- Title: JORDAN: Mixed feelings over Papal visit
- Date: 5th May 2009
- Summary: MASS IN PROGRESS STATUE OF CHRIST
- Embargoed: 20th May 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Jordan
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Religion
- Reuters ID: LVABSU1KZ5HDTMRS561QB5567GFU
- Story Text: As the head of the Roman Catholic church prepares for his three day visit to Jordan later this week, some Jordanians, both Muslim and Christian, are calling for the pontiff to apologise for controversial remarks he made about Islam three years ago.
Pope Benedict provoked anger across the Muslim world after he quoted an ancient text that described Islam as a violent religion during a lecture in Germany in 2006, although he later said the quotation did not reflect his own views.
The Pope is due to arrive in Jordan on Friday (May 8) but will not be welcomed by Muslims unless he issues an apology for the offence he caused, said Zaki Bani Rsheid, secretary general of the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood and the most influential party in the country.
"The Pope is the one who insulted Islam and never apologised to Muslims. He is the same one who apologised to the Jews. He comes to the region and will not visit Gaza and never condemned the genocide in Gaza. This visit is provocative, not only to Muslims but also to Christian Arabs," he added.
The previous Pope, John Paul II, formally apologised to the Jews over lack of Vatican action over the Nazi Holocaust during World War Two.
The present pontiff angered Jews after he allowed a bishop who had make comments denying the Holocaust back into the church after being excommunicated over a schism caused by differences in theology. The Pope later admitted mistakes had been made over the issue and said relations had since been restored with Jewish people.
Bani Rsheid said the people of Jordan wanted the Pope to issue an apology to Muslims.
"We as Jordanian citizens do not accept and condemn the visit of the Pope, considering that Jordanian citizens reject any insult to the identity, culture and the civilisation of the Arab Muslim nation, which is an Islamic culture even for the non-Muslims, the Christian citizens of Jordan.
What we want is that the Pope has enough moral courage to apologise over what he said about Muslims and condemn the Zionist genocide in Gaza. Then we will not have a problem with the Pope."
Audeh Qawas, a former member of parliament for a Christian area, also said the Pope should apologise.
"An apology was required. This apology was never made, although an equal apology for the Jews was made by the Vatican before that period. Of course, as a Jordanian politician I welcome his holiness to Jordan as a holy land."
Further Muslim anger came when the Pope ignored appeals for him to cancel his planned visit to Israel following the Israeli offensive on Gaza earlier this year.
But one Christian in Amman said he believed the pontiff's visit would help wash away the pain caused by the Gaza war.
"He is most welcomed in the heart of all the Jordanian people. He is most welcomed in the heart of every person in the Middle East. All the children who have seen a lot of scenarios and views on the TV have hard feelings in their hearts and in their mind and the papal visit is expected to remove and waive all these bad feelings from these children," said Victor Hattar.
The Pope will spend three days in the kingdom before visiting Israel and the West Bank for the second leg of his tour in the region.
He will meet King Abdullah and Queen Rania at their private palace before celebrating a private mass at Regina Pacis church. He will also visit Mount Nebo and the River Jordan, where John the Baptist is said to have baptised Christ.
He is also scheduled to celebrate mass at Amman international stadium, where John Paul II held a mass which attracted thousands of Christians from around the Middle East. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.