ED.: Whatever you do, please please please don't issue some lame-ass apology. Has a Pope ever apologized for his public remarks? I can't imagine that has ever happened. Let's not start now.]

Muslim clerics from Cairo to Kashmir declared the Pope had revived the spirit of the medieval crusades and the official sermon for Friday prayers in Teheran condemned the Pope as “rude and weak-minded”. [ED.: You know, because the Islamics always have such kind things to say about other religions.]

Muslims in Rochdale joined in the chorus of criticism, claiming the Pope had cloaked his own feelings in the words of a 14th century Byzantine emperor. [ED.: We can always hope.]

In a speech on Tuesday at Regensburg University in his native Germany Pope Benedict analysed a conversation between Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus and a Persian scholar after the siege of Constantinople in 1391.

He quoted the emperor as saying: “Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” [ED.: Damn straight!]

Pope Benedict went on to question as “unreasonable” Muslim adherence to Jihad, a holy war to propagate the faith. [ED.: Nothing "unreasonable" about it - their "religion" was born by the sword, was spread by the sword, and is propogated by the sword. In short, absent "jihad", there is no Islam.]

Today’s protests raised fears of a repetition of the outpouring of anger that followed the publication a year ago of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper. [ED.: Eh, whatever. If it wasn't this, it'd be something else.]

[More]

UPDATE

Burning the Holy Father in effigy
(Hat tip: Thursday at Fumare, who notes that it didn't take long for the Religion of Peace® to prove the Pope's point)


UPDATE #2
Amy Welborn has lots on this topic today here, here, here, here, here, and here. As usual, the comments are a must read.


Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Pope's Speech Stirs Muslim Anger