Employees of Turkey's Directorate General for Religious Affairs want the Pope arrested when he sets foot in Turkey -- on the fanciful grounds that he has violated freedom of belief and thought. But they don't evidently think that this violates freedom of belief at all.
"Angry Turk workers urge Pope's arrest during visit," from Reuters, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
ANKARA (Reuters) - Employees of the state body that organizes Muslim worship in Turkey asked the authorities on Tuesday to open legal proceedings against Pope Benedict and to arrest him when he visits the country in November....Employees of Ankara's Directorate General for Religious Affairs, or Diyanet, presented a petition to the Justice Ministry asking it to launch a probe into the Pope's remarks and to detain him when he arrives, the Anatolian news agency said.
They said the Pontiff had violated Turkish laws upholding freedom of belief and thought by "insulting" Islam and the Prophet Mohammad.
The protesters held banners that read "Either apologize or don't come."
It is not uncommon for individuals or organizations in Turkey to seek legal action against world leaders whose actions they disapprove of. They have never succeeded.
Benedict is due to pay an official visit to Turkey on November 28-30, his first to a Muslim country since he became Pope.
Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has described the Pope's comments on Islam as "ugly" but the government has said it still expects the visit to go ahead on schedule.
The Diyanet controls all imams in Turkey, writes their Friday sermons and sends prayer leaders to Turkish communities abroad....
Its really a parallel universe isn't it?
The Pope in a turkish prison, sounds like sequel to Midnight Express. Billy Hayes where are you?
surely no crime was commited on turkish soil
crime= reading a book.
POPE'S APOLOGY NOT ENOUGH
Speaking of Iran, with Ahmadinejad out of the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced that the United States should be attacked for benefitting from the Pope's comments. Protests are continuing around the world by Islamic extremists who say that the Pope's "statement of regret" wasn't enough. Of course, there is nothing Pope Benedict XVI could do or say that would appease these insane people.
But finally these Islamic terrorists are saying what they mean. Al-Qaeda in Iraq said it best, saying the only acceptable thing is to convert to Islam. And that is the real aim of the Islamofascists: worship Allah or die. It has been their goal for decades. Which is why you can't reason with these people. They don't care about peace...they don't really care whether or not Israel exists...it's all about getting rid of the non-believers.
It's a shame the Pope gave any apology of any sort. Because nothing is ever going to be enough. Anyone who criticizes Islam or speaks out against terrorism is going to meet the same fate. There will be protests. Look what some cartoons in a newspaper did awhile back. All over the world, there are Islamic rent-a-mobs and a sycophantic international media waiting to churn out ant-Western propaganda at a moment's notice.
Because after all, the worst crime anyone can commit is to offend Muslims. Worse than murder. I'm surprised the Democrats aren't working on passing a law to put you in jail for it.
I forgot to include , these words are from Neal Boortz. thanks,
If the Pope is arrested in a muslim land for quoting a 14th century emperor, wonder what they'd do if we arrested a 21st century Iranian wingnut for threatening the U.S. and Israel in New York?
If the Pope is so much as spit on by a Muslim, I think the reaction from the Christian world will be quite predictable. The pot is boiling and ready to overflow. It won't take much more.
All of this is, or should be, the end of any nonsense about Turkey being admitted to the E.U. Now if only the E.U. itself could be seen as a problem, and weakened, and then broken up, in favor of a return to the self-aware nation-states. For the E.U., which is intent on creating the Big Market, and has not interest in, regards as something to be stamped out, the strong national identities, based on lanaguage, literature, history, and a legitimate pride in the local legacy, in the national contribution to a wider civilization, is smashing the very things that act to protect this or that population against the spread of the opportunistic infection (the belief-system that threatens), one that finds those nations, as it does individuals, most susceptible when they have lost a firm sense of themselves.
Suppose that the Pope were in fact arrested and thrown into durance vile in Turkey. Suppose that he were forced to abase himself before some Muslim clerics, beheaded, or even crucified. What do you think would happen?
