Benedict and Islam

God must still love the world to have given us Benedict XVI.

Samir Khalil Samir, S.J., When Civilizations Meet: How Joseph Ratzinger Sees Islam

In another article, Samil Khailil Samir writes:

Muhammad Chalabi, the head of Al Ahzar in the 1950s, used to say “We do not force the apostate to return to Islam, so as to not contradict the word of God which prohibits any constriction on faith. But we leave him the opportunity to return voluntarily. If he does not return, he must be killed because he is an instrument of subversion (fitnah) and opens the door to pagans to attack Islam and to sow doubt among Muslims. The apostate is therefore declaredly at war with Islam even if he does not lift a sword against Muslims.” This is the usual thinking in Islam. . . .
The time has come for a choice. If there is incompatibility between human rights and the rights set out in the Koran, then - I'm sorry to say - the Koran must be condemned; or else it must be said that our understanding of the Koran puts us against human rights and freedom of conscience, and so the interpretation must change.
— Islam humiliates religious freedom of Christians and human rights of Muslims. It’s time for change.