BELGIAN COMMENTARY WARNS AGAINST "POLITICAL TERROR" FOLLOWING POPE SPEECH

De Standaard, Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium
18 Sep 06

A little while ago it was the Muhammad cartoons in a Danish
newspaper. Now it is one sentence, taken out of context, made by Pope
Benedict XVI in a theological speech. Once again angry demonstrators
who have listened to the pope about as much as they looked at the
cartoons are marching in the streets. In the Palestinian territories
and elsewhere, Christian churches are being attacked.

But the pope, via a citation from the 14th century, simply referred
to a historical fact. After its creation, Islam did indeed spread
for centuries by means of the sword. But Islam, which is always
demanding apologies, finds its own conquests perfectly normal. Even
secular Turkey refuses to say a word in apology for the genocide of
the Armenians.

Some believe that the pope should have been more careful. In practical
terms, given the unintended consequences of his words, they are
right. The dialogue between Christendom and Islam he is seeking is now
further away than it was before he spoke. But that is not the crux
of the issue. The crux of the issue is the form the protest against
his comments is taking. The violence that is accompanying it makes
all dialogue impossible.

Who is this Islam with which dialogue is needed? The dictators of Iran,
Pakistan or Syria, or the Arabian royal households? Also, dialogue
is only fruitful if, as the pope said yesterday, the difficult issues
are not brushed aside.

Dialogue with Islam to date has all been in one direction. The West,
or Christendom, always has to turn the other cheek. Iranian President
Ahmadinezhad can spout hate and claim that the United States/Israel/the
Jews are the real perpetrators of the 11 September attacks. The West
must be open to living together with Islam. Indeed.

But a section of the Muslim world itself denies the very notion of
tolerance and the equality of other religious communities.

Over recent days Muslim leaders have again repeatedly stated that
real Islam is peaceful. Good. So then it is high time that this real
Islam stood up to be counted. Where are the fatwas condemning Usamah
Bin-Ladin, against all who sow hate and terror in the name of Islam?

Where, save for a few exceptions, are the Muslim states that are
internally peaceful and modern?

It is ominous to again be hearing in the debates that when we speak
we must take account of the "expected reactions" in the Muslim world.

In other words, you can only criticize and satirize those who cannot
respond. But we must limit freedom of speech when it comes to opposing
those who organize mass protests and/or violence. That is not dialogue,
that is ceding to intimidation. Against this development we must draw
a line in the sand, with all due respect for the beliefs of others. On
the other side of this line, political terror begins.