“The problem is not the statements of the Pope but the reaction of the extremists.” It’s amazing that this simple bit of common sense has dawned on so few people, and even more amazing that one of them is the European Commission President. Surprising anti-dhimmitude from Jose Manuel Barroso: “Barroso disappointed at lack of EU support for Pope,” from Reuters:
BERLIN (Reuters) – European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was quoted as saying on Saturday that more European leaders should have spoken out in support of the Pope after he made his disputed comments on Islam.
“I was disappointed there were not more European leaders who said ‘naturally the Pope has the right to express his views’,” Barroso was quoted as saying to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
“The problem is not the statements of the Pope but the reaction of the extremists,” the paper quoted him as saying in a preview of an article to appear on Sunday….
“We have to defend our values,” he said. “We should also encourage the moderate leaders in the Muslim world — and they’re the majority — to distance themselves from this extremism,” Barroso was quoted as saying.
How strange that that doesn’t seem to have occurred to most of them as a possibility.