Less than a year ago, mass protests and often violent reactions followed the publication of satirical cartoons in Denmark. A Danish newspaper had printed several unflattering depictions of the Muslim prophet Mohamed. Demonstrators turned violent, attacking and setting fire to Danish embassies and threatening the lives of Danes around the world. Many European newspapers refused, for fear of a similar backlash, to reprint the cartoons. Several European governments distanced themselves from the cartoons and a French supermarket chain went so far as to remove Danish products from its shelves in Arabic countries. Now the Pope Benedict XVI has caused a similar, though slightly less violent, uproar. The head of the Catholic church quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor, which characterised Islam as a religion of the sword. The PopeÂ’s lecture, held at Regensburg university during his recent trip to Germany, prompted several Islamic religious leaders to call for the PopeÂ’s murder. Shortly thereafter, an Italian Nun was murdered by radical Islamists in Somalia. Pope Benedict tried to assuage tempers by expressing regret at the reaction to his words, saying his message had been misunderstood. He said he never had the intention of insulting Islam.
The dialog between Christians and Muslims was always difficult and made infinitely more so by the events of September 11th, 2001. This week, the German government invited representatives from several Islamic groups to attend a conference on Islam being held in Berlin. But some observers suggest there is little hope for dialog that could lead to understanding between Christians and Muslims. They say western values such as freedom of expression, the press and of religion just donÂ’t count for much in the Islamic world. Offering any critical views of Islam, they say, almost automatically evokes violent reactions. The protests following the PopeÂ’s lecture in Germany, seem to prove them right.