US Muslim group declines to meet pope

[Silverback]

NEW YORK - Unease with Pope Benedict XVI's approach to Islam has led a U.S. Muslim group to decline joining in an interfaith event with him later this week.

Several other U.S. Muslim leaders expressed similar concerns about the pope, but pledged to participate in the Washington gathering, saying the two faiths should do everything possible to improve relations.

"Our going there is more out of respect for the Catholic Church itself," said Muzammil H. Siddiqi, chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America, which interprets Islamic law. "Popes come and go, but the church is there."

Siddiqi, co-chairman of the West Coast Muslim-Catholic Dialogue, is among the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Jain and Hindu leaders scheduled to meet Benedict on Thursday at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. Muslims and Roman Catholics each have more than 1 billion followers worldwide. U.S. Catholic and Muslim leaders started holding interfaith talks in the early 1990s, and many of the Muslim leaders invited to the event Thursday are veterans of those discussions.

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[RTO]

Not surprising in the least, especially since FOX news reported yesterday that
"A sermon last Friday by a prominent Muslim cleric and Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament openly declared that Rome, "the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital," would soon be conquered by Islam.

The fiery sermon, delivered by Yunis al-Astal and aired on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV, predicted that Rome would become "an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread though Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, even Eastern Europe."

[Silverback]

Siddiqi, co-chairman of the West Coast Muslim-Catholic Dialogue, is among the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Jain and Hindu leaders scheduled to meet Benedict on Thursday at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. Muslims and Roman Catholics each have more than 1 billion followers worldwide. U.S. Catholic and Muslim leaders started holding interfaith talks in the early 1990s, and many of the Muslim leaders invited to the event Thursday are veterans of those discussions.

I could be mistaken, but Siddiqi means "friend" in arabic

[The Holmchicken]

Seeing as Muslims refer to most Westerners as "crusaders" should give you an idea on the forward thinking found in the Muslim Middle East.

[rgrpuck]

gotta love those guys

[RRDTm3]

gotta love those guys

no

[Jim]

I could be mistaken, but Siddiqi means "friend" in arabic

Sadiqi means "My Friend". Siddiqi more closely means "Trustworthy" or Sincere

That's the classic Arabic translation. The term is also slang used to dexcribe home-made alcohol for human consumption -- as we would use "moonshine."

[RTO]

I could be mistaken, but Siddiqi means "friend" in arabic

Sadiqi means "My Friend". Siddiqi more closely means "Trustworthy" or Sincere

That's the classic Arabic translation. The term is also slang used to dexcribe home-made alcohol for human consumption -- as we would use "moonshine."

I've always thought my friend from Tennessee who makes moonshine was trustworthy and sincere

[The Holmchicken]

That's the classic Arabic translation. The term is also slang used to dexcribe home-made alcohol for human consumption -- as we would use "moonshine."

I've always thought my friend from Tennessee who makes moonshine was trustworthy and sincere

DAMMIT!! SHHHH!!!

Busted dude!

[Darksaga]

Siddiqi, co-chairman of the West Coast Muslim-Catholic Dialogue, is among the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Jain and Hindu leaders scheduled to meet Benedict . . .

IMHO, none of these folks have much in common and should probably stay the hell away from each other. I'm tired of these bogus love fests, especially if a Muslim is going to be there.

Depends. Look at the man first.