Pope in 'freedom' blast at Islam

[Ikutiera]

The Pope has again risked provoking the wrath of the Islamic world, by criticising its treatment of Christians.
Benedict XVI attacked Muslim nations where Christians are either persecuted or given the status of second-class citizens under the Shariah Islamic law.
He also defended the rights of Muslims to convert to Christianity, an act which warrants the death penalty in many Islamic countries.

Pope in \'freedom\' blast at Islam | the Daily Mail

[Marulus]

Some other source is necessary to verify these allegations, not just the notorious British tabloid Daily Mail:

Pope says fight against terrorism must respect human rights

21/09/2007

Democratic societies have the right to defend themselves against terrorism but must respect laws and human rights in their struggle – or risk endangering the very freedoms they seek to protect, Pope Benedict XVI said today.

“In democratic systems, the use of force in a manner contrary to the principles of a constitutional state can never be justified,” the pope said at an audience with members of the Centrist Democrat International, an association of centre-right parties from around the world.

“Terrorism is a serious problem whose perpetrators often claim to act in God’s name and harbour an inexcusable contempt for human life,” Benedict said.

The pope said that some terrorist networks justify their actions by “shamelessly” exploiting the charge that society has forgotten God, and said that a greater respect for religion could help counter that accusation.

“Society naturally has a right to defend itself,” but the struggle against terrorism must respect moral and legal norms, the pope told the politicians gathered at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.

“How can we claim to protect democracy if we threaten its very foundations?” Benedict said. “It is necessary both to keep careful watch over the security of civil society and its citizens while at the same time safeguarding the inalienable rights of all.”

The pope did not mention any specific situations in the fight against terrorism.

Benedict urged the politicians to spread values he said are being endangered by changes in their communities. He urged them to oppose abortion, divorce and ideologies that view financial gain as the only good.

The pope also spoke out in defense of religious freedom, which he said includes the right to choose one’s faith.

“The exercise of this freedom also includes the right to change religion, which should be guaranteed not only legally, but also in daily practice,” he said.

“All authentically religious traditions must be allowed to manifest their own identity publicly, free from any pressure to hide or disguise it.”

Sensitivity to Christian proselytising is widespread among Muslims, Hindu nationalists and some other religious groups that fear losing adherents.

Under a widespread interpretation of Islamic law, converting from Islam is punishable by death, while Hindu nationalists accuse Christian missionaries of luring poor people away from Hinduism, India’s largest faith, through offers of money or coercion – a charge churches have denied.

[source]

Neocon fetishists of the West are already chanting their praises to Benedict, their praises being founded upon the article of the above-mentioned British tabloid. However, according to this other report, Pope's words had a different focus, on the danger of adopting totalitarianism in the name of the war on terror. The West-fetishists try to use absolutely every occasion to promote their agenda.

[Errigal]

Originally Posted by Plethon

Some other source is necessary to verify these allegations, not just the notorious British tabloid Daily Mail:

The Daily Mail's been pretty good lately IMO. Even so, statements by public figures seem to be distorted shamelessly by almost all mainstream media. The great thing about the Internet is the ability it gives us to see the original statement without a distorting media filter.

Originally Posted by Plethon

Neocon fetishists of the West are already chanting their praises to Benedict, their praises being founded upon the article of the above-mentioned British tabloid. However, according to this other report, Pope's words had a different focus, on the danger of adopting totalitarianism in the name of the war on terror. The West-fetishists try to use absolutely every occasion to promote their agenda.

... and a week from now they would pour insults on him and his Church if he says something they don't like.

[Marulus]

Originally Posted by Errigal

The Daily Mail's been pretty good lately IMO.

Maybe, but in this case they displayed a tabloidical Hearst-esque trait. Or it is Hearstism in the service of (neocon?) propaganda. The pompous title of the article grossly misrepresents what Pope actually said.

The focus in his speech was on the dangers of the totalitarianism in the West, that could come from the struggle against terror.

In the second part of his speech, however, he said something that can be understood as referring to Islam. And it is most probably the reference to Islam, it can be deduced from the context. But, since he did not mention Islam explicitly, technically it remains in the realm of speculation and insinuation. In that case, it is extremely journalistically dishonest to put the insinuation into the very title of the article. They could mention in the article that he was probably meaning Islam, but not display such a bombastic and misleading title.

[Almost a Christian]

From a distant perspective this Pope does seem to be generating a courageous traditionalist niche not in the fashion of his predecessors. Perhaps, then, in order to appease the powers that be, Benedict feels compelled to endlessly pontificate about Islamic activity..

[Marulus]

Originally Posted by Almost a Christian

From a distant perspective this Pope does seem to be generating a courageous traditionalist niche not in the fashion of his predecessors. Perhaps, then, in order to appease the powers that be, Benedict feels compelled to endlessly pontificate about Islamic activity..

Maybe, but maybe he's gone too far in appeasing the powers that be.

Democratic societies have the right to defend themselves against terrorism

Against any terrorism, including American terrorism? Do only "democratic societies" (whatever that mean) have right to defend themselves from terrorism? The Taleban in Afghanistan are also fighting against terrorism, in which case we have a professedly undemocratic society struggling against the Yankee terrorism. On the other hand, when a European country dismantles a terrorist cell, we are dealing with a liberal-democratic (which has turned into a version of dictatorship) society fighting against terrorism. In a nutshell: either both "democratic" and "undemocratic" societies have right to defend themselves againt terror, or none of the two.

“Terrorism is a serious problem whose perpetrators often claim to act in God’s name and harbour an inexcusable contempt for human life,” Benedict said.

That's correct.
George Bush: \'God told me to end the tyranny in Iraq\'
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Full text: \'Bin Laden\'s message\'

Benedict urged the politicians to spread values he said are being endangered by changes in their communities. He urged them to oppose abortion, divorce and ideologies that view financial gain as the only good.

The pope also spoke out in defense of religious freedom, which he said includes the right to choose one’s faith.

“The exercise of this freedom also includes the right to change religion, which should be guaranteed not only legally, but also in daily practice,” he said.

“All authentically religious traditions must be allowed to manifest their own identity publicly, free from any pressure to hide or disguise it.”

That's very strange. Here he sounds rather like a liberal-secular humanitarianist than like a traditionalist pope.

If he is meaning what he said, that would imply justifying European converts to Islam as well. Or condoning the spread of American "Evangelical" cults into (especially Eastern) Europe.

Let's hope it's all solely about appeasing the powers that be...