Turkish cleric: Vatican statement 'not enough'
Turkey’s ruling Islamic-rooted party joined a wave of criticism of Pope Benedict XVI today, accusing him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades with remarks he made about Islam.
Muslim leaders in the Middle East expressed dismay and Pakistan’s parliament unanimously condemned the Pope.
The pope quoted from the worlds of a 14th century Christian emperor.
Turkey’s top Islamic cleric, Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Bardakoglu, asked Benedict yesterday to apologise for the remarks and unleashed a string of accusations against Christianity, raising tensions before the pontiff’s planned visit to Turkey in November on what would be his first papal trip in a Muslim country.
Vatican spokesman, the Rev Federico Lombardi, said it wasn’t the pope’s intention “to offend the sensibility of Muslim believers".
Bardakoglu said Lombardi’s comments were not enough.
Senior Muslim leaders in Lebanon and Syria have also spoken out.
Islamic groups in Indonesia, which has more Muslims than any other country in the world, said the pope’s words did not help efforts to find ways to bridge differences between faiths and urged followers not to react with violence.
