As reported by Catholic News Service, on Aug. 12, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue released a statement (which wouldn’t happen without Pope Francis’s knowledge and assent) calling on Muslim leaders to condemn the “barbarity” and “unspeakable criminal acts” of Islamic militants targeting religious minorities in Iraq.
On Aug. 11, The Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, reiterated its condemnation of the “un-Islamic and morally repugnant” violence and religious extremism of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in a news release provided to Tulsa Today.
The Vatican and American Muslims apparently agree that what is happening now in Iraq is evil. This is remarkably good news of common ground for civilization.
CAIR said, “As we have stated previously, American Muslims view the actions of ISIS as both un-Islamic and morally repugnant. No interpretation of Islam condones the torture and murder of civilians, the destruction of houses of worship or the targeting of religious minorities.
“We reiterate our condemnation of the violent actions and religious extremism of ISIS and reject the false claim that it in any way represents mainstream Islamic thought or practice. ISIS’s actions are neither Islamic nor humane, they are simply insane.
The Vatican said, “The plight of Christians, Yazidis and other religious and ethnic communities that are numeric minorities in Iraq demands a clear and courageous stance on the part of the religious leaders, especially Muslims, those engaged in interfaith dialogue and everyone of goodwill.”
It then outlines the “criminal acts,” including “the execrable practice of beheading, crucifixion and hanging of corpses in public places,” the abduction of Christian and Yazidi women and girls as “war booty,” female genital mutilation,” and forced conversions to Islam.
If President Obama had not been so politically gun-hoe to abandon Iraq and betray our national blood and treasure extended there for domestic agendas, ISIS would not be rampaging. So much for his Nobel Peace Prize, but do not despair, Obama’s golf game has not been off while he vacations during the slaughter of innocents.
Breitbart.com provides coverage of the Vatican release and also notes that Soviet leader Josef Stalin said, “The pope? How many divisions has he got?”
This was Stalin’s response in May 1935 to French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval when it was suggested the officially atheist Soviet Union should encourage Christianity to gain the pope’s favor.
Brietbart.com suggests that, “Whether you think faith had anything to do with it or not, the Soviet Union is no more, Russia has repositioned itself as a defender of Eastern Christianity, and the pope continues to wield the weapons he has – prayer and the power of the world’s biggest pulpit.”