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POPE-MUSLIMS Aug-21-2005 (840 words) xxxi
Pope urges Muslim leaders to help turn back wave of fanaticism
By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
COLOGNE, Germany (CNS) -- Meeting with Muslims in Germany, Pope Benedict XVI condemned terrorism in unusually forceful terms and called on Islamic leaders to help "turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism" in the world.
In his talk Aug. 20 in Cologne, the pope emphasized the responsibility of Muslim educators to form younger generations in the Islamic faith and promote attitudes of interreligious cooperation.
In particular, he said, the message that every human life is sacred "must be heeded and communicated to others. Should it ever cease to find an echo in people's hearts, the world would be exposed to the darkness of a new barbarism."
The 10 Islamic leaders -- seven men and three women -- represented more than 3.2 million Muslims who now reside in the pope's native Germany, about 4 percent of the total population. Most of Germany's Muslims are Turks who came to the country for jobs.
The pope's remarks about terrorism, the most extensive of his pontificate, came at the beginning of his speech. He said he was sure the Muslim representatives shared his concern about the spread of terrorist attacks today.
"Terrorist activity is continually recurring in various parts of the world, sowing death and destruction and plunging many of our brothers and sisters into grief and despair," he said.
"Terrorism of any kind is a perverse and cruel decision which shows contempt for the sacred right to life," he said.
The pope maintained that those who instigate and plan terrorist attacks want to poison relations between Christians and Muslims, "making use of all means, including religion, to oppose every attempt to build a peaceful, fair and serene life together."
In response, he said, Muslims and Christians need to work together to eliminate hatred and intolerance and oppose "every manifestation of violence."
If they succeed, he said, "we will turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism that endangers the lives of so many people and hinders progress toward world peace."
By recognizing the centrality of the person, he said, Christians and Muslims can move beyond "cultural conflicts" and neutralize the disruptive power of ideologies.
The pope underlined the importance of education in the struggle for interreligious harmony and said the clerics have a "great responsibility" for the formation of the younger generation.
"You guide Muslim believers and train them in the Islamic faith. Teaching is the vehicle through which ideas and convictions are transmitted. Words are highly influential in the education of the mind," he said.
For its part, he said, the Catholic Church looks on Muslims with respect, as a people who worship the same God and share some of the spiritual heritage of Christianity.
The pope said that under his papacy, the church wants to continue building bridges of friendship with other religions, recognizing that past relations between Muslims and Christians have not always been good.
"How many pages of history record battles and even wars that have been waged, with both sides invoking the name of God, as if fighting and killing the enemy could be pleasing to him?" he asked.
"The recollection of these sad events should fill us with shame, for we know only too well what atrocities have been committed in the name of religion," he said.
Pope Benedict said the lessons of history should help both religions avoid repeating the same mistakes. One essential element is defense of religious freedom and respect for minorities, he added.
In a speech to the pope, Ridvan Cakir, president of the Turkish-Islamic Union, said he wholeheartedly supported the Vatican's efforts at dialogue.
"We are convinced that interreligious and intercultural dialogue is of tremendous significance for a peaceful world. If we can continue to coexist in dialogue, it will send a signal that the theory of a 'clash of cultures' is baseless," Cakir said.
Nadeem Elyas, head of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, left a written message with the pope, saying he considered terrorism a common foe of Christianity and Muslims.
He said it was time to put an end to "the black chapters of our common history," as the Vatican tried to do through the "mea culpa" reflections of Pope John Paul II's pontificate.
"The Islamic world should also acknowledge its historical guilt and be ready to make a constructive new start," he said. "Our belief in God and our humanity make this a necessity for us."
Elyas has publicly denounced recent terror attacks in London as "barbaric" and made it clear that such violence cannot be condoned. He also has stressed the importance of conveying tolerance as a value of Islam to younger Muslims in Germany, using locally trained imams.
In July, Elyas joined Christian and Jewish representatives in denouncing terrorism at a commemorative service for the London victims.
At the same time, some Muslim leaders in Germany have said Islamic pronouncements against terrorism are frequently ignored by the media and that despite the statements, the Muslim community is more suspect today than ever before.
END
Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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