Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott refuses to link hostage taker Man Haron Monis with Islam.
“We don’t blame the Pope for the IRA, and we don’t blame the Catholics living next door for the folly of some people, the folly and madness of some people who may claim a Christian motivation. And I think we need to be similarly carefully and cautious in these other areas,” he told ABC’s Chris Uhlmann.
Abbott admitted that while terrorists claim to act in the name of God and religion, no serious religious leader is defending this.
He told Uhlmann that his friend, prime minister Najib of Malaysia, a devout Muslim, says the ISIL movement is against God, against Islam and against our common humanity.
Confirming Monis was well know to state and federal police and the domestic spy agency, an unsatisfied prime minister is looking for answers.
“The system did not adequately deal with this individual, there is no doubt about that,” he said.
Pope Francis agrees
Returning recently from Turkey, Pope Francis told reporters on the plane that it is wrong for anyone to react to