We have been covering the Pope’s jihad remarks over at Dhimmi Watch. Here is the initial story, and here is the predictable reaction from a pol in Pakistan. Now Indian officials are trying to keep word from getting out in Jammu and Kashmir about the Pope’s remarks — because they fear a violent response.
OK, so let me get this straight: the Pope says that jihad violence is against God’s nature, and officials fear that in response, Muslims enraged by this insult will commit…jihad violence.
“India seizes papers with pope’s Islam criticism,” from AFP, with thanks to Twostellas:
SRINAGAR, India (AFP) – Police in Indian Kashmir seized newspapers carrying Pope Benedict XVI’s strong criticisms of Islam and jihad, fearing a Muslim backlash in the flashpoint area.
“We’ve seized copies of (Indian) newspapers carrying the pope’s remarks. It has been done to prevent any tension here,” a police officer said.
Copies of the Indian dailies were impounded at Srinagar’s high-security airport when they arrived from New Delhi, he said on Thursday.
The pontiff hit out at Islam and the concept of holy war or jihad in a speech in Germany on Tuesday, citing a 14th-century Christian emperor who said the Prophet Mohammed had brought the world “evil and inhuman” things.
The Muslim league, a Kashmiri separatist group, called for a protest Friday over the pope’s comments.
“Whatever has been said against our Prophet is unbearable,” the group’s chief Masarat Alam said. “It should be condemned by all.”