Green Energy
No, Peter North is a "triumphalist tool". A Papal baptism the day before Easter is Catholicism being Catholic.
From the BBC (with thanks to Bayan):
A Muslim scholar involved in high-level dialogue with the Vatican has denounced the Pope's baptism on Saturday of a prominent Italian Muslim convert.
Aref Ali Nayed, the head of Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, called the baptism of journalist Magdi Allam a deliberate and provocative act.
The Vatican has not yet commented, but its official newspaper said the gesture aimed to promote religious freedom.
The Pope traditionally baptises adult converts to Catholicism on Easter eve.
In a stinging rebuke of Saturday's televised ceremony, Mr Nayed denounced what he called "the Vatican's deliberate and provocative act of baptising Allam on such a special occasion and in such a spectacular way".
Mr Nayed has called for greater inter-faith dialogue and good will
"It is sad that the intimate and personal act of a religious conversion is made into a triumphalist tool for scoring points," he said in a written statement.
Mr Nayed said Pope Benedict XVI's actions came "at a most unfortunate time when sincere Muslims and Catholics are working very hard to mend ruptures between the two communities".
The Jordanian scholar has been at the forefront of an initiative gathering more than 130 Muslim scholars who recently wrote to the Pope and other Christian leaders calling for greater dialogue and good will between Muslims and Christians.
The Vatican has also been keen to repair relations with moderate Muslims, particularly after the crisis caused by a speech the Pope gave in Germany in 2006, in which he appeared to associate Islam with violence.
But Mr Nayed added that despite the Vatican's actions, the initiative for dialogue to improve relations would continue.
"Our basis for dialogue is not a tit-for-tat logic of 'reciprocity' but a compassionate theology of mending," he wrote.
The Vatican has not yet commented on the criticism, but its official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano on Tuesday denied that the ceremony had been intentionally inflammatory, noting that it had not been publicised in advance.
The newspaper wrote that the baptism had been a papal "gesture" without hostile intentions aimed at stressing "in a gentle and clear way, religious freedom".
In other words, the Pope has the right to be the Pope, no matter if Muslims like it or not.
- The Mustard Seed In Global Strategy
Spengler's analysis of the Pope's baptism of ex-Muslim Magdhi Allam (thanks to Felix): A self-described revolution in world affairs has begun in the heart of one man. He is the Italian journalist and author Magdi Cristiano Allam, whom Pope Benedict...
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Green Energy
Pope's Baptism Of Muslim Is "Triumphalist Tool"
No, Peter North is a "triumphalist tool". A Papal baptism the day before Easter is Catholicism being Catholic.
From the BBC (with thanks to Bayan):
A Muslim scholar involved in high-level dialogue with the Vatican has denounced the Pope's baptism on Saturday of a prominent Italian Muslim convert.
Aref Ali Nayed, the head of Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, called the baptism of journalist Magdi Allam a deliberate and provocative act.
The Vatican has not yet commented, but its official newspaper said the gesture aimed to promote religious freedom.
The Pope traditionally baptises adult converts to Catholicism on Easter eve.
In a stinging rebuke of Saturday's televised ceremony, Mr Nayed denounced what he called "the Vatican's deliberate and provocative act of baptising Allam on such a special occasion and in such a spectacular way".
Mr Nayed has called for greater inter-faith dialogue and good will
"It is sad that the intimate and personal act of a religious conversion is made into a triumphalist tool for scoring points," he said in a written statement.
Mr Nayed said Pope Benedict XVI's actions came "at a most unfortunate time when sincere Muslims and Catholics are working very hard to mend ruptures between the two communities".
The Jordanian scholar has been at the forefront of an initiative gathering more than 130 Muslim scholars who recently wrote to the Pope and other Christian leaders calling for greater dialogue and good will between Muslims and Christians.
The Vatican has also been keen to repair relations with moderate Muslims, particularly after the crisis caused by a speech the Pope gave in Germany in 2006, in which he appeared to associate Islam with violence.
But Mr Nayed added that despite the Vatican's actions, the initiative for dialogue to improve relations would continue.
"Our basis for dialogue is not a tit-for-tat logic of 'reciprocity' but a compassionate theology of mending," he wrote.
The Vatican has not yet commented on the criticism, but its official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano on Tuesday denied that the ceremony had been intentionally inflammatory, noting that it had not been publicised in advance.
The newspaper wrote that the baptism had been a papal "gesture" without hostile intentions aimed at stressing "in a gentle and clear way, religious freedom".
In other words, the Pope has the right to be the Pope, no matter if Muslims like it or not.
- The Mustard Seed In Global Strategy
Spengler's analysis of the Pope's baptism of ex-Muslim Magdhi Allam (thanks to Felix): A self-described revolution in world affairs has begun in the heart of one man. He is the Italian journalist and author Magdi Cristiano Allam, whom Pope Benedict...
- Pope's In The Hudna: Benedict Plays Cheat And Retreat With The Best Of Jihadis
One day the Pope is talking with Saudi Arabia about making concessions in Catholicism, in order to establish churches in the Kingdom, and the next day he goes major en flagrante, personally baptizing a prominent Muslim convert to Christianity. He ain't...
- From Vatican Reporter:
At least one writer for Catholic press out of the Vatican is now saying that Pope Benedict XVI has no intention of backing down from his call for dialogue. This after another Vatican insider reportedly said that the Pope's reference to a dialogue...
- Muslims Angry At Pope Benedict
Oh oh, the Muslims are angry at Pope Benedict now. And, you know what that will likely mean: Muslim religious leaders have accused Pope Benedict XVI of quoting anti-Islamic remarks during a speech at a German university this week. Questioning the concept...
- The Pope Sends Mixed Messages About Islam
Pope Benedict seems to get it, and then he seems to lose his head in an orifice one doesn't usually associate with Holiness: VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI urged Islamic countries to ensure religious rights for Christian migrants Monday while also...