Fever Pitch

In today's crazy world, it is a delicate matter discussing anything to do with Islam. It is tricky for Muslims at the best of times. For others, it is potential dynamite.

Mostly you can bet on being misquoted, misunderstood, or just plain wronged. No matter, eh?

In most countries with Sharia law, there is no such thing as a free press. If there are murmurings, it is taken as being un-Islamic. The Pope is currently in the firing line, because some Muslims have taken two to make a couple of hundred and two. He quoted a 14th-Century Christian emperor who said Muhammad had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things. The emperors words were, he said: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." Benedict said "I quote" twice to stress the words were not his and added that violence was "incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul".

The difficulty faced today in this seemingly never-ending conflict is that "spreading a faith by the sword" is exactly what the "home-grown terrorists" fervently believe is right and proper. So-called moderate Muslims probably would wish that these references to swords were never in the Qu'ran.

However, we surely must be able to query the basis for the upsurge in those adhering to violence as a means of propagating their beliefs.

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