Muslim states wrong in casting blame on Westerners

submitted by Thomas Renna

October 9, 2006 —

Pope Benedict XVI did not "criticize Islam," but simply, as you said, quoted Emperor Manual II Paleologus in a speech (taken out of context) given at the University of Regensburg on Sept. 12. Ironically, the point of the address was to support a greater role for reason in discussion of religious faith.

It is easy for historians to explain to Americans how the legacy of European colonialism and imperialism has influenced the sensitivity of contemporary Muslims to perceived offenses to Islam. But it is less easy to explain to them why moderate Muslim religious, educational, and political leaders have not criticized those Muslims who are calling for the murder of the Pope. (Recently, a French high school teacher went into hiding after he received death threats for insulting Muhammad in an article he wrote for the newspaper Le Figaro.)

One reason for this silence is the convenience of blaming somebody else - Westerners - for the shortcomings in many Muslim states, especially those with corrupt governments and failed economies. Another is the Islamists' takeover of the normal political dialogue of the Arab-Israeli conflict since the mid-1990s. Moderate Muslims have been intimidated into ignoring the chant: "Death to the Pope!" rather than courageously seeking solutions to the problems of their own countries.

Thomas Renna
History Professor