- Title: VARIOUS : West Bank churches attacked following Pope's remarks on Islam.
- Date: 17th September 2006
- Summary: VARIOUS OF SABBAH IN CHURCH/ PRAYERS BEING SUNG
- Embargoed: 2nd October 2006 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA50UWWYPGYX50RI8P5QBGC5WOR
- Story Text: More churches were attacked in the occupied West Bank on Sunday (September 17) in reaction to parts of a speech made by Pope Benedict that referred to Islam, witnesses said.
The two attacks, following similar incidents on Friday and Saturday, caused minor damage but no injuries.
In the town of Tubas outside of Jenin, a group of Palestinians set fire to a Roman Catholic church, causing minor damage before the flames were put out. One individual was arrested, Palestinian security forces said.
A Roman Catholic church in the town of Tulkarm also sustained damage in a blaze. Witnesses said they saw a man set the fire in the early morning.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a speech last week in Germany, the Pope repeated criticism of the Prophet Mohammad by the 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus.
Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited Nablus on Sunday after five churches in the West Bank city were attacked over the weekend.
"I wish he (Pope Benedict) did not say that, but he did said it. The (Islamic) reactions against this should be handled by Arab and Islamic embassies. It is better if they meet and discuss the issue to keep the relations between the Vatican and the Islamic world as they are," Sabbah said during his tour.
Palestinian security forces were deployed to churches in the West Bank to prevent further violence, witnesses said.
"(The attacks) are totally rejected. Every Palestinian must stop any harm to the churches of Christians on the Palestinian land," Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said on Sunday in response to the series of church attacks.
Pope Benedict tried on Sunday to calm Muslim anger at his remarks on Islam, saying he was "deeply sorry" about the reaction and that medieval quotes he used on holy war did not reflect his personal views.
The head of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics stopped short of the full apology or retraction demanded by some Muslims for a speech they say portrayed Islam as tainted by violence. It was unclear whether the Pontiff's words would end the backlash. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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