from Jihad Watch:
Coptic pope apologizes for bishop's questioning of Qur'anic verses
Pope Shenouda III is in a no-win situation. In a Muslim-dominated country, members of his flock may be murdered over the bishop's questioning the veracity of the Qur'an. It is his natural right to do so, but one that is suppressed and denied under Islamic domination. And they may end up dying anyway, at the hands of those who are not mollified by the apology. When you're stirred into a self-righteous rage, an excuse to kill for Allah is an excuse to kill for Allah.
Shenouda acknowledges it is not their country anymore: "we are the ones who are guests since Muslims are the majority." Not just "guests," but dhimmis under constant threat of the arbitrary end of Islamic "tolerance" if any one of them steps out of line.
We, on the other hand, still have a choice, and a right to say what we wish about Islam, and about Muhammad. Let us make frequent use of that right, protect it, and never surrender it.
"Egypt pope apologizes over bishop's Islam remarks," by Maggie Michael for the Associated Press, September 26:
CAIRO - Egypt's Coptic Christian leader Pope Shenouda III apologized in a television interview Sunday to any Muslims who were offended after his top bishop reportedly disputed the authenticity of some verses of the Quran.
The remarks come during a period of heightened tension in Egypt between the majority Muslims and a Christian minority that feels discriminated against.
Feelings? Nothing more than feelings? Let's see: repeated attacks at the slightest or even imagined provocation, abductions, coerced conversions to Islam and forced marriages. And the police just look the other way. Search our archives for much more.
Shenouda's apology comes a day after the premier institute of Islamic learning in the Sunni Muslim world, Al-Azhar, criticized Bishop Bishoy, the Coptic Church's No. 2, for provoking sectarian tension.
Bishoy was quoted in the Egyptian media for wondering about the time frame for the revelation of the Quranic verses disputing the divine nature of Jesus Christ. The bishop reportedly said these verses were inserted after the Prophet Muhammad's death by one of his successors.
Muslims believe that the prophet received all verses through the Archangel Gabriel during his lifetime and they are the immutable word of God.
Tensions between Muslims and Copts are on the rise over issues like the construction of new churches and bitter arguments over conversions. The two communities generally live in peace, though clashes and attacks have taken place.
The construction of new churches or fixing of old ones is forbidden under Islamic law. That is why it provokes violence from Egypt to Indonesia.
"Debating religious beliefs are a red line, a deep red line," Shenouda said in an interview aired on state-run TV. "Maybe they (Bishoy's address) thought this is for priests only and the remarks were not for publication."
"I am sorry if our Muslim brother's feelings were hurt," he added.
Bishoy also sparked outrage last week when he told Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper that "Muslims are only guests" in the country.
For this incident, Shenouda blamed the press for possibly misquoting Bishoy and said that "we are the ones who are guests since Muslims are the majority." Coptic Christians make up around 6 to 10 percent of the country's 80 million people. Prior to the 7th Century Arab invasion, Egypt was majority Christian.
Thousands of Muslims demonstrated on Friday against Bishoy's remarks and Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Center held an emergency meeting to condemn the bishop's statements.
"Such irresponsible statements threaten ... national unity at a time when it is vital to maintain it," said the statement.
The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood opposition group, Mohammed Badie, urged Muslims to "respond to whomever slanders the book of God or the prophet."
Shenouda appealed for calm.
"You don't extinguish fire by adding more fire, you need water," he said.
Seeking to cool the controversy, political parties and the journalists' association have urged their members to stay away from the debate....Posted by Marisol on September 26, 2010 4:57 PM
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