Pope Benedict XVI met with envoys from several Muslim nations today, greeting them warmly and emphasizing the need for dialogue between the faiths. He did not offer another apology for his remarks at Regensburg two weeks ago, but he did remind the envoys that they have not fulfilled their responsibilities in ensuring freedom of religious practice for Christians:

Pope Benedict XVI told Muslim diplomats Monday that ''our future'' depends on dialogue between Christians and Muslims, an attempt to ease relations strained by his recent remarks about Islam and violence.

The pontiff quoted from his predecessor, John Paul II, who had close relations with the Muslim world, when he described the need for ''reciprocity in all fields,'' including religious freedom. Benedict spoke in French to a roomful of diplomats from 21 countries and the Arab League in his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo in the Alban Hills near Rome.

After his five-minute speech in a salon in the papal palace, Benedict greeted each envoy individually, clasping their hands warmly and chatting for a few moments with every one.

''The circumstances which have given risen to our gathering are well known,'' Benedict said, referring to his remarks on Islam in a Sept. 12 speech at Regensburg, Germany. He did not address those remarks at length. ...

Benedict cited John Paul II's statement that ''Respect and dialogue require reciprocity in all spheres,'' particularly religious freedom, a major issue for the Vatican in Saudi Arabia and other countries where non-Muslims cannot worship openly.

The Pope took exactly the right path in this meeting. He needs to ensure that paths to dialogue remain open and friendly between the Vatican and the various Muslim nations. However, the pontiff needs to start demanding a few points of his own, which he appears ready to do, in order to secure the rights of Christian minorities to practice their faith without interference.

These Muslim leaders that expressed such outrage over the Regensburg speech have little room for complaint. Human Rights Watch reported last year that the "Saudi religious police have continued to arrest and deport Christians for conducting private religious services. Saudi religious police continue to raid private homes where they suspect such services are taking place."

Egypt, Freedom House reports, "has done little to protect Egypt's ancient Christian community, by far the largest religious minority in the Middle East, and sometimes attacks them itself. No one was punished for the massacre of 21 Copts in the village of El-Kosheh four years ago. On March 23, the Coptic pope, Shenouda III, publicly condemned the escalating forced conversion of Christian girls, a major step since it is arguably illegal for him to criticize the government and he has previously been under house arrest for three years for doing so. In November 2003, security officials arrested 21 converts to Christianity, tortured several of them, and one died in custody."

Many other examples abound, and those outraged Muslim leaders should perhaps stop worrying about 600-year-old dialogues and tend to their own failings . Pope Benedict has remained steadfast on this point, and he should press the point by talking about the oppression of Christians in these countries more openly. If the Muslims want to stop people from talking about forced conversions, then perhaps they can be shamed into preventing them in the first place.

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Like the rest of you, I'll be waiting with bated breath for Muslims to apologize for the violence and terror inflicted by their coreligionists in the name of Islam, Muhammed, and Allah. For now, I'll just go on wondering about those Muslim apologies th... [Read More]

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Like the rest of you, I'll be waiting with bated breath for Muslims to apologize for the violence and terror inflicted by their coreligionists in the name of Islam, Muhammed, and Allah. For now, I'll just go on wondering about those Muslim apologies th... [Read More]

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