'The pope is like Hitler'
2006-09-22 15:14
Kabul - Muslim clerics and students in Afghanistan said on Friday that Pope Benedict XVI had shown himself to be among the worst people in history with his "propaganda" against Islam.
A gathering of about 300 angry scholars in Kabul called on mullahs across the country to use Friday prayers to read tell congregations of the words the pope had used that linked Islam to violence last week.
"In the history of humanity, the pope has shown himself to be like Hitler, Lenin and the contemporary dictator and bloodsucker Bush," Habibullah Hisam, said the head of the Kabul provincial council.
He was referring to 1930s Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, 1920s Soviet revolutionary Vladimir Lenin and the current president of the United States, George W Bush.
"This is unforgivable, he has offended the rights and beliefs of 1.5 billion people on Earth," said Hisam.
Benedict caused outrage across the Muslim world when he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor who said some of the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed were "evil and inhuman".
Resolution condemns pope
The crowd in the capital of Kabul said authorities had prevented them from demonstrating.
They demanded that the Afghan government make clear its stand on the issue.
The students gathered in a mosque decorated with banners reading "Mohammad is the messenger of peace, kindness, graciousness".
"We condemn the pope's statement about Muslims and we curse it," said mullah Fazel Karim, reading out a resolution after the meeting.
"Scholars all over the country must read to people the words of the cursed pope, the words are ideological and propaganda war against Islam and Muslims."
Afghanistan's foreign ministry has said the remarks were an insult and the pope should apologise.
Benedict has said he was "extremely sorry" for offending Muslims.