Pope 'sorry' for offence to Islam

Pope 'sorry' for offence to Islam

Pope Benedict XVI has said he is sorry that a speech in which he referred to Islam has offended Muslims.

In a statement read out by a senior Vatican official, the Pope said he respected Islam and hoped Muslims would understand the true sense of his words.

In Tuesday's speech the Pope quoted a 14th Century Christian emperor who said the Prophet Muhammad had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things.

The remarks prompted protests from Muslims around the world.

The BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome says the speed with which the Vatican has reacted shows just how seriously it views the situation.

Reading the statement, new Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said the Pope's position on Islam was in line with Vatican teaching that the Church "esteems Muslims, who adore the only God".

"The Holy Father is very sorry that some passages of his speech may have sounded offensive to the sensibilities of Muslim believers," the statement said.

But Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said the statement did not go far enough and called on the pontiff to apologise in person.

"The Vatican Secretary of State says that the Pope is sorry because his statements had been badly interpreted, but there is no bad interpretation," Abdel Moneim Abul Futuh, a senior official from the opposition party told AFP. (more)

Pressure mounted on

Pope Benedict to issue a personal apology on Sunday when he makes his first public appearance since his comments about Islam sparked Muslim fury across the world.(more)

VATICAN STATEMENT

But the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said in a statement the Pope "had absolutely no intention" of presenting Emperor Manuel's opinions on Islam as his own.

"The Holy Father thus sincerely regrets that certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful," Bertone said in a statement, only a day after taking over as "deputy pope."

He said the Pope, elected 17 months ago, confirmed "his respect and esteem for those who profess Islam" and hoped his words would be understood in their "correct meaning."

The academic speech was meant as a "a clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation for violence, from whatever side it may come," Bertone said.

The backlash over the Pope's comments has cast doubt on his planned visit to Turkey in November.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, a pious Muslim with roots in political Islam, said before the Vatican statement the Pope's comments were "ugly and unfortunate" and should be withdrawn.

However, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Sunday he expected the visit to go ahead. Aksam newspaper said Gul had also written a letter to Benedict urging him not to cancel the trip, saying it was an important opportunity to foster dialogue between different cultures.

Yemen's president publicly denounced the Pontiff and five churches -- only one of them Catholic -- were attacked in the West Bank, although no one was hurt.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry summoned the Vatican's envoy to Cairo to express "extreme regret" at Benedict's speech.

But Chancellor Angela Merkel and other German politicians defended his comments, saying he had been misunderstood.

"It was an invitation to dialogue between religions," Merkel told the mass circulation Bild newspaper in an interview.

Vatican insiders and diplomats say the Pope may have mixed up his new role with his former posts as a theologian and head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, when as
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger he was known as a disciplinarian.

Angry Muslim leaders flung what they saw as allegations of violence back at the West.

"How can (the Pope) imply that Muslims are the creators of terrorism in the world while it is the followers of Christianity who have been aggressive against every country of the Islamic world?" prominent Saudi cleric Salman al-Odeh said. "Who attacked Afghanistan and who invaded Iraq?"

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Dr M - Muslim Nations Should Have Nuclear Weapons

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad says Muslim nations should posses nuclear weapons to deter potential enemies from attacking them.

Speaking at a seminar in the Pakistani capital on Friday, the former leader of Malaysia sharply criticized the United States and Israel for actions that he said were against Islam and Muslims.

Mahathir Mohamad said Islam is against terrorist and suicide attacks, but that it allows Muslims to do all they can to defend themselves.

"They are enjoined to defend their Muslim society," he said. "They should have the tanks, warplanes, warships, guns and missiles. Yes, they need to have nuclear weapons, too, because only with the possession of such would their enemies be deterred from attacking them."

The 81-year-old former Malaysian prime minister received warm applause for his comments from the audience in Pakistan, the only Islamic nation to have developed nuclear weapons.

Mahathir Mohamad said Muslim nations could only be secure if they possessed nuclear weapons, although he said the best situation would be a world in which no countries possess them.

He said the U.S.-led war against terrorism has turned into a war against Islam and Muslims, because it is targeting countries, such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

President Bush says the United States is at war against extremists, bound by ideology, who are willing to use terror to achieve their objectives. He says U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is to help those fledgling democracies withstand terrorist threats.

