Pope, on trip to mainly Muslim Albania, condemns Islamist militants

“May no one use religion as a pretext for actions against human dignity and against the fundamental rights of every man and woman, above all to the right to life and the right of everyone to religious freedom,” he said.

If the Catholic church can get it's act together, Muslims can too. The sooner the better.

Wolfpack:

It is not so simple. The Christian world had an "age of enlightenment" where the doctrines were openly challenged and religion removed from politics. That has never happened in the islamic world.

"May no one use religion as a pretext for actions against human dignity and against the fundamental rights of every man and woman"

Can you blame them? The holy books of both Islam and the Bible are filled with exhortations for followers to engage in horrific violence and oppression against non-believers.

Secularism contained and neutered Christianity. The same hasn't happened to Islam, except maybe in Indonesia and Turkey, and that is the whole crux of the problem.　

Once again we have comments that cannot make the distinction between militants and terrorists claiming to be Muslims and the real Muslims who exist in far, far greater numbers and hurt no one.

@WilliB

It is not so simple. The Christian world had an "age of enlightenment" where the doctrines were openly challenged and religion removed from politics. That has never happened in the islamic world.

Simple or not the sooner Muslims take their religion back from the fanatics the better.

@JeffLee

Secularism contained and neutered Christianity.

You are going to have to explain that one.

@_Jack

Once again we have comments that cannot make the distinction between militants and terrorists claiming to be Muslims and the real Muslims who exist in far, far greater numbers and hurt no one.

That's like saying Mao wasn't a Communists, he was a terrorist. Well both can be true you know. Besides, I don't think you get to decide what a "real" Muslim is. If someone tells you they are a Muslim and are also into killing infidels; that's his inspiration, that's his religion.

That's like saying Mao wasn't a Communists, he was a terrorist. Well both can be true you know. Besides, I don't think you get to decide what a "real" Muslim is. If someone tells you they are a Muslim and are also into killing infidels; that's his inspiration, that's his religion.

Did you ever do those logic puzzles in school, where they would give you questions like: If all A are B, and some B are C, does this mean all C are A?

Just because some terrorists are Muslim does not mean that all Muslims are terrorists. In fact, only a very tiny percentage are terrorists. Same as a small portion of Christians are Klu Klux Klan, and a small portion of Christians are terrorists. Blaming the entire group for the actions of a tiny percentage is discriminatory, and in fact, it shows a lack of intelligence to be able to recognize that just because some A are B, not all B are A.

_Jack:

" Once again we have comments that cannot make the distinction between militants and terrorists claiming to be Muslims and the real Muslims who exist in far, far greater numbers and hurt no one. "

Who gets to decide who is a "real muslim" and who is not? You? What are your religious credentials? I really find the spectacle of unbelievers telling us who is "real" member of anoter religion who is not, strange.

ISIS is founded and led by a high-ranking cleric. So is Hamas. So is Hizballah. The Taliban are the product of islamic schools ("Taliban" in fact means religious scholar.) Who are you to tell them that you know more about their field of expertise then they?

Who gets to decide who is a "real muslim" and who is not? You?

It's a fairly easy distinction:

1) Terrorists - not real Muslims

2) Not terrorists - real Muslims

Strangerland:

" It's a fairly easy distinction: 1) Terrorists - not real Muslims 2) Not terrorists - real Muslims "

Ah, behold the brilliance! So there is no such thing as islamic terrrorism --- even while Jihadi John cut throats to shouts of Allah Akbar? Why don´t you tell him HIM that he is no muslim?

Again, the sight of infidels declaring themselves arbiters of who is a muslim or not, is something to behold. So you are the Grand Ayatollha and and supreme Mufti of Sunniism, combined in one person???

Ah, behold the brilliance! So there is no such thing as islamic terrrorism

No, there is are definitely terrorists who perform their terror in the name of Islam. Same as there are Christian terrorists. But these are people who are perverting their beliefs to match their extremism.

Why don´t you tell him HIM that he is no muslim?

Get me his phone number and I'll be happy to tell him.

Strangerland:

" No, there is are definitely terrorists who perform their terror in the name of Islam. Same as there are Christian terrorists. But these are people who are perverting their beliefs to match their extremism. "

We are going in circles. Again, where are your credentials to give you authority to decide who is muslim and who is not? Are your religious credentials higher than, say, Yussuf Al Qaradafi, spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood? Please explain.

" Same as there are Christian terrorists. "

If there are "Christian terrorists" who are declaring Caliphates in which they declare Old Testamentarial Law and commit genocide against disbelievers, please identify them. Otherwise, spare us your false analogies.

"Terrorists - not real Muslims"

Get real. The instructions to murder the Danish cartoonist and book author Salmon Rushie were issued by Muslim clerics, and supported by a significant portion of Europe's "real Muslims" .

There are countless other examples of the Muslim clergy promoting terror.