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Pope
Benedict's comments were unwise & provocative,
but the best course for Muslims is
to turn the other cheek
By
Raheel Raza
and
Tarek Fatah
It's ironic that
while more than 1,000 delegates met at a congress in Montreal
called World's Religions After September 11, where they
discussed initiatives aimed at building greater understanding
among followers of all faiths, halfway across the globe Pope
Benedict XVI was making a speech that would have the opposite
effect.
Now, despite his
apology, the inflamed responses to his remarks continue
worldwide.
Like all
Muslims, we too felt deep anguish as once more our faith had
been ridiculed by no less a figure than the leader of the
world's 1 billion Catholics.
In fairness to
him, the Pope himself did not say anything negative about
Islam, but was quoting the 14th-century Byzantine Emperor
Manuel II Paleologus, who said: "Show me just what
Muhammad 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."
On
Sunday, the Pope apologized in person for causing offence,
saying the medieval text he had quoted did not in any way
express his opinion. But the damage had been done. Extremists
pounced on the opportunity, burning churches in the
Palestinian territories, shooting dead a 60-year-old nun in
Somalia and uttering inflammatory rhetoric that has set back
Muslim-Christian relations.
We were more
disappointed than angry at Pope Benedict. After all, the Pope
is not just any ordinary priest. He is a religious icon, and
what he says has clout. What was he thinking when he
uttered
those words?
As the London
Guardian newspaper noted in an editorial, the Pope made no
effort to say that this was not his belief. "There was no
phrase distancing himself from the claim that Muhammad was
responsible for evil. It's little surprise, therefore, that
the remarks have roused anger and demands for a personal
apology."
We
live in times when religion is used as a tool to enhance
political power. Irresponsible rhetoric on the part of
religious leaders can cause fragile threads to quickly
unravel. Just as we progressive Muslims have repeatedly, and
at great risk, confronted clerics and extremists within the
Muslim community, we now expect our Catholic brothers and
sisters to step forward and condemn the ill-timed, irrational
and ill-informed remarks of the Holy Father.
We are
particularly disappointed because Pope Benedict's predecessor,
Pope John Paul II, spoke at length about similarities rather
than differences. While speaking to the Catholic community of
Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 29, 1979, Pope John Paul II said:
"My
brothers, when I think of this spiritual heritage (Islam)
and the value it has for man and for society, its capacity
of offering, particularly in the young, guidance for life,
filling the gap left by materialism, and giving a reliable
foundation to social and juridical organization, I wonder if
it is not urgent, precisely today when Christians and
Muslims have entered a new period of history, to recognize
and develop the spiritual bonds that unite us, in order to
preserve and promote together for the benefit of all men,
`peace, liberty, social justice and moral values.'"
In his
unfortunate and inopportune remarks in Germany last week, Pope
Benedict XVI may have made an error in judgment when he chose
to quote a medieval emperor.
Later
he talked about "that genuine dialogue of cultures and
religions so urgently needed today." That dialogue will
become meaningful only when all of us learn, not just to
respect each other, but also to be willing to stand up and
hold our own clergy to account, and take them to task for
making offensive remarks that are hurtful and set back
peacemaking efforts worldwide.
The Pope may not
have intended to cause such worldwide hurt, and he has
apologized, but the nature of the Pope's remarks and their
dangerous consequences must be understood in the context of
our times. This was best explained by Giles Fraser, the vicar
of Putney and a lecturer in philosophy at Wadham College,
Oxford.
He
wrote:
"...
it's born-again Christians who have been at the forefront of
support for the invasion of Iraq, the occupation of
Palestinian lands by Israel, and the whole `reorganization'
of the Middle East — a catastrophe in which many thousands
of Muslims have lost their lives. Any comments by a
Christian leader that touch upon this wound are bound to be
interpreted from every possible angle. The Pope must have
known this. If millions of Muslims were offended by the
scribblings of a few unknown
Danish cartoonists, it's pretty obvious the enormous
potential for harm that might flow from a few ill-judged
comments by the vicar of Rome."
Having said
that, the response from the conservative Muslim leadership,
from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt to the ayatollahs of
Iran, has been to use this unfortunate incident to stoke more
anger and hatred; one more reason to march in streets, attack
churches and hurl counter-insults at the Pope.
Muslim leaders
should resist this temptation. Now is not the time to pour
fuel on the fire; now is the time to douse these flames with
compassion and patience. We must use this as an opportunity to
follow the example of our Prophet, who ignored insults levied
at him.
The Pope's
remarks have been criticized the world over and he has
apologized. That should be enough. In this crisis, there is an
opportunity for Muslims. The Guardian put it best when it
said: "There cannot be dialogue without rigour and
openness. The Muslim world should also take pains to be
thoughtful in its response, and perhaps less quick to take
offence."
Now is the time
for Muslims to follow the Qur'an and forgive. Now is the time
for Muslims to turn the other cheek. That, indeed, would be
the "greater" jihad.
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