Through Force or Faith? — Page 101
Chapter 1 — Analysis of the Papal Lecture 101 The Pope wanted to support the interfaith dialogue. He based this demand on a quotation in which the teachings of Muhammad s as are called evil, inhuman and unreason- able as if he extended his hand for reconciliation but spit on it before that. What was the deviant logic by which Pope acted this way? You do not have to be a prophet to predict, beforehand, that it will provoke indignation and outrage. For this reason, many people are expressing the view that he deliberately wanted to provoke. He did not mention that Islam considered itself a rational religion compared to miracle-believing and mystery-cherishing Christianity, and, in his discretion, prudence was in keep- ing it concealed. Above all, he never mentioned how the inter-cultural dialogue is possible?’ (Berliner Zeitung vom 16 September 2006, “Benedikts Ring”, Seite 4, Beitragvom Christian Esch) The Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba says in his analysis of the Pope’s lecture: These days when feelings of hatred against Muslims are being stoked in the West by using one excuse or the other, such a statement by the Pope was like adding fuel to fire. What was needed was for him to say that, though today some misguided Islamic organizations have adopted vio- lent methods, Islamic teachings appear to be against them and we need to work together to maintain peace in the world to save innocent humanity from death and destruc- tion. Instead he has tried to lead his followers down the