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Pakistan says Pope hurt Muslims
REGRETTABLE:
The Holy See's envoy was summoned by the foreign ministry in protest over the Pope's speech, while the legislature adopted a condemnatory resolution
AP, ISLAMABAD
Sunday, Sep 17, 2006, Page 5
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has summoned the Vatican's ambassador to express regret over the pope's recent remarks about Islam, as Parliament passed a resolution condemning the comments and radical Islamists held small rallies around the country.
The Vatican's envoy was told on Friday that Benedict's words were "deeply disturbing for Muslims all over the world, and had caused great hurt and anguish," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
"It was underlined that at a time when there was an acute need for promoting interfaith harmony such remarks, regardless of the context, were very unfortunate," it said.
The ambassador "regretted the hurt caused to Muslims and said that the media had totally misconstrued certain historical quotes that the pope used in his lecture," the statement said. It did not provide the envoy's name, and embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Hours earlier, Pakistan's legislature unanimously adopted a resolution condemning Benedict's comments during a university speech on Tuesday, when he said: "The emperor ... said, I quote, `Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.'"
On Thursday, the Vatican said the pope had not intended to offend Muslim sensibilities with the remarks.
In Parliament, both government and opposition legislators supported a resolution, moved by a hardline Islamic lawmaker, condemning Benedict's words.
Meanwhile, small groups of radical Islamists held rallies and chanted anti-pope slogans in the capital, Islamabad, and other major cities around the Islamic nation including Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Multan.
"The pope has hurt our sentiments, and we demand that he should immediately retract his statement," Qazi Hussain Ahmed, chief of a coalition of six Islamic political parties, said at a gathering at a mosque in the eastern city of Lahore.
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