Letter from the editor

The Pope and the religion of peace

Have civilized, thinking people officially lost their minds? While militant Muslims are busy blowing up civilians at every turn, proclaiming that they want to destroy the West, all the world's eyes are fixed on the pope, waiting for some ridiculous apology that I hope he will never offer.

Last week, Pope Benedict, while delivering a scholarly lecture to Catholic professors in Germany, quoted the 14th-Century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus, who said: "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."

In the context of his speech, the pope was trying to impress upon his listeners that violence and religion should not go hand in hand. This has long been his stance, even when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the chief theologian for Pope John Paul II.

In fact, the dignity and worth of mankind is clearly spelled out in the Catholic catechism teachings on Man. Because every person carries the Imago Dei - the image of God - each person holds a deep dignity as one who is capable of self-knowledge, self-possession and of communion with other persons and with God. No other part of creation bears such a weight of glory as a person.

Yes, the ancient quote was to the point and bore no coating of sugar - and I'll leave it up to you to decide upon the statement's veracity - but the pope was not trying to bash Islam, Mohammed or Muslims.

But apparently, the psyche of Muslims around the world is quite fragile. And to show how incorrect the pope was, those who engage in this religion of peace proved their point by fire-bombing churches in the West Bank, calling for suicide attacks against the Vatican and even had a leader in Turkey comparing the Pope to Hitler.

An Italian nun and her bodyguard were also murdered in Somalia in apparent retaliation to the pope's comments.

Boy, the long-dead emperor was way off, huh?

But of course, Muslim groups all denounced the pope but not the constant suicide bombings or classrooms where little children in the Middle East are taught to hate the infidels. The New York Times joined the chorus of those calling for a deep and heartfelt apology.

I don't have the space or energy to write out the history of Islam, but the Cliffs Notes version looks like this: near-constant violence generally thwarted by the West.

When Muslims tried to conquer Europe in the 700s after taking control of North Africa, they were finally beat back at the Battle of Tours in France and eventually driven back into North Africa.

When Muslims tried to conquer Russia in the 1300s, Ivan The Great III managed to halt their advance in Kulikovo before Russians finally broke their hold nearly 100 years later.

In fact, it's hard to pick a time in history since Islam began that it wasn't causing trouble. Mohammed himself was extremely violent.

So let's pause and see what is going on. The pope points out that rulers throughout the past 1,500 years have struggled with Islamic violence. He then says that no religion that aligns itself with violence can truly be in line with God's teaching, and that we should all strive for peaceful existence. Muslims then, as usual, explode into violence.

And people around the world say the Pope should apologize?

Never mind that domestic violence against Muslim women is through the roof. Never mind that countries bound by Islamic law are the poorest, most dangerous places on Earth (by their own doings, by the way). Never mind that only men are allowed to get an education. Never mind that little kids are given guns and taught to hate. Never mind that women are forced into horrific genital mutilation.

Never mind Sept. 11, 2001.

Never mind the U.S.S. Cole bombing.

Never mind the recent thwarted plots to blow up a dozen airplanes over the sea.

Never mind the beheaded Americans.

No. Instead, we should all be clamoring for the pope's apology.

I have to come right out and admit to my frustration. Some days I'm sure we're all doomed. How people can look at homicidal maniacs vowing to kill them and then look at the pope who calls for an end to religious violence and say he's the bad guy boggles my mind.

Even if we all want to say that today's current violence is perpetuated by a small percentage of Muslims who have "twisted" the teachings of Islam, a small percent of 1.5 billion Muslims is still a huge and scary number.

Unless we wake ourselves from this PC-induced stupor, we're in big trouble. Sooner or later, we've got to realize that the target is not the pope, it is us. And we'd better break the sword that is pointed at us and forget the ridiculous notion of making peace with a people sworn to kill us. Now is the time for survival, not peace.

But never mind all that.