Pope's Comments Still Fuel Anger in Egypt

Sept. 24, 2006 — -- The controversy over Pope Benedict XVI's remarks is, clearly, not going away; and his apology did not seem to help much either. Responding to the Egyptian-born and Qatari-based Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi's call for a "Day of Anger," thousands of protesters turned out at the Al-Azhar mosque in the heart of Cairo Friday.

The Muslim Brotherhood, one the most powerful Islamic organizations in the Arab world, organized the protest. Scores of young Muslims wore headbands that read, "We are Islam's soldiers." Banners proclaiming, "Students of the Muslim Brotherhood denounce the Pope's remarks," hung neatly in the Mosque courtyard.

The imam at Al-Azhar reminded the believers that Ramadan, Islam's holiest month, begins this week, and that they should repent and purify their hearts and souls. He concluded his sermon by saying, "We will not accept the Pope's apology because it is not enough. He must erase the quote that linked Islam with violence so that future generations will not use it."

As soon as the sermon ended, the prayer hall was instantly transformed into a political rally. The crowd roared with a deafening chant: "With our blood, with our soul, we sacrifice for Islam."

The first speaker, Mustafa Bakri, a nationalist journalist and parliamentarian, asserted that the West is waging a "crusade" against Islam.

"The highest authority in the Catholic Church is supplying religious justification for Bush's war," shouted Bakri, the only non-Islamist speaker present. "The other is the killer. The other is the aggressor. We [Muslims] must unite. We must do away with compromise and reconciliation with the other."

Next, Mohammed al-Beltagui, a Muslim Brotherhood parliamentarian, dressed in a suit and tie, reminded the crowd that the pontiff's remarks were not an innocent slip of tongue.

"We must stand up and support resistance movements in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq," he said. "If we unify our ranks, the Ummah [global Muslim community] would succeed in repelling the aggressors who are robbing its treasures. We will not accept the Pope's apology.

"He must concede that he had blundered," al-Beltagui reiterated.