The pope and the prophet

Re “Muslims Lash Out at Pope’s Remarks,” Sept. 15

Pope Benedict XVI finally expressed his misguided views of Islam. One billion Muslims revere Muhammad, while many non-Muslims respect him as one of history’s most influential people. But Pope Benedict undeniably equated Muhammad’s message as “evil and inhuman.”

This commentary sadly exemplifies many of our world leaders’ ignorance of Islam and its values.

The pope is completely misrepresenting Islam’s heritage of peace, tolerance and justice.

It’s unfortunate that a person of his caliber would advocate the clash of supposedly opposing civilizations, which is a radical departure from his predecessors’ efforts to bridge the relationship between Islam and Christianity.

FAISAL AND AMEENA QAZI

Chino Hills

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The pope’s remarks, and the reaction of Turkey’s leading religious figure, prove only one thing: that believers have no sense of irony. The pope quotes a 14th century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Paleologus, that Muhammad had introduced “things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” In the same speech, the pope held up Christianity as the “profound encounter of faith and reason.”

Do the words “Crusades” and “Inquisition” come to mind? Are book burnings and the massacre of heretics no longer an expression of that profound encounter of faith and reason?

A pox on both their houses. What is certain is that both of these religious leaders would join in mutual defense and brotherhood against any secular attempt to remove them and their political agendas from a free and democratic society based on equality under law.

MORTON KURZWEIL

Margate, Fla.

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Enough pope-bashing. His remarks regarding the violence of Islam are rooted in the present. Everyone, including the pope, is aware of the violent history of both Catholics and Muslims.

However, the Crusades occurred centuries ago, and recently I just can’t find any reports about Catholics blowing themselves up in crowded public areas or publicly beheading U.S. citizens in the name of God.

The Catholics stopped murdering innocent people long ago, though the radical Islamists continue to defile the true teachings of Allah by the use of terrorism and murder to rid the world of nonbelievers.

MICHAEL RUBINO

San Pedro