Pope to host summit with Muslims
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7279412.stm
3/5/08

Summary: Pope Benedict the XVI is hosting a Catholic-Muslim talk in November to improve Catholic-Muslim relations. He is trying to improve the relation between the two religions because the relationship “soured” after the pope quoted a 14th Century Byzantine emperor's criticisms of Islam. This made Muslims furious and created strong tensions between the pope and Muslim leaders. Scholars launched an appeal to the pope for “greater theological dialogue” called the Common Word. The summit is going to be held on November 4-6 in Rome, and three themes have already been prepared for discussion. The pope has apologized for that rash decision in the 2006 talks, however his apology was not as clear and direct as Muslims expected of him.

A) This article relates to the AP World History theme “Development and Interaction of cultures,” because it deals with the interaction of Catholic and Muslim religions. The two faiths are focusing on developing better relations and are going to interact at the next talks hosted by Pope Benedict. Previous interactions between Catholics and Muslims did not fare well for inter-relations but the Pope is trying to improve their connection.

B) The recent history of Catholic-Muslim relations consists of strong tension and bitter feelings towards the words of the current pope in 2006. By quoting a 14th Century Byzantine emperor’s criticisms of Islam, the pope caused this conflict. The article is about the pope attempting to repair the damage he caused in the effort to make peace.

C) Although the author’s name was not provided, it is most likely a Christian British male, because they are writing for the BBC news website. However, due to their criticism of the pope, it could be inferred that this person is a Muslim journalist. The author is an outsider to the story.

D) The criticisms of the pope by the author indicate that this person may be biased in favor of the Islamic peoples offended by the 2006 speech. This view of the author affects the story because others may believe that the Muslims overreacted and the Pope was unjustly blamed for his words.

E) The point of view of the pope is missing in this article. His opinion of the 2006 speech may have been completely different than the author of this article. The pope would know exactly what he said and why it was so important to speak those words.

F) I’m really surprised that the pope would actually insult the Muslims at a summit, even if he wasn’t trying to. Why would he quote criticisms of the religion he is communicating to? Also, if the Muslim leader were so greatly offended, I’m even more surprised that the Pope did not deliver a full apology for his actions. I want to know what he actually said.