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The Pope must die, says Muslim
Last updated at 11:57am on 18.09.06A notorious Muslim extremist told a demonstration in London yesterday that the Pope should face execution.
Anjem Choudary said those who insulted Islam would be "subject to capital punishment".
Should the Pope have apologised for his remarks? Vote here
His remarks came during a protest outside Westminster Cathedral on a day that worldwide anger among Muslim hardliners towards Pope Benedict XVI appeared to deepen.
The pontiff yesterday apologised for causing offence during a lecture last week. Quoting a medieval emperor, his words were taken to mean that he called the prophet Mohammed "evil and inhuman".
He insisted he was "deeply sorry" but his humbling words did not go far enough to silence all his critics or quell the violence and anger he has triggered.
A nun was shot dead in Somalia by Islamic gunmen and churches came under attack in Palestine.
Choudary's appeal for the death of Pope Benedict was the second time he has been linked with apparent incitement to murder within a year.
The 39-year-old lawyer organised
demonstrations against the publication of cartoons of Mohammed in February in Denmark. Protesters carried placards declaring "Behead Those Who Insult Islam".
Yesterday he said: "The Muslims take their religion very seriously and non-Muslims must appreciate that and that must also understand that there may be serious consequences if you insult Islam and the prophet.
"Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment."
He added: "I am here have a peaceful demonstration. But there may be people in Italy or other parts of the world who would carry that out.
"I think that warning needs to be understood by all people who want to insult Islam and want to insult the prophet of Islam."
As well as placards attacking the Pope such as "Pope go to Hell", his followers outside the country's principal Roman Catholic church also waved slogans aimed at offending the sentiments of Christians such as "Jesus is the slave of Allah".
A Scotland Yard spokesman said of his comments: "We have had no complaints about this. There were around 100 people at the demonstration. It passed off peacefully and there were no arrests."
Larger Islamic groups in Britain said they accepted the Pope's apology. Inayat Bunglawala of the Muslim Council of Britain said: "The Vatican has moved quickly to deal with the hurt and we accept that.
"It was something that should never have happened - words of that nature were always likely to cause dismay - and we believe some of the Pope's advisers may have been at fault over his speech."
Yesterday's sermon by the Pope was the first time a pontiff has publicly said sorry.
He said he regretted Muslim reaction to his speech and stressed that the quotation did not reflect his personal opinion. Anger and violence - including attacks on seven churches in the West Bank and Gaza - have characterised one of the biggest international crises involving the Vatican in decades.
The Pope appeared determined to move quickly to try to defuse the anger but the fury of many radicals was unabated last night and there were fears for his safety.
Iraqi jihadists issued a video of a scimitar slicing a cross in two, intercut with images of Benedict and the burning Twin Towers.
The website run in the name of the Mujahedeen Army, used by extremist groups who have claimed responsibility for attacks in Iraq, was addressed to "You dog of Rome" and threatened to "shake your thrones and break your crosses in your home".
In a reference to suicide bombing, it said: "We swear to God to send you people who adore death as much as you adore life."
The threat of violence against Catholics and Christians was emphasised by the murder of an Italian nun in Somalia. Sister Leonella, 66, was shot as she walked from the children's hospital where she worked to her house in Mogadishu, a city recently taken over by an Islamic government.
A Vatican spokesman said he feared her death was "the fruit of violence and irrationality arising from the current situation".
Father Frederico Lombardi said he hoped it was an isolated event. "We are worried about this wave of hatred and hope it doesn't have any grave consequences for the Church around the world," he said.
The murder suggested that extremists are determined to use the Pope's embarrassment as an excuse for violence.
In Turkey, state minister Mehmet Aydin said the Pope seemed to be saying he was sorry for the outrage but not necessarily for his remarks.
"You either have to say this, 'I'm sorry' in a proper way or not say it at all," he told reporters in Istanbul.
There were fierce denunciations of the pontiff from Iran. The English-language Tehran Times called his lecture in Bavaria last week "code words for a new crusade".
The powerful cleric Ahmad Khatami told theological students in the holy city of Qom: The "Pope should fall on his knees in front of a senior Muslim cleric and try to understand Islam."
But the Turkish government signalled it was content and that the Pope's visit to the country in November can go ahead.
In his sermon yesterday at the Papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo outside Rome, Benedict spoke amid strengthened security.
He said: "I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims.
"These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought. I hope this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address."
No other Pope is thought to have made such an apology.
Reader views (18)
I was also at the Wellington Arch and was disgusted that these idiots were allowed to shout their hate through loud speakers.
They shouted hatred against The Pope,The Queen,The UK and all of us Londoners gathered for this once in a lifetime experience.
I spoke to a police inspector who suggested we should all sing to drown out the messages of hatred.
I felt very sorry for people attending with kids. We live in a free country but protestors should also have to obey our laws and respect our rights.
We were rewarded with a great view of the Holy Father and they as usual had a sad boring day . Lets hope that some day the police inspectors will look after the ordinary Londoner and remove this hate of our streets.
