The Islamist Response to the Pope's Comments

By Douglas Farah

I am neither Catholic nor Jewish, but it strikes me as obscene that Islamists would respond with pre-arranged violence to the Pope's recent comments on the nature of Islam and the acceptability of forced conversions, or conversions by the sword. For a look at the historical context of the original remarks, see Andrew Bostom's article here.

Wahhabism, and many branches of Shi'ite Islam not only preach death to Jews and Christians and other unbelievers, they have, for decades, placed such teaching in the textbooks of school children, starting from their entrance into school.

The routine teaching of Jews as pigs and monkeys, the multiple references in the Koran to killing unbelievers and the extensive role of Islam in conquering and enslaving entire peoples (thus, eventually, spreading Islam), all bear out the comments made six centuries ago in the discussion the Pope referenced. That the Pope's decision to discuss this debate in an academic setting led to violence in the name of Islam seems to only confirm those who practice that violence accept that interpretation of the Koran. My full blog is here.

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