Churches in the Middle East attacked over Pope's comments. (Ramadan, tradition)

[Djamila]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlue

Then you're very fortunate. As a gay man, I can't say I've been much impressed with Christian behavior, but then we may have a lot more fundamentalists here than you have there.

Now, you didn't say anything about gay men. It was only 15 years ago that raping suspected lesbians was considered a public service in socialist Yugoslavia.

[c0da]

It's not yet known whether the murder of an Italian nun in Mogadishu was in reaction to Benedict's remarks. 63-year-old Sister Lionela was at the hospital where she worked when she was shot in the back by unnamed gunmen. "A senior source among Somalia’s Islamists" told Gulfnews, "There is a very high possibility the people who killed her were angered by the Catholic Pope's recent comments against Islam."

During Friday prayers, Sheikh Abubukar Hassan Malin, a prominent Mogadishu cleric, declared that "Whoever offends our Prophet Mohammed should be killed on the spot by the nearest Muslim." (Aljazeera)

Stories:
Aljazeera:Italian nun shot dead in Somalia
Gulfnews:Nun shot dead in Mogadishu
SomaliNet News: Somalia: Italian aid worker shot dead in Mogadishu
Shabelle.net: Gunmen fatally shoots an Italian aid worker in Mogadishu

Ugh. I guess I was a being a bit naive when I thought to myself that at least the reaction from Muslims hadn't been as bad as that during the Mohammad cartoon crap.

[ayani]

Originally Posted by Djamila

Now, you didn't say anything about gay men. It was only 15 years ago that raping suspected lesbians was considered a public service in socialist Yugoslavia.

is the winking emoticon really necessary here? i'm a little startled by the friendly-casual tone it implies as it preceeds a pretty horrible bit of information.

as to the OP- i've read about the murdered nun. this is grotesque.

when will people learn that if you don't want others to regard your religion as backwards and bloody, you shouldn't use that same religion to excuse/permit rage and murder?

[Ezzedean]

How do we even know a muslim committed the murder? Has it been confirmed by the press? If so can someone please post the confirmation. I haven't seen anything which states that a muslim did it, only that people assume a muslim did it. Am I wrong here?

[Buttercup]

You're right Ezzedean....it is speculation at this point who the assailant is.

But, when you have a Somalian cleric say this......it's a good bet it was a Muslim:

"During Friday prayers, Sheikh Abubukar Hassan Malin, a prominent Mogadishu cleric, declared that "Whoever offends our Prophet Mohammed should be killed on the spot by the nearest Muslim." (Aljazeera)"

[Djamila]

It's a good bet the murderer was Muslim not only because of the timing and circumstances, as well as the identity of the victim, but simply because of the population structure in Somalia. What are the odds the murderer is from, what is it? The 0.02% of Somalis who aren't Muslim?

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by Djamila

It's a good bet the murderer was Muslim not only because of the timing and circumstances, as well as the identity of the victim, but simply because of the population structure in Somalia. What are the odds the murderer is from, what is it? The 0.02% of Somalis who aren't Muslim?

I guess the murderer didn't take into consideration that it wasn't the pope he was killing. Not that it would have been justified. He just picked the nearest Catholic.

[Djamila]

It's gross, Buttercup. It seems to happen all the time. Take the Sikh man run over in the street in America after 9/11, simply because the driver thought he was Muslim. He wasn't even Muslim, so twisted.

And a Nun? For the love of God...

It should be a death sentence crime just to disrespect one, much less murder one.

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by Djamila

And a Nun? For the love of God...

It should be a death sentence crime just to disrespect one, much less murder one.

You're sounding a bit too radical Muslim here, Mila. Though I do get your thoughts.