Pope Benedict XVI, in a recent speech, spoke of his university days and how every now and then faculty and students would come together for a true "experience of universitas," which is fitting, since Catholic is derived from the Greek word for universal. Ironically, this is the same speech where the Pope's not so universally respected comments in regard to Islam embroiled the Pontiff in some hot holy water.
On Sept. 12, the Pope spoke out against forced conversion and the use of religious violence when he quoted a reported conversation between a Muslim leader and the Byzantine emperor Manuel II, who said, "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
No reasonable person would speak for the use of violence for religious purposes, however the Pope's citation inflamed sentiments worldwide. The global Muslim response was, understandably, negative.
Perhaps expecting a certain level of tact in the rhetoric from the Roman Catholic Church's former doctrinal hardliner was too much.
In addition to poor phrasing, poor timing also factored into the furor over the Pope's speech. The speech was not well received in Muslim circles; especially considering their holy month of Ramadan is fast approaching. Benedict is also set to visit Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, in November, which could be awkward.
Pope Benedict has been almost universally condemned in the Islamic world. MSNBC reported that Salih Kapusuz (a Turkish official) stated, "[Pope Benedict XVI] is going down in history in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini."
Now, comparing the Pope to the fascist leaders of World War II is a bit extreme and certainly unfair. However, that does not excuse the Pope's cultural insensitivity either. Many Muslims take the matter seriously, and find the speech insulting.
There has been quite the outpouring against Benedict. Even the assassination of Sister Leona, a Catholic nun in Somalia, is thought to be a reaction related to the Pope's comments.
Putting things in perspective, if you were to ask a typical Muslim, they would respond that the use of violence is not a tenet of their faith. If you were to ask a typical Christian, they would respond likewise. Emperor Manuel II, whom the Pontiff quotes, lived during the 14th and 15th centuries, during the Crusades, a period of violence in Christian history. I am certain that Jesus would not be thrilled that people were killing in his name.
The truth of the matter is that every faith has its dark moments, but that does not overshadow the good that it can offer. This recent demonstration of religious intolerance (on both sides) is unbefitting of the 21st century. And it certainly does no good for ecumenical interlocution.
Dialogue and promoting understanding are vital for our global society. There needs to be an end to cultural misunderstanding and culture war, but in order to do that, we must all first seek to understand. Every faith has its outliers and extremists, which is all the more reason to avoid casting quick judgments and making generalizations. The responsibility to understand must be shouldered equally by us all.
Rick Beitman is a political science and French senior/zealot. He can be addressed at Richard.Beitman@asu.edu.