3rd October, 2006
JOHNNY PIERRE

Arab Vision Correspondent

Pope Benedict’s remarks on Islam, and the ongoing attempts to diffuse the tensions they have caused, have been making top headlines around the world. Much has been written and discussed during these last couple of weeks, but there are two significant questions one ought to ask to go deeper than the media headlines.

First of all, was this an accidental and isolated ‘blooper’ by the Pope, or is there an intentional and calculated agenda behind it? The Vatican has said that the Pope had not intended “to offend Muslim sensibilities with the remarks”. An apology for the reaction his words caused, yes; but clearly stopping short of admitting that he was wrong or sorry for saying them in the first place.

So was it a slip-up by his speech writers or negligence from his advisors? The one person who most probably would have raised a ‘red flag’ during the proof-reading stage had been removed from his post earlier this year by the Pope. Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, a distinguished scholar on Arab affairs and an acknowledged expert on the Islamic world, was sent to Egypt as papal nuncio; a demotion for Fitzgerald, but more importantly, an indication of a shift in Benedict’s approach from his predecessor when it comes to dialoging with Islam.

Pope Benedict’s key word seems to be reciprocity. If Muslims want to enjoy religious freedom in the West, then Christians should have an equal right to follow their faith in Islamic states, without fear of persecution.

Which leads us to the second question - what do the Christian communities in Muslim countries really think of the Pope’s words? After all, they are the ones who are best positioned to pass today’s judgment on the words of the Byzantine Emperor the Pope quoted. Is Islam still being propagated and enforced by the sword (or its modern day equivalents)?

In Egypt, Coptic Pope Shenouda III told the pro-government Al Ahram newspaper that he didn’t hear the Pope’s exact words, but that “any remarks which offend Islam and Muslims are against the teachings of Christ.” One wonders how that view tallies up with a Christ who never shied from causing controversies and offences to the religious echelons of his days at the expense of the truth. But the Coptic leader’s remarks probably reflected fears that Benedict’s comments could spark violence amid already fragile Muslim-Christian relations in Egypt.

In fact, it is hard to imagine any other public stance that could be adopted by Christian leaders in the Muslim world. Even a ‘no comment’ is not an option; unless they are prepared to face the consequences. The consequences this time were thankfully limited to only a handful of churches being firebombed in Palestine. But it remains a tense situation - on a ‘sword’s edge’. "With the presences of al-Qaida and its followers here, it really makes us an easy goal for these fanatics to target and kill us," an Egyptian Coptic Christian said. "So the last thing we need is for the pope to provoke anybody and escalate the already tense situations."

Another added, “The strong response by so many Muslims shows in a way the truth of the quote. Islam is supposed to be a peaceful religion, but reality is often otherwise...but we also know that we cannot have an open discussion about it. It's too sensitive.”

A church leader in Lebanon, who understandably asked not to be mentioned by name, shared his growing frustration. “I am not in a position to defend the Pope...but the very same people, who are criticizing the use of this historically proven accusation, say horrible things about Christianity...and we do not move a finger! I believe we are heading to disaster.”

Privately, people like him are cheering the Pope on, but hoping at the same time that  he won’t go ‘too far’. For many Arab Christians, a longing for reciprocity and freedom is daily kept in check by the status quo and the basic desire for survival.

Founded in 1997, Arab Vision is a community of Christians in the Arab World committed to proclaiming the Gospel and working towards a just society in accordance with the Gospel. Its primary activities revolve around the production and distribution of television programs. For more information, visit www.arabvision.org.

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