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

[Ody]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060916/...ans_churches_5

No injuries were reported in the attacks, which left church doors charred and walls pockmarked with bullet holes and scorched by firebombs. Churches of various denominations were targeted.

Proof that the need to give off violence is a cause in itself, they didn't differentiate between Catholic and others. Hamas has been quick to denounce the attacks. My thoughts on that are irrelevant

It should be noted, that this is a freak occurence in today's middle east, however the mind of the Middle Easterner tends to be touchy after the cartoon incident.

[barometer]

Violence in the name of religion just confuses me. It simply degrades which ever religion your trying to defend. Unless yours is a religion of hate and destruction.

[Buttercup]

Of course those attacks are very unfortunate but, I am happy to read this:

"Ayman Daraghmeh, a legislator from the ruling Islamic militant Hamas group, denounced the attacks."

"In Nablus, merchant Khaled Ramadan, who was dressed in traditional Islamic garb, said the pope's comments were unforgivable, but that Palestinians must not fight among themselves.

"We are one people and violent reactions like these should not happen here," he said."

[MidnightBlue]

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

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlue

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. "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

Oh my god! That is horrible.

[Buttercup]

Sooooooo, this type of action is proving the statement made by the pope to be true.....idiots! Don't they see what they are doing?

[Ezzedean]

Haven't mosques been attacked also? Either way it's horrible to see that these are happening... but it's not like muslims are causing all the mischief alone. These acts need to stop immediately.. and if they don't stop right now after his speech today... then it's safe to cal them idiots. As for the nun who was shot in the back...to blame that on a muslim without having any idea of who it was in unfair. As to the person who said that if anyone insults the prophet they should be killed... that's a little crazy. That was the most non-muslim comment he could have made. The prophet Muhammed himself used to get insulted during his lifetime by his enemies on a daily basis. They would lie about him and slander his name all the time and he would always stay calm... I've told this many times to people on this forum... but his companions would ask him why he stayed so calm and why he never got upset... and he would always tell them that when they attacked with lies and insults.. it was because we were winning and the enemy was getting weaker.

Peace and Blessings

[Buttercup]

But, Ezzedean, what about this comment from MidnightBlue's post.

"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)

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlue

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)

How does that translate into killing an innocent nun?

I can't understand people who take out their vengence on the innocent, the nun didn't make the remarks - just boggles the mind.

Originally Posted by barometer

Violence in the name of religion just confuses me. It simply degrades which ever religion your trying to defend. Unless yours is a religion of hate and destruction.

Exactly. I found something on another message board which sums up my feelings about this sort of violence quite nicely;

I think the rioting, screaming, fire bombing mobs do more to insult Muhammad than the cartoonist, even though I believe the cartoons were both needlessly and intentionally offensive, and I would not have published them.

The wild-eyed folks who are essentially chanting, "Death to everyone who disagrees with us!" end up drawing their own caricature of the Prophet. They are claiming that he would bless their fulminations and tantrums. If Muslims are called to represent Allah and the Prophet in the world, then the mobs are presenting a picture which is not very different from that presented in those cartoons.