Pope, Muslims Plan Historic Dialogue

Pope Benedict and Muslim representatives plan to meet in the spring for historic talks aimed at bridging the gap between Muslims and Christians, encouraging tolerance and understanding between the two.

In October of 2007, 138 Muslim leaders from around the world sent an open letter to the Pontiff calling for a mutual goal of peace and harmony between the faiths, saying:

The very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake.

This is certainly an unprecedented step in the right direction. Of course, true unity would include a meeting that included Jewish representatives, but that might be asking too much. One step at a time……

RELATED POST:
Muslims Offer Olive Branch to Pope, Christians

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Update on Thursday, January 3, 2008 at 07:14PM by Amy Proctor

Muslims Hold Anti-Wahabi Protest in Germany - Gateway Pundit

Iraqi Muslim exiles protested against Radical Islam in Germany this week with signs reading, "Wahabisim is the well of terrorism".

Iraqi Buratha News reported:

The Arabic text refers to the protesters coming out in sub zero temperatures and condemning the Wahabi sect, its injustice and blood shed in its name its fatwa’s and condemning the Saudi Government for cradling Wahabi terrorism and its scholars who declare murderous fatwa’s. This protest received much support form passer-bys. The organizers of this protest sent a letter to the German President, Chancellor and members of the German parliament.

The German (as you know my Mother is German hence I speak the language) text of the letter appeals to the German Government to put extreme pressure on the Saudi government to stop supporting the terror and blood shed being called for by fatwa’s of Wahabis and to declare these fatwa’s illegal. The letter also declares Wahabisim as a particular extremist radical disturbance in Islam. Whabisim is a state sponsored movement in Saudi Arabia. Wahabis declare all non Wahabi Muslims to be unbelievers (most Muslims in the world are no -Wahabis) and thus must be terminated. Wahabis with the support of the Saudi government are spreading their message of hate and killing in their schools. We want to tell the world of the terrorist danger of this movement which through its teachings sprouted Alqaida to which already have fallen many victims of terror in New York, Bali, Madrid and London.

Comments

[spree]

You are right, historic and one step at a time but definitely heading in the right direction.

Voted for it as always with your wonderful posts.

[Amy Proctor]

Slow progress, but progress nonetheless. The ideal is that the Muslim population continues to turn its back on extremism and continues to reach out to the rest of the world that has been victimized by extremist heretics.

[Judi]

Please know that not all Christian churches believe in apologizing for the deeds of all others in the Christian faith nor do we all globally agree politically. If the Catholic church believes it needs to apologize for something in the past, then it is up to the Catholic church to speak for itself alone. No offense or obstruction intended to the Catholic church.

[Amy Proctor]

This is about Muslims reaching out to Christians, but if I recall, God made the first step toward reconciliation when he offered His Son for our sins. We'd be remiss if we didn't accept the olive branch.

Forgiveness and reconciliation are a staple of Christian theology. The Pope is doing more to participate in the will of Christ than our Protestant brothers and sisters by trying to "live at peace with all men" as St. Paul described it. To do anything else when the opportunity arises is negligible.