- Gary, London, 20/09/2010 12:35
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I was very very disgusted that a nasty group of Muslim extremists turned up, megaphone in hand and spouted abuse at all waiting to see the Pope at Hyde Park Corner yesterday. It made my blood boil that we had to be subjected to just hate and bigotry. Why were they not arrested for inciting hatred? I was there with my 4 year old daughter and it ruined the occasion. anyone who was there should make a complaint to the police that this nasty lot were not moved on. you can bet if it had been the other way around things would have been a lot different. This country is a disgrace.
- Kerry, London, 19/09/2010 14:46
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Is it Allah or Mohammad the god of the Muslims? They seem to pay more attentionto the prophet than than allah.
I don't think I can continue living with Muslims who do not respect their "neighbor's" culture and beliefs. Fot that reason, I have lost my respect for theIslamic people (not all) for their hypocrisy and barbaric ways nonconformity!
- juls, philipines, 10/08/2010 07:03
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He will never be arrested. He will take asylum here in the U.S. where he will be well cared for...in fact he could be appointed to the Obowa administration and take charge of the dictator's new personal SS...I mean security force. What a wonderful world this is becoming.
- Jim, U.S.A., 20/07/2010 20:29
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Why is it that "tolerance" means tolerating OTHER people's INTOLERANCES? All this talk of religious extremists upsets me. Islam IS extreme. Has anyone actually read any Islamic literature?!?! It is completely horrific. I'm not Catholic, and I don't care much for any religion in general (religion breeds intolerance) but as an educated citizen it is ridiculous and unfathomable to me that anyone ANYWHERE in the world should live in fear of offending a follower of Islam or saying something that can be interpreted as "offensive." Disgusting. Suicide bombers are rewarded with 70 perpetual virgins in heaven? Please. Perhaps I should stop though... I'd hate to live in fear of being beheaded for having an opinion.
- Kennedy Rosenberg, Vancouver, Canada, 04/01/2010 22:08
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It is not religion that breeds hatred it is man!!! Christians respect other faiths but how can anyone respect a faith that thinks it reasonable to kill an innocent nun?. The statement that the pope should fall on his knees in front of a senior muslim cleric , is ridiculous.The pope only gets on his knees in front of GOD..
- Josephine, bbanbury oxon, 12/10/2009 12:04
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People like this who incite murder shouldn't be allowed to call themselves religious. It's ridiculous. Anybody who uses their religion to justify violence or threats should just be arrested, they give a bad name to everyone else.
I don't think the Pope is at fault at all. He was QUOTING. That doesn't mean he agrees with the quote... I guess that it wasn't the wisest thing to say, but there was no harm intended, and he apologised. Why on earth people are getting so wound up about this now is beyond me.
- Vicki, Sleaford, 10/06/2009 21:14
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Why should the pope say sorry hes done nothing wrong. Spare a thought for the poor nun who has been murdered in Somalia her only crime was to be a catholic. She devoted her life to helping people.
- Derek Griffin, Dagenham, 18/09/2006 14:06
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Incitement to commit murder is a serious offence. I hope this man is arrested forthwith.
- Liz, Lincoln, 18/09/2006 13:55
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Why on earth should the Pope apologise - he was quoting a medieval text. If a historian quotes Hitler, that doesn't mean that he supports those views himself. Any extremists, of any religion, who incite hatred and violence should be jailed. If they have moved here from another country they should be made to return. We should not tolerate such behaviour any longer in our midst.
- Mat, London, 18/09/2006 13:38
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Is it just me or does all religion just breed hatred, the world would be a better place with out it, a world where people treat each other with respect and politeness, if i can do it why cant everyone else?
- Ben, London, 18/09/2006 12:57
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Can't someone get rid of that buffoon Anjem Choudary ? He always seems to grab headlines. He's a non-entity, a joker.
- Neil, London, 18/09/2006 12:28
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Can anybody tell me why Anjem Choudray has not been arrested for inciting hatred.
- Doug, Kent, 18/09/2006 11:28
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The Popes comments were not at a good time, but the very people complaining are not behaving in a very Islamic way. They keep on saying that they are peacefull but destroy churches, kill innocent people and theaten death.
Good luck to the true believers, but please do not identify these extremists as Islamic people, they are pure and simple terrorists, expecially any clerics that recommend terror.
- Ron Coombs, Sydney australia, 18/09/2006 09:36
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I worry deeply about free speach. Has it become impossible to disagree with the teachings of someone else's religion without being in fear of reprisal?
- A Denton, Cardiff, UK, 18/09/2006 09:21
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I am surprised that the ill chosen words of the Pope were allowed to be used. Surely his speeches are vetted before issue.
This only adds fuel to the fire and gives the extremist more excuses and incitement to violence
- Campbell Mccaig, Glasgow Scotland, 18/09/2006 09:07
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Why is Anjem Choudary allowed to incite violence and murder and be extremly offensive to Christians and NOT get pulled by old bill just because no-one complained? It's illegal and the police were there watching him do it, nick him, jail him then deport him.
- Andy, London, 18/09/2006 08:49
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Anjem Choudrey is an idiot, and I hope the Muslim Council and The Muslim Parliament have the guts to come out and lodge a complaint with the police for him inciting murder. They must completely dissociate themselves from him. The Muslim community need this like a hole in the head
- Dhanraj, basildon, 18/09/2006 08:43
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