Pope's apology welcomed

2006-09-17 16:59

Lucknow - Indian Muslims on Sunday welcomed Pope Benedict XVI's expression of sorrow for having outraged the Muslim world by implicitly linking Islam to violence.

The powerful All India Muslim Personal Law Board based in the northern city of Lucknow also called for a cessation of all protests following the pope's statement of regret.

"We welcome the apology tendered by the Pope Benedict," Maulana Khalid Rashid, a member of the Board told AFP in Lucknow, the provincial capital of India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

"The apology will foster better relations between the Muslims and the Christians all over the world," said Rashid, chief priest of Lucknow's main Eidgah mosque.

Expressed regret

The Roman Catholic pontiff expressed his regrets Sunday during the traditional Angelus blessing from the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

It was his first public appearance since a controversial speech he gave in Germany last week.

In the speech, the pope had quoted an obscure medieval text that criticised some teachings of the Prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman".

On Sunday, the pope said he hoped his expression of sorrow would "appease hearts" and "clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect".

Protests

Lucknow, a seat of Islamic learning in India, was one of several cities in India that witnessed protests against the pope's earlier remarks which sparked condemnation from Muslim leaders across the world.

"It was (the) right decision taken at the right time," another Islamic cleric, Maulana Rehan Siddiqui, said of the pope's remarks on Sunday.

"In fact this was precisely our demand. We had asked for (the) popes apology for the comments he had made against the Prophet and Islam."

Nearly 13% of India's one-billion-plus population is Muslim.

- AFP