Pope was moderate, says Taliban
2005-04-03 12:25
Kabul - Afghanistan's ousted Taliban militia on Sunday acknowledged the pope's peace-making efforts but insisted other Roman Catholics were the "enemies of Islam".
The hardline Islamists, responding to Pope John Paul II's death on Saturday, called for his successor to help stop what they called the "torture" of Muslims worldwide.
"The pope's moderation and his voice for peace is noticeable but the other followers of the Roman Catholic religion are enemies of Islam," Taliban spokesperson Abdul Latif Hakimi told the Pakistan-based private Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) from an undisclosed location.
"Christians should take the right path and stop torturing others and fill the void of pope with a person who could show them the path of deliverance."
The fundamentalist Taliban were driven from power in late 2001 by a US-led coalition for sheltering Osama bin Laden, alleged architect of the September 11 attacks.
- SAPA