Things That Piss Us Off About This Morning's Guardian Article (6) - Nope, We're Not Going to Tell You. We Promise You This: You've Never Read Anything Like It. It's Quite Simply The Most Amazing Thing You'll Ever Read.
Yeah, we've honestly got nothing:
Quoting Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologos, he said: "Show me just what Muhammad 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." It was a gratuitous reawakening of the most entrenched and self-serving of western prejudices - that Muslims have a unique proclivity to violence, a claim that has no basis in history or in current world events (a fact that still eludes too many westerners). Even more bewildering is the fact that his choice of quotation from Manuel II Paleologos, the 14th-century Byzantine emperor, was so insulting of the Prophet. Even the most cursory knowledge of dialogue with Islam teaches - and as a Vatican Cardinal, Pope Benedict XVI would have learned this long ago - that reverence for the Prophet is a non-negotiable. What unites all Muslims is a passionate devotion and commitment to protecting the honour of Muhammad. Given the scale of the offence, the carefully worded apology, actually, gives little ground; he recognises that Muslims have been offended and that he was only quoting, but there is no regret at using such an inappropriate comment or the deep historic resonances it stirs up.
There is no basis - none (!!) - in history or curent world events (!!!!!) for believing that Muslims have a unique proclivity to violence. Except that for all of them "reverence to the Prophet is a non-negotiable" - "passionate deveotion and commitment" - that if you cross they just might have to kill you. ARE THESE PEOPLE INSANE? HAVE THEY TOTALLY LOST WHAT LITTLE OF THEIR MINDS THEY EVER HAD? THOSE TWO SENTENCES MEAN THE OPPOSITE OF EACH OTHER.
Quoting Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologos, he said: "Show me just what Muhammad 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." It was a gratuitous reawakening of the most entrenched and self-serving of western prejudices - that Muslims have a unique proclivity to violence, a claim that has no basis in history or in current world events (a fact that still eludes too many westerners). Even more bewildering is the fact that his choice of quotation from Manuel II Paleologos, the 14th-century Byzantine emperor, was so insulting of the Prophet. Even the most cursory knowledge of dialogue with Islam teaches - and as a Vatican Cardinal, Pope Benedict XVI would have learned this long ago - that reverence for the Prophet is a non-negotiable. What unites all Muslims is a passionate devotion and commitment to protecting the honour of Muhammad. Given the scale of the offence, the carefully worded apology, actually, gives little ground; he recognises that Muslims have been offended and that he was only quoting, but there is no regret at using such an inappropriate comment or the deep historic resonances it stirs up.
There is no basis - none (!!) - in history or curent world events (!!!!!) for believing that Muslims have a unique proclivity to violence. Except that for all of them "reverence to the Prophet is a non-negotiable" - "passionate deveotion and commitment" - that if you cross they just might have to kill you. ARE THESE PEOPLE INSANE? HAVE THEY TOTALLY LOST WHAT LITTLE OF THEIR MINDS THEY EVER HAD? THOSE TWO SENTENCES MEAN THE OPPOSITE OF EACH OTHER.
