[lbo-talk] Pope "deeply sorry" about reaction to quotes in Muslimworld

[Jesse Lemisch]

Note the Pope following the by now hegemonic form of "apology" for public
figures -- from Rove to Bush to Dems -- you don't apologize for substance,
you imply that people who are hurt by what you had to say are loonies, and
the problem is not the substance of what you had to say but rather the fact
that some people are distressed for what you suggest are idiosyncratic
reasons. And you distance yourself from 14th century material you have
quoted favorably, saying you were only quoting, not taking sides.

So it's the Pope as Bush et al.

Jesse

----- Original Message -----
From: "B." <docile_body at yahoo.com>
To: "LBO Talk" <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 12:58 PM
Subject: [lbo-talk] Pope "deeply sorry" about reaction to quotes in
Muslimworld


> Quoting 14th century Byzantine emperors on anything,
> let alone Islam, does not seem like a good idea to me.
> -B.
>
> -----
>
> Pope Issues An Explanation But Not An Apology
>
> POSTED: 8:20 am EDT September 17, 2006
> UPDATED: 8:22 am EDT September 17, 2006
>
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>
> CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy -- Pope Benedict says remarks
> he made last week that have angered Muslims worldwide
> do not reflect his personal opinion.
>
> Benedict said he's "deeply sorry" about the angry
> reaction to the quotes he used in a speech denouncing
> violence in the name of religion. A Medieval Christian
> text he cited characterizes some of the teachings of
> Muhammad as "evil and inhuman."
>
> The pope addressed followers Sunday from a balcony at
> his summer residence outside Rome. He said he hopes
> his words serve "to appease hearts and to clarify the
> true meaning" of his address. He said his intent was
> to invite "frank and sincere dialogue, with great
> mutual respect."
>
> Benedict looked relaxed as he greeted pilgrims who
> stood in the pouring rain. Because of threats over his
> comments last week, security Sunday was
> extraordinarily tight. Sharpshooters stood guard from
> a nearby building. Police checked people with metal
> detectors before they entered the courtyard. And some
> metal-tipped umbrellas and bottles of liquid were
> confiscated.
>
>
http://www.nbc10.com/news/9868764/detail.html?treets=phi&tid=2655155299813&t
ml=phi_12pm&tmi=phi_12pm_1_10550209172006&ts=H
>
>
>
> =====
>
> Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Accepts Pope's Apology
> By VOA News
> 17 September 2006
>
>
> Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood says the Pope's comments
> Sunday amount to a sufficient apology for his earlier
> remark about Islam.
>
> A top official of the banned but tolerated
> Brotherhood, Muhammad Habib, said in Cairo he
> considered the Pope's new statement to be a
> retraction.  He said the group still hopes the Pope
> will further explain his views about Islam.
>
> Elsewhere, Muslims continued to protest the Pope's
> comments last week in an address in Germany.
>
> Two more churches in the West Bank were set on fire in
> apparent retaliation for the pope's remarks. One of
> Sunday's attacks caused serious damage to a church in
> the town of Tulkarem. The other incident took place in
> the village of Tubas near Jenin, where a small church
> was partially burned after being hit by firebombs.
>
> In Qom, Iran, several hundred theology students
> protested against the Pope's remarks.
>
> And a senior Iranian cleric, Ahmad Khatami, said the
> Pope should learn about Islam.
>
> In Regensburg, Germany, this week, the Pope quoted
> from a 14th century Byzantine emperor who apparently
> said that some of the teachings of the Prophet
> Muhammad brought "evil and inhuman" things to the
> world.
>
> http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-09-17-voa15.cfm
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