Istanbul (Not Constantinople). It sounds like Pope Benedict has landed himself in hot water by quoting Manuel II Palaiologos:

"Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

This drew the usual condemnations from the usual suspects:

Muslim Brotherhood head Mohammed Mahdi Akef said the Pope's words "do not express correct understanding of Islam and are merely wrong and distorted beliefs being repeated in the West".

Sorry for the misunderstanding, M. Akef! I guess it really would have rubbed salt in the wounds if the Pope had mentioned how Manuel's successor but one was killed and his kingdom destroyed by invading Muslims, then....

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Full text of speech (fairly interesting comments on the nature and interplay of faith and reason) here.

Posted by David Fleck at 15 September 2006 06:38 AM