The violent backlash from radical Islamists following Pope Benedict XVI's speech in Germany ironically reinforced the very characterization of Islam that critics found offensive, according to Hurriyet columnist Ferai Tinc.
Unlike his predecessor John Paul II, who visited a Damascus mosque and actively sought common ground with the Islamic world, Benedict framed interfaith dialogue around the primacy of the Christian conception of God, a condition many Muslims would find unacceptable.
The pope also cited a Byzantine emperor's critique of Islam, drawing a contrast between Christian and Muslim understandings of God and suggesting that jihad contradicts divine nature. Because he speaks as both a religious leader and a political figure, his words carry weight beyond ordinary theological commentary.
Tinc argues that demanding a formal papal apology misses the point. The Vatican has issued only one such apology in recent memory, when John Paul II asked forgiveness from the Orthodox Church for the Crusader sack of Constantinople in 1204.
Genuine cross-cultural dialogue, the column concludes, depends on confronting mutual prejudices and accepting differences, rather than insisting one tradition's framework serve as the starting point.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.