The Pope Benedict XVI has invited Muslim envoys for talks, part of a diplomatic offensive to repair rifts caused by his recent remarks on Islam, a lecture that sparked days of sometimes violent protests in Muslim countries, prompting the pontiff to say at the weekend that he was “deeply sorry” for any offence and attributing Muslim anger to an “unfortunate misunderstanding”.
Although the violence has since eased, signs of residual anger within the Muslim world were clearly evident at Friday prayers. About 2,000 peaceful demonstrators in the West Bank town of Ramallah chanted slogans denouncing the pope, while in Iraq an aide to revered Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for an apology for the “harmful and objectionable” remarks.
It is believed that the presence of the Turkish ambassador at the meeting is significant as the pope is scheduled to visit Turkey on November 28-30 — his first trip to a Muslim-majority country.
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