The clash of civilizations

Yesterday the Pope deeply regretted quoting a medieval text that accused some of the prophet Mohammed's teachings as being

"evil and inhuman"

and calling for the spread of Islam through violence. The statements he made on Sept 12, caused widespread condemnation in the Muslim World.

Many Muslim organizations have accepted the Pope's apology, and defended their religion as a religion of peace. Several smaller groups reacted in the opposite manner, churches have been attacked in the West Bank and a nun was murdered in Somalia. Extremist groups in Iraq dissproved the theory that Islam is a religion of peace by calling for the Holy Father's head. The Pope's references to Islam was to instigate dialogue especially over the understanding of the Islamic concept of jihad, and the role of violence in religion, in order to prevent a clash of civilization.

This isn't the first time that Islamic extremists have threatened the Pope. Bin Laden, through Ramzi Yousef, plotted to assassinate John Paul II on a trip to the Philippines in 1995. There were even reports that Zaraqawi plotted to assassinate him a few years ago accusing the Vatican of supporting the US in Iraq despite the Vatican's stance that the US should not have invaded Iraq.