In a scholarly address, Pope Benedict cited some hostile remarks about Islam by Manuel II Palaeologos, Emperor of Constantinople 1391-1425. Constantinople, under continual attack by Muslim forces since the eighth century, was facing its final defeat (1453) and was begging help from the West.

The Editor
The Times

17 September 2006

Sir,

I hope that Pope Benedict will resist the customary apology following the uproar about his remarks. The ease with which ‘fury’ is once again ‘vented’ by sections of Muslim opinion, clearly after some preparation, sits ill with claims that Islam is a tolerant religion of peace.

Ideally it may be so among Muslims themselves, although the recent history of conflict makes that a bit theoretical. The rest of us – Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians, pagans, atheists, inhabit the region of war, with which Islam has been engaged in unprovoked conflict since its rise. Constantinople enjoyed little respite since the 7th century, successively assailed by Arabs, Seljuks and Ottomans.

The Emperor Manuel II, begging aid from Richard II in Britain and in the rest of the West for defence against a further Ottoman onslaught, was expressing sentiments akin to those voiced by Pitt, Lloyd George and Churchill in similar circumstances and similarly understandable, particularly bitter in his case as no doubt he could foresee the final extirpation of his realm by Muslim forces just a few years later.

That Christendom may have little to boast about in these regards is not the point. A mature modern society can accept some faults and take some criticism. In Islam that ability remains thin on the ground.

Yours faithfully

David Coleman