Agence France-Presse:
Pope Benedict XVI's statement that he regretted causing any offence to Muslims fell short of an apology, Islamic groups said, as Morocco became the first Muslim country to recall its Vatican ambassador over the pope's remarks.
Morocco's foreign ministry announced that its ambassador would be recalled effective Sunday for consultation on the instructions of King Mohammed VI after "offensive remarks about Islam and Muslims made by Pope Benedict XVI at Regensburg university on September 12".
The head of the Roman Catholic Church on Saturday said he "sincerely regretted" that he may have offended Muslims, but stopped short of retracting his words.
The Muslim world seethed with fury over the pope's comments, which critics said linked violence and Islam.
Reacting to the pope's statement, Muslim groups in Egypt said Benedict had not been sufficiently contrite.
"This is not an apology. The Vatican secretary seems content to confirm that the pope is sorry because his remarks were misinterpreted. But they were not misinterpreted," said Abdel Moneim Abul Futuh, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood group.
"The pope made a mistake, he must recognise it and apologise," he added.
Damned straight he does.
It would be absolutely true to say that the quote Benedict used is being taken out of context. But it's also true that the quote was extremely ill-advised. A lot of people in the middle east and in the west see Bush's 'War on Terror' as a war between Christianity and Islam -- the pope should've treated any reference to the prophet Mohammed like sweating, fifty year old dynamite. He didn't.
He doesn't have to apologize for the entire speech. He needs to apologize for that one quote.
Tags: news politics religion Islam christian international Pope Benedict XVI Pope
