R
RWMorris
Guest
With his speech now two weeks old it now seems obvious that Pope Benedict XVI has given moderate Muslims an open invitation to dialogue, to reason with us, and to search for peaceful solutions to the conflicts between our civilizations.
The Pope’s gamble, and it was a gamble, is whether there is enough voice in the moderate Muslim community to join in the debate. I’m sure there must be enough moderate Muslims, but with the fear generated by the powerful and well financed fanatical Muslim fringe, will the moderates find that voice? In the past I’ve stated, “the problem is Islam”. I’d love to be proved wrong.
I call upon the west’s powerful media; print, radio, TV, and the Internet to give a voice to moderate Muslims. Stop (or at least slow down) the sensational news coverage. Give equal time to the “voices of moderate Islam”.
I call upon western leaders to find ways to give moderate Muslims a voice. Whatever you think of Bush, one of his goals in Iraq has been to give moderates a powerful voice in the form of democratic institutions, and the fanatical Muslim fringe is doing everything in their power to silence that voice.
I call upon moderate Muslims to speak out, to condemn violence, demand your governments do more to promote peace and democracy. Your path is filled with danger and many of you will die when you speak out. But now is the time. If you don’t speak out soon, this opportunity may well pass us by, and then many more of you, and us, will die.
I call upon all Christians to pray that God will help us find a way to hear the voice of moderation, and to listen, and give strength to that voice.
Great leaders sometimes have to gamble. This could very well be our last, best hope in a search for a peaceful resolution in this conflict. Our Pope has stepped out on a limb to “give peace a chance”, to give the voice of reason the upper hand. Let’s all pray that his gamble will succeed. God Bless.
The Pope’s gamble, and it was a gamble, is whether there is enough voice in the moderate Muslim community to join in the debate. I’m sure there must be enough moderate Muslims, but with the fear generated by the powerful and well financed fanatical Muslim fringe, will the moderates find that voice? In the past I’ve stated, “the problem is Islam”. I’d love to be proved wrong.
I call upon the west’s powerful media; print, radio, TV, and the Internet to give a voice to moderate Muslims. Stop (or at least slow down) the sensational news coverage. Give equal time to the “voices of moderate Islam”.
I call upon western leaders to find ways to give moderate Muslims a voice. Whatever you think of Bush, one of his goals in Iraq has been to give moderates a powerful voice in the form of democratic institutions, and the fanatical Muslim fringe is doing everything in their power to silence that voice.
I call upon moderate Muslims to speak out, to condemn violence, demand your governments do more to promote peace and democracy. Your path is filled with danger and many of you will die when you speak out. But now is the time. If you don’t speak out soon, this opportunity may well pass us by, and then many more of you, and us, will die.
I call upon all Christians to pray that God will help us find a way to hear the voice of moderation, and to listen, and give strength to that voice.
Great leaders sometimes have to gamble. This could very well be our last, best hope in a search for a peaceful resolution in this conflict. Our Pope has stepped out on a limb to “give peace a chance”, to give the voice of reason the upper hand. Let’s all pray that his gamble will succeed. God Bless.