In his speech on Friday, Mahathir Mohamad also repeated a statement he made three years ago in which he spoke of a Jewish conspiracy in the United States and suggested that Jews ruled the world by proxy. The Malaysian leader's statement drew strong condemnation from Western countries.

The former Malaysian prime minister retired in 2003, after 22 years in power. But he remains highly respected and influential throughout the Muslim world.

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I'll Do It My Way, Says Abdull

HAVANA, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says he is firm in his commitment to introduce reforms in the country's administration.

The prime minister said his critics must accept the reality that he had his own way of doing things.

Denying the claim by his detractors that he had lost control as a leader, Abdullah said he would not be rash in his actions but would seek the views of the Cabinet and the Umno supreme council.

"There are still many people who don't understand, they say Pak Lah has lost control. That's my way of doing things. Everybody has his way of doing things.

"The objectives are still the same, there is no change, but the way (of doing it) is my way," he told Malaysian journalists at the end of the 14th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit here Saturday.

Giving a lengthy explanation on the matter, Abdullah said reforms cannot be done with the hope of seeing immediate results.

"It's not that I've totally forgotten or don't care at all about reforms but reforms must be introduced after careful planning and study and results cannot be expected overnight," he said.

Abdullah was asked to comment on the claim by Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (BN-Kota Baharu) in Parliament recently that the prime minister had still not introduced reforms as promised though it has been three years he assumed the prime minister's post.

The prime minister said all actions must be referred to the Cabinet and the party as the government held to the principle that "party's strength supports the government, the government's strength supports the party".

He said many important issues have to be studied thoroughly and this might take some time

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Saya yang paling tidak lupa perbuatan Dr Mahathir - Mahfuz

Sayalah antara mangsa yang paling tidak dapat melupakan perbuatan Dr Mahathir ketika beliau berkuasa. Surat penahanan saya di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) yang kejam dan barbaric ditandatangani oleh Dr Mahathir sendiri dan saya masih menyimpan surat itu".

Begitu jawapan spontan Ahli Jawatankuasa PAS Pusat, Haji Mahfuz Omar apabila dipertikaikan adakah beliau telah melupakan segala perbuatan bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad ketika berkuasa dahulu.


"Tidak mungkin saya dapat dan mahu melupakan penganiayaan yang dilakukan oleh Dr Mahathir ketika beliau berkuasa, sama ada kepada saya apa lagi kepada rakyat terutama yang memperjuangkan Islam.

"Saya dipisahkan dari anak isteri saya dan dipenjarakan tanpa dibuktikan apakah kesalahan saya. Tindakan itu kejam, tidak berperikemanusiaan, barbaric dan bohonglah kalau saya mendakwa saya telah melupakan semua itu sedangkan Dr Mahathir tidak pernah pun kelihatan menyesali perbuatan-perbuatannya itu dan tidak juga kelihatan mahu meminta maaf dari rakyat.

"Malah, saya juga tidak lupa sama sekali perbuatan bekas pemimpin Umno yang lain ketika mereka berkuasa. Saya tidak pernah lupa kesombongan dan keangkuhan mereka ketika itu dan mereka juga tidak pernah pun kelihatan menyesali perbuatan-perbuatan mereka itu dan tidak juga kelihatan mahu meminta maaf dari rakyat," tegas beliau.

Mengulas rasa tidak puas hati pelbagai pihak di dalam pembangkang yang mendakwa beliau adalah penyokong Dr Mahathir, Mahfuz mengulangi bahawa beliau hanya menyokong tindakan Dr Mahathir yang mahu menyelamatkan negara ini dari kepimpinan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, menantunya Khairy Jamaluddin dan konco-konco mereka.

"Kalau ada mana-mana pihak di dalam pembangkang yang merasakan kepimpinan Abdullah dan tindak-tanduk Khairy adalah baik untuk negara ini dan tidak akan menjerumuskan negara yang kita cintai ini ke jurang kehancuran dan mala-petaka, saya tidak boleh buat apa-apa untuk mengubah pandangan mereka.

