The law abiding do not have the option of bombing, beheading and bullying, so one of our best recourse is to demonstrate what Islam dreads most: freedom. Freedom to choose your religion, or not, and celebrate that decision. Well done The Vatican.

Expect Christian 'converts' to Islam paraded in front of the cameras at gun point.

Nevertheless the fight must go on.

Posted by: LivingVictory at March 26, 2008 8:25 AM

Wonder if the revered scholar, Aref Ali Nayed, would accept an apology from the ‘Crusader Pope’ in the form of a Christmas card?

Posted by: descendantofacrusader at March 26, 2008 8:28 AM

The Vatican has also been keen to repair relations with moderate Muslims, particularly after the crisis caused by a speech the Pope gave in Germany in 2006, in which he appeared to associate Islam with violence.

Surely not to this extent!

Excerpt:

Riyadh, 20 March (AKI) - No churches should be permitted in Saudi Arabia, unless Pope Benedict XVI recognised the prophet Mohammed, according to a Middle East expert.

While Saudi mediators are working with the Vatican on negotiations to allow places of religious worship, some experts believe it will not occur without this recognition....

Posted by: Always On Watch at March 26, 2008 8:32 AM

"the Vatican's deliberate and provocative act of baptising Allam on such a special occasion and in such a spectacular way".

Note to Aref Ali Nayed -

All over the world, the Church Baptizes Her converts at the Easter Vigil.

Such a special occasion? Nope - just the norm.

Posted by: Occupant at March 26, 2008 8:32 AM

"In a stinging rebuke of Saturday's televised ceremony, Mr Nayed denounced what he called "the Vatican's deliberate and provocative act of baptising Allam on such a special occasion and in such a spectacular way".

'It is sad that the intimate and personal act of a religious conversion is made into a triumphalist tool for scoring points, he said in a written statement."

How amusing that Muslims should be upset at the "public conversion" of a Musliim to Christianity. Such conversions are apparently to be held "dans la plus stricte intimite," like some French funerals, with only the family invited.

And this comes from Muslims, who scream all over the world about how many converts they are making, to compile these lists of such "famous" converts as, inter alia, "Dr. Maurice Bucaille" (never heard of him? No, but Muslims have, and they think he was quite a catch, and want you to know all about him -- go to the Muslim websites, and see).

And they also like to claim crazily all sorts of "converts" to Islam as, for example, Neil Armstrong, who -- many Muslims devoutely believe, heard the Azan when he was on the moon (Allah, you see, arranged for the sound to travel).

Here's one example of this:

We have a very good Islamic community radio station here in Cape Town.
The following story was told for the honest truth on our Muslim radio
the other day:

'When Louis Armstrong and co. walked on the moon, they heard sounds
in a strange language they did not understand. Only later, after
returning to earth, did they realize that it was actually the azaan!'

I have seen a few mosques with powerful speaker systems, but wow, somebody down here certainly turned on the power on that day!

[Obviously the reference was supposed to be in regard to Neil Armstrong, the astronaut, not Louis Armstrong, the Jazz musician.]

This rumor also surfaces every other month or so on the Islamic newsgroup."

If any really important personage was inveigled into converting to Islam, you'd hear about, all over the Muslim press and radio and television and internet sites, and you'd never stop hearing about it. Meanwhile, they have to make do, as we know, with assorted oddballs, even if those oddballs -- Tim Winter, Yahya Birt -- are not quite as oddballish as Marmaukde Pickthall, or Maurice Bucaille.

For Nayed, at the "Islamic Strategic Studies Center," to be furious was there to welcome Magdi Allam into the Church is understandable. For him to offer his indignatiion over this "triumpalist" act -- from a Total Belief-System that is nothing but triumphalism disguising a deep malaise and sense, nowadays, of the injustice of Muslims not yet ruling over Infidels everywhere, and stillworse, as so many suspect but dare not allow themselves to think, it becomes ever more evident that the cause of the many failures of Muslim states and societies, of their own permanent backwardness and disarray (disguised temporarily the oil bonanza they did nothing to deserve, and in the West, by the infusions of Jizyah, and transfers of wealth internally from Infidel taxpayers to Muslim recipients) is Islam itself.

And that last point is made, as well, by the quiet force of Magdi Allam's example, an example that everyone in Italy (he appears on the television, always with hands folded, always with a quiet but firm manner, in that effective "voce pacata" that is never raised, never shows excitement, still less the kind of hysterical craziness of Mr. Nayad, above, behaving islamically.

Posted by: Hugh at March 26, 2008 8:38 AM

"In a stinging rebuke of Saturday's televised ceremony, Mr Nayed denounced what he called "the Vatican's deliberate and provocative act of baptising Allam on such a special occasion and in such a spectacular way".

hahahaha now this was toooo amusing. Do it again Benedict !