No doubt there would be fiery posts made to the comment threads on Jihad Watch, but what else would happen? Would infidels create the usual memorial mounds of flowers, cards, and teddy bears? Would our leaders move quickly to protect the mosques in Western countries before hastening to services of peace and reconcilliation in those same mosques?
Perhaps a couple of million Turks would be granted immediate residency in the United States as a gesture of peace and understanding. No doubt the Western media and politicians would issue many statements pointing out that the situation was most complex and nuanced, and that Westerners must recognize their own complicity in bringing about the regretable, but understandable, incident of Papicide.
Don't worry, be happy!
Viva El Presidente Jorge bin Jorge al-Bush!
Islam is a religion of peace!
Allahu akbar!
OT/
Heard through the grapevine that CAIR's Ibraham Cooper is going to be on WMAL 630 in Washington DC this morning to discuss the recently released news story about discrimination/harassment of Muslims in the US.
Forgot this part:
Discusssion, with interview of Ibrahim Cooper, on WMAL 630 in Washington, DC is from 9-10 am EST.
Q. What do you call something that walks like the devil, talks like the devil, and does the devil's work?
A. Islam
"Suppose that the Pope were in fact arrested and thrown into durance vile in Turkey...What do you think would happen?"
--from a posting above
If anything were to happen to the Pope, another Pope would be elected. Another voice would be raised. Another witness would step forward. Not all of the West is asleep. Not all of the West is afraid. Not all of the West believes that the fight has been lost.
It is true that the West is already being converted by the sword, through the threats coming from Moslems both within the West and from the howling mobs in the heart of Islam. And there is the additional threat of succumbing to despair and fatality, the desire for peace, peace at any price. The desire to lead a banal little life in which teddy bears and bouquets pass for deep feeling and meaningfulness. But an alarm has been raised. These threats from within and without require the West to decide what its values are.
In quoting Manuel II Paleologos, the Pope brought full circle the need for voluntary acceptance of religion. It is ironic that these words were uttered in what is now Turkey, a land taken by force and a land that now threatens force against a man of peace. This irony is not lost on many in the world and it underlines the truth of Benedict XVI's words in the first place.
Some in the howling mobs will always howl. Some in the drooling classes will always drool. Some in the ranks of the wags and wits will always mock. But there will always be someone brave enough to raise uncomfortable truths.
The truth is powerful. That is why so many seek to make it one of the first casualities in any war.
In January 2006 Kutluhan Bilge and M. Hakan Yildirim published "Hiristiyanligin Serüveni: Hz. Isa Tanri Degildir" (The Adventure of Christianity: [The Honorable] Jesus Is Not God; ISBN:975-255-055-X). The book is not a best seller but is freely available in shops and online (e.g:
http://dukkan.dharma.com.tr/V1/Pg/BookDetail/Number/23187)
On January 6, 2006 in Turkey's Milli Gazete, the book was reviewed under the title, "The Book That Will Anger the Pope." The book poses the question, "Would the Pope call Muhammed the Apostle of God?"
http://www.milligazete.com.tr/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=15055
Norseman - I used to think you were being ironic and funny but now it's wearing thin. You obviously read most everything on this site.
Now I just think you're being nasty. You disappoint me. I used to think you were making your point in a clever way. Now I think you just like being an asshole.
They can say all they want... neither them or their government have the balls to do it...They can't handle the consequences. How dare they talk about arresting the POPE. For once why don't they say send more troops to aghanistan to arrest or capture OSAMA. Idiots!!!
ANKARA (Reuters) - Employees of the state body that organizes Muslim worship in Turkey asked the authorities on Tuesday to open legal proceedings against Pope Benedict and to arrest him when he visits the country in November....
_____________________________
Warn them, arrest the pope and thermo-nuclear missiles will be on their way.
Would infidels create the usual memorial mounds of flowers, cards, and teddy bears? Would our leaders move quickly to protect the mosques in Western countries before hastening to services of peace and reconcilliation in those same mosques?
Perhaps a couple of million Turks would be granted immediate residency in the United States as a gesture of peace and understanding.
You are probably right, and that is really irking me.
Some Turks may wish to become Europeans but Islam makes sure that Turkey remains mired in darkness and backwardness.