"Bagi saya, saya tetap dengan keyakinan bahawa negara ini akhirnya akan hancur binasa, tidak bermaruah, tergadai kedaulatannya dan kita semua akan terhina jika kepimpinan Abdullah dan tindak-tanduk keluarganya terutama Khairy serta konco-konco mereka tidak ditentang.

"Dan, oleh kerana Dr Mahathirlah yang kelihatan paling lantang dalam soal yang amat penting kepada masa hadapan negara itu, saya menyokong penentangan dan kelantangannya itu.

"Tidak pernah pula ada mana-mana ulama, sama ada yang berpolitik atau tidak berpolitik, yang memberi amaran bahawa saya melakukan kesalahan di sisi Syariat Islam kerana menyokong penentangan dan kelantangan bekas Perdana Menteri," kata beliau.


Mengulas kecaman terhadapnya yang kelihatan begitu ketara menyokong ucapan Dr Mahathir, Mahfuz berkata: "Dia berucap mengecam Abdullah dan pengikut-pengikutnya yang bersikap 'mana titah patik junjung,' adakah salah saya menyokong? Adakah saya perlu memarahi Dr Mahathir atau menangis berdukacita bila mendengar kritikan beliau itu?"

Mahfuz seterusnya berkata, kalau ada mana-mana pemimpin lain yang lebih lantang dan berkesan dari Dr Mahathir dalam menentang kepimpinan Perdana Menteri dan tindak-tanduk keluarganya terutama Khairy, beliau sanggup menjadi "pembantu paling rajin" kepada mereka.



"Saya pernah menerajui gerakan rakyat yang kita namakan Gerak ketika (Datuk Seri) Anwar (Ibrahim) dizalimi oleh Dr Mahathir selepas 2 September 1998 dahulu.

"Soal pecat itu hak Dr Mahathir yang ketika itu Perdana Menteri. Yang kita tentang ialah tindakan-tindakan kejam di luar batasan selepas Anwar dipecat dan kita mesti menyokong Anwar ketika itu," katanya.


Bagaimanapun, Mahfuz menjelaskan, sokongannya terhadap Anwar ketika itu dan juga usaha-usaha terpujinya ketika ini tidak bermakna beliau melupakan apa yang telah dilakukan oleh bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri itu ketika beliau berkuasa dahulu.


"Inilah perbezaan kita dengan orang-orang yang berkepentingan di dalam Umno. Mereka dahulu menyokong Dr Mahathir ketika beliau berkuasa dan melakukan pelbagai perbuatan yang hanya layak ditentang dan dikecam.

"Hari ini, ramai di antara mereka yang tiba-tiba mencerca apa yang dilakukan oleh Dr Mahathir ketika beliau berkuasa dahulu malah ada menteri yang menyifatkan Dr Mahathir sekarang ditimpa hukum karma, dahulu dia menganiayai orang tetapi hari ini dia sendiri yang dianiaya.

"Soalnya mengapa mereka yang beria-ia menyokong Dr Mahathir ketika beliau melakukan perbuatan-perbuatan yang kini mereka sendiri mengecamnya? Mengapa tidak lawan pada waktu itu dan mengapa mereka memusuhi kita yang menentang perbuatan Dr Mahathir ketika itu?" soal beliau.


Mahfuz percaya, jika Allah menetapkan waktunya sudah sampai apabila tiba masanya nanti dan perjuangan memaksa Abdullah berundur mencapai kemenangan, orang-orang itulah yang awal-awal lagi akan tampil mengecam Abdullah.


"Mereka akan menyembelih Abdullah habis-habisan ketika itu dan lebih keras dari apa yang kita lakukan sekarang. Tetapi hari ini, oleh kerana kepentingan diri, merekalah yang paling setia menyokong dan sanggup menjatuhkan maruah diri sendiri menjadi penjilat setia Perdana Menteri seperti mereka menjadi penjilat setia Dr Mahathir dahulu.

"Orang-orang inilah yang kini menjadi pemimpin negara di pelbagai peringkat dan rakyat mesti digerakkan untuk mengalahkan pakar-pakar jilat ini," tegas Mahfuz.


Pope Benedict XVI Muslims Malaysia Mahathir Ahmad Badawi Koh Tsu Koon Mahfuz