All right, so Jalal Chaudry spoke imprecisely from a Muslim perspective. But his comments are an “insult to all Muslims”? Here’s one from the Touchy Touchy Department, via the Scotsman, with thanks to Twostellas:
A MUSLIM leader was at the centre of a furious row today after being accused of comparing Pope John Paul II to the Prophet Muhammad.
Jalal Chaudry sparked an angry reaction from across Edinburgh by describing the late Pope as “God’s messenger of peace on this earth”.
A furious group of worshippers from Edinburgh’s Central Mosque have told Mr Chaudry to resign as chairman of the Islamic Society of Scotland and apologise to the Muslim community….
Mr Chaudry, a senior member of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), was accused of comparing the Pope to Muhammad following comments in Monday’s Evening News.
Mr Chaudry, who represented Edinburgh Muslims at this week’s requiem Mass for the Pope, said a “small minority of extremists” were now spreading hatred in the community following his tribute to the Pope. “I am astonished and saddened that my statement about John Paul II has been misunderstood and interpreted wrongly,” he said….
Inyat Bunglauala said the statement to the Evening News was “not a wise choice of words”.
“To name the Pope as God’s messenger is problematic because we only recognise the prophets as this, and Muhammad was the last one,” he said….
Shopworker Mohammad Iqbal, 50, of Howden Hall Road, reacted angrily to Mr Chaudry’s comments, saying he should resign from all Islamic organisations. “Jalal is not authorised to speak on behalf of the Muslim community and the Pope is not a messenger from God,” he said.
“It was very wrong of Jalal to say this about the Pope and it has made a lot of people very angry indeed. John Paul II was a peacemaker and we agree with a lot of his views, but that is all.
“These comments are an insult to all Muslims and Jalal should make a public apology and resign. He should not be allowed to be a spokesman for our community.”