Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue

<strong>Islam</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on <strong>the</strong> State of Dialogue
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Religion, Ethics <strong>and</strong> Ideology
The Regensburg Controversy
Each of <strong>the</strong>se international ga<strong>the</strong>rings received
only a modest press echo. During <strong>the</strong> summer
of 2006, <strong>the</strong> media focused on <strong>the</strong> Israeli war
in Lebanon <strong>and</strong> on <strong>the</strong> decaying situation in
Iraq, which was slipping into civil war. One day
after <strong>the</strong> fifth anniversary of 9/11, however,
questions of religion, ethics <strong>and</strong> <strong>West</strong>-<strong>Islam</strong>ic
relations moved up <strong>the</strong> global political agenda
in a dramatic <strong>and</strong> entirely unplanned fashion.
What sparked <strong>the</strong> new controversy <strong>and</strong>
subsequent dialogue were Pope Benedict XVI’s
remarks on <strong>Islam</strong> during an address at <strong>the</strong>
University of Regensburg in his native Bavaria
on <strong>the</strong> topic, Faith, Reason, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> University:
Memories <strong>and</strong> Reflections. In <strong>the</strong> context of a
lengthy treatment of <strong>the</strong> relationship between faith
<strong>and</strong> reason in European history <strong>and</strong> culture,
Benedict made unflattering references to <strong>Islam</strong> as
an anti-rational tradition.
What caused a major sensation was not <strong>the</strong>
Pope’s overall argument about <strong>Islam</strong>, but ra<strong>the</strong>r
his second-h<strong>and</strong> reference to Prophet Muhammad.
In a discussion of faith <strong>and</strong> its perversion for
violent ends, Benedict cited a 14 th century
Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Paleologus, as
having said: “Show me just what Muhammad
brought that was new, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>re you will find
things only evil <strong>and</strong> inhuman, such as his
comm<strong>and</strong> to spread by <strong>the</strong> sword <strong>the</strong> faith he
preached.” The Pope did not endorse <strong>the</strong>
emperor’s perspective, <strong>and</strong> acknowledged
that a modern reader would find his point of
view startling. However, he did not repudiate
<strong>the</strong> emperor’s remarks.
Apoliticalfirestormensued.Demonstrations
took place across <strong>the</strong> Muslim world, in Egypt,
Pakistan, India <strong>and</strong> elsewhere. There were
isolated outbreaks of violence, including <strong>the</strong>
murder of an Italian nun in Somalia <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
desecration of churches in <strong>the</strong> Palestinian
territories. In its response <strong>the</strong> Organization
of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ic Conference (OIC) charged
that <strong>the</strong> “quotations ended up indulging in a
character assassination of <strong>the</strong> Prophet
Muhammad, describing his actions as ‘evil
<strong>and</strong> inhuman’ in flagrant contradiction with his
well established reputation as <strong>the</strong> Prophet of
Mercy for all of Humanity – a reputation which
has endured for centuries on end <strong>the</strong> world over.”
“Aside from political action
that needs to be taken to
resolve conflict, it is essential
to recapture <strong>and</strong> develop <strong>the</strong>
spirit of Jewish-Muslim dialogue
<strong>and</strong> mutual respect.” Rabbi David Rosen
The statement, <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs like it emanating
from Muslim political <strong>and</strong> religious leaders, also
criticized <strong>the</strong> Pope for not acknowledging <strong>the</strong>
Church’s own historical shortcomings: “The
OIC has refrained from indulging in polemics
concerning <strong>the</strong> crusades <strong>and</strong> religious wars
prosecuted by <strong>the</strong> church in Europe, in addition
to <strong>the</strong> persecution of Muslims in inquisition
courts in <strong>the</strong> name of Christ’s peaceful <strong>and</strong>
tolerant message.”
Mohammed Mahdi Akef, Chairman of <strong>the</strong>
Muslim Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood, suggested: “The Pope's
statements come to add fuel to fire <strong>and</strong> trigger
anger within <strong>the</strong> Muslim world <strong>and</strong> show that
<strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong> with its politicians <strong>and</strong> clerics are
hostile to <strong>Islam</strong>.”
In <strong>the</strong> face of a barrage of criticism, <strong>the</strong> Vatican
moved to contain <strong>the</strong> damage. The Pope did
not make a direct apology but said he was