Posted by: Sneakyzionistcrusader at March 26, 2008 8:49 AM

The Swiss Guard had better sharpen their axes... and their vigilance.

The other day I saw a clip of JFK during the Cuban missile crisis, when he said, "Any attack by Cuban on any country in the this hemisphere shall be regarded as an attack by the Soviet Union on the US..."

Updating that we ought to have: "Any attack by Jihadists on the Pope, on any icon of civilization [e.g. Baniman Bhuddas, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame..], on any pillar of our economy [tranport, refineries, etc] and most of all on any people, shall be regarded as an attack by Saudi Arabia on the US..."

Posted by: BunrattyBill at March 26, 2008 8:50 AM

The Saudis want that Pope Ben should recognize the "prophet" Mohammad, do they? I'll save him the trouble and do it myself, to wit:

Mohammad was a paranoid schizophrenic who not only lied, stole, fornicated and murdered his way to power in Arabia, but also corrupted the Bible so as to give priority to his own utterly self-serving and demonstrably false "prophetic" witness.

There, that should make the Saudis happy.

Posted by: Lex at March 26, 2008 8:55 AM

"...the kind of hysterical craziness of Mr. Nayad, above, behaving islamically."

To Nayad the nimrod, I hate to break it to you buddy, but converting people to Catholicism who've asked to become Catholic is part of the Pope's job. Easter is the perfect time to become a Catholic for obvious reasons. Being converted by the Pope, the spiritual leader of all true Catholics throughout the entire planet, would be the ultimate conversion experience. Mr. Allam understands the value of leaving Islam and becoming a Catholic, something that even death threats from the old cult couldn't dissuade him from doing.

Sorry honey, but the only provocative act exists in your puny little Muslim mind. And since when do Catholics in Italy have to ask Muslims if it's okay to practice their faith? That has been an ongoing practice in Italy since over 600 years before your prophet started having sex with a little girl and slaughtering people who opposed him, all in the name of his cool new religion.

Deal with it.

Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at March 26, 2008 8:56 AM

"In a stinging rebuke of Saturday's televised ceremony, Mr Nayed denounced what he called "the Vatican's deliberate and provocative act of baptising Allam on such a special occasion and in such a spectacular way".

The Pope poked Islam with a sharp stick, and Islam reacts.

Posted by: duh_swami at March 26, 2008 9:21 AM

>>Sorry honey, but the only provocative act exists in your puny little Muslim mind. And since when do Catholics in Italy have to ask Muslims if it's okay to practice their faith? That has been an ongoing practice in Italy since over 600 years before your prophet started having sex with a little girl and slaughtering people who opposed him, all in the name of his cool new religion.

Deal with it.

Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at March 26, 2008 8:56 AM

Whoa! Isabella is ON! Yes, "puny little Muslim minds," - Deal with it!

A little something Muslims have no concept of: "Live, and let live." No concept at all.

Posted by: darcy at March 26, 2008 9:32 AM

Hugh,

I am not suprised that the Muslim leadership is going nutty over this public conversion to Christianity by Magdi Allam. They KNOW that many more Muslims are leaving Islam quietly to embrace the Christian faith. Plus in the RCC, when it comes to baptising or receving already baptized in other churche Christians into the Catholic, this is done at the Holy Saturday service/Mass for Easter at RCC churches around the world.

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at March 26, 2008 10:25 AM

Hugh,

Sorry, forgot to add the word, Church to Catholic in the previous posting. Me. bad.

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at March 26, 2008 10:27 AM

Hugh,

What happened at St. Peter's this past Easter is truly what I call the "Berlin Wall effect", in which a prominent former Muslim in this case comes to faith in Christ. This could help those Muslims who decided to embrace the Christian faith.

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at March 26, 2008 10:34 AM

Aref Ali Nayed, the head of Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, called the baptism of journalist Magdi Allam a deliberate and provocative act.
unfortunately it would seem almost anything that Christians do involving Muslims to the Muslims is a provocative act these people really need to get over themselves but unfortunately Islam tells them they are the best of all people and unfortunately they have taken that to heart

Posted by: crusader at March 26, 2008 10:46 AM

If the Pope decapitated Allam at the Baptismal font, the Islamic world would be praising him for his faithfulnees to Allah.

Posted by: rational at March 26, 2008 10:47 AM

To any Muslim, the Pope merely breathing is provocative.

Again, why do we care what provokes Muslims? Perhaps it's time to do A LOT of provoking and pull out the fire hoses and shotguns with salt rock. Those options could be very effective in promoting behavior modification amongst surly Muslims. The wimp-out method doesn't seem to work at all. : (

Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at March 26, 2008 11:08 AM

It hit them hard, I guess. However, I still do not see why a baptism should be "provocative" to men of good faith, or to a religion of peace that deserves this epitheton.

