Burning Bridges, Firebombing Churches

Angry Pakistani Muslims chant slogans after setting on fire the effigy of Pope Benedict XVI during a rally to condemn Pope's remarks, Saturday, Sept 16, 2006 in Karachi, Pakistan. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Vatican's ambassador to express regret over the pope's recent remarks about Islam, as Parliament passed a resolution condemning the comments. The banner reads 'Pope should apologize for hurting Muslims'. (AP Photo/Adnan Ali)


The violence is escalating.

In response to Pope Benedict's innocuous references to Islam in a lecture he delivered at the university in Regensburg, Germany earlier this week, angry Muslims are on another rampage.

From the Associated Press:

Palestinians wielding guns and firebombs attacked five churches in the West Bank and Gaza on Saturday, following remarks by Pope Benedict XVI that angered many Muslims.

No injuries were reported in the attacks, which left church doors charred and walls pockmarked with bullet holes and scorched by firebombs. Churches of various denominations were targeted.

...Firebombings left black scorch marks on the walls and windows of Nablus' Anglican and Greek Orthodox churches. At least five firebombs hit the Anglican church and its door was later set ablaze. Smoke billowed from the church as firefighters put out the flames

In a phone call to The Associated Press, a group calling itself the "Lions of Monotheism" claimed responsibility for those attacks, saying they were carried out to protest the pope's remarks in a speech this week in Germany linking Islam and violence.

Later Saturday, four masked gunmen doused the main doors of Nablus' Roman and Greek Catholic churches with lighter fluid, then set them afire. They also opened fire on the buildings, striking both with bullets.

In Gaza City, militants opened fire from a car at a Greek Orthodox church, striking the facade. A policeman at the scene said he saw a Mitsubishi escape with armed men inside. Explosive devices were set off at the same Gaza church on Friday, causing minor damage.

There were no claims of responsibility for the last three attacks Saturday.

Palestinian Greek Orthodox priest George Awad views the black scorch marks on the walls of his church after it was hit by firebombs in the West Bank city of Nablus September 16, 2006. Unknown assailants threw fire bombs on Saturday at two churches in the West Bank city of Nablus, following a day of Palestinian protests against comments Pope Benedict made about Islam. No one was hurt. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini (WEST BANK)


So now the Islamofascists have hit several churches with firebombs because they aren't happy with Pope Benedict.

The "Lions of Monotheism" are exercising their faith.

These Islamic extremists are not helping their case by lashing out so violently and torching churches.



Flames are seen at the entrance of an Anglican church hit by a firebomb in the West Bank city of Nablus, Saturday Sept.16, 2006. Palestinians wielding guns, firebombs and lighter fluid attacked four churches in the West Bank town of Nablus on Saturday, while gunmen opened fire at a fifth in Gaza, following remarks by Pope Benedict XVI that many Muslims view as disparaging. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)


It's nuts. They want an apology from the Pope because they insist he insulted them. I don't see that.


The Pope's message about Islam is that "spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable".

How is that an affront to peace-loving Muslims?

That's not insulting, unless Islam does adhere to the notion that violence is an acceptable way to win converts.

By bombing churches, these Islamic extremists are illustrating that their idea of holiness involves violence. That's clear.


Palestinian firefighters work inside an Orthodox church hit by a firebomb in the West Bank city of Nablus, Saturday Sept. 16, 2006. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)


I don't want the Pope to go to Turkey.

From TIME:

Pope Benedict XVI's controversial comments about Islam have already ignited a firestorm of criticism in the Muslim world, but it may end up costing the Vatican more than just its reputation. A top Catholic Church official inside Turkey says the polemics following Benedict XVI's comments about Islam may cause the cancellation of his November visit to the majority Muslim country, which is nevertheless governed on secular principles.

"At this point, I don't know if the trip will happen," Mons. Luigi Padovese, the Vicar Apostolic in Anatolia, the Church's representative for what amounts to the eastern half of Turkey, told TIME. "There are leading politicians, members of the ruling parties, a top minister and others who have expressed a negative opinion on the visit." Padovese blamed the outcry on voices in the Turkish press whom he described as "nationalist, Islamist and anti-Christian," and said the Pope's intention was not to offend anyone. "I don't know if anyone even read the Pope's discourse," Padovese said. "These elements tossed out the bait, and others took it."

I don't think it's safe for Pope Benedict to put himself into such a hostile and fanatical environment.

It's disturbing that the article's authors, Jeff Israely and Andrew Purvis, seem to blame the Pope for the uproar and place the burden on him to pacify the Muslims.

"Pope Benedict XVI's controversial comments about Islam have already ignited a firestorm of criticism in the Muslim world, but it may end up costing the Vatican more than just its reputation."

WHAT?

Israely and Purvis are suggesting that this matter reflects negatively on the Vatican's reputation?

Has the Vatican been firebombing any mosques?

It's not the Vatican's reputation that should give them pause. It's the reputation of Islam.

Shouldn't the report be that Islamic extremists are getting disproportionately bent out of shape AGAIN?

Assuming the trip goes through, one wonders if there will be more careful attention to how his message may be interpreted by Muslims.

Of course, one should always take care not to offend and to be kind to others.

However, I think that the reaction to Pope Benedict's remarks is completely out of proportion to his supposed insensitivities to Muslims.

When a group is so thin-skinned and its response is to become so violent, it becomes virtually impossible to engage in any sort of meaningful dialogue or intellectual discussion.

This is the cartoon thing all over again.

Islam's outrage and their violent reprisals reflect horribly on Islam.

Very bad PR.

I think it's time for non-Muslims (the infidels) to stop catering to the demands of the Islamic extremists.

It's time to quit worrying about hurting the feelings of the Islamic moderates that shamefully choose to remain silent on the actions of the extremists.

They don't deserve to be coddled. They deserve to be condemned.

YOU DON'T FIREBOMB CHURCHES.

I don't care how offended you are by something someone said. Violence is not an appropriate response. A street thug lashes out violently, not a holy person.

YOU DON'T FIREBOMB CHURCHES.