Posted by: FreeSpeech at March 26, 2008 11:37 AM

But Mr Nayed added that despite the Vatican's actions, the initiative for dialogue to improve relations would continue.

Too bad. This biggest part of Muslim dialogue is crying foul, the other part is deception.

Posted by: Briars at March 26, 2008 12:01 PM

If a public baptism is provokative - what should we call public beheadings? Gentle educational aids?

Posted by: Calon Lan at March 26, 2008 12:08 PM

Why does anyone give these ignoramuses credence? They are the bane of the world, they are the reason their slimy pits of tyranny are still wallowing in the dark ages. Now they come here and presume to tell us what-for, and the academians and newscasters of the west take them seriously. No questions asked and we are supposed to do likewise? Screw 'em. All.

Posted by: Jauhara Al-Kafirah at March 26, 2008 12:27 PM

Anglican Church has been enslaved by muslims. Now muslims want to enslave Catholic Church.

Posted by: Crusader at March 26, 2008 1:11 PM

Such arrogance!

This is laughable - ha ha ha - I love how some Muslim scholar can simply denounce religion rites performed by the Pope and then consider it "NOT SO" by virtue of his spoken word. Ooooo, the Great Oz has spoken, thus sayeth the Lord.

So much for an individuals right to choose his own religion - not so in Islamaland - you have no choice unless they TELL you first. Don't hold your breath.

Posted by: champ at March 26, 2008 1:18 PM

....denounce "religious" rites...not religion rites.

Posted by: champ at March 26, 2008 2:34 PM

They baptize people in Italy and other Christian countries. They guy is merely assimilating well. Others who "immigrate" to the West should take him as an example.

Those who don't should be regarded as hostile.

Posted by: Allah Schmallah at March 26, 2008 3:31 PM

The Pope poked Islam with a sharp stick, and Islam reacts.
Posted by: duh_swami

This is so predictable. Poke them again, and again, again, again. Then stand back and watch them foam with rage to our amusements.

The Muzzies have centuries of rage and murder behind them screaming “allah akhbar” to impress the weak. But the Vatican has two millennia of polemics behind them, a quiet strength arguing for a forgiving God of love. Guess which one I would put my money on? Those Vaticanos are no dummies, they knew what they were doing. Poke them again, and again. Ha ha ha! Watch the fun as those “allah akhbars” react so predictably.

Idiot fools are always in rage because they know they will lose against good faith and reason. Stick it to them, again. Let them rage for all the world to see what they really are.

Posted by: Battle_of_Tours at March 26, 2008 3:42 PM

"Our basis for dialogue is not a tit-for-tat logic of 'reciprocity' but a compassionate theology of mending," he wrote.

--

Hey, Mr. Nayed.. You've got some severed heads to mend!

Posted by: Allah Schmallah at March 26, 2008 3:46 PM

Now they come here and presume to tell us what-for, and the academians and newscasters of the west take them seriously. No questions asked and we are supposed to do likewise? Screw 'em. All.
Posted by: Jauhara Al-Kafirah

---

That's the problem. They are indeed the itchy pimple on th @ss of the Western World. The bane.

The problem is they have somehow gotten control of our propaganda outlets and have turned them on us.

There is liEberalism which infests academia at fault for this on the one hand. And there is SOWdi oil money on the other.

Which explains why "conservatives" and liEberals are so bi-partisan when it comes to islam.

Their motives may not always be the same but the outcome is.

Posted by: Allah Schmallah at March 26, 2008 3:54 PM

Islam is a sacred cow, the "golden calf" of Muslims.

Posted by: John C at March 26, 2008 4:30 PM

Bully for Allam and Pope Benedict!

Posted by: John C at March 26, 2008 4:52 PM

called the baptism of journalist Magdi Allam a deliberate and provocative act

When is anything not a 'provocative act' when it comes to islam? What is wrong with these people that everything that reflects poorly on their cult is some sort of a conspiracy by infidels to hurt "muslim sensibilities"? Why can they see that islamic terrorism does more harm to their cult than all the cartoons and all the apostasy could ever do?

"...when sincere Muslims and Catholics are working very hard to mend ruptures between the two communities"

Oh, my head hurts. This bizarre, irrational islamic logic is just too absurd to comprehend. Muslims wreak havoc over the most asinine things and then blame others when they are viewed negatively. Islamophobia.

Are there no rational muslims alive, or have they all apostatized?

Posted by: DJM at March 26, 2008 7:01 PM

OT:

DJM -

On another thread you posted an excellent link written by some guy named, Wood, David Wood, I think. Could you please repost it, because I cannot remember which thread had that link, and I would like to save it to my Favorites file for future use and study. Thanks!

Posted by: champ at March 26, 2008 9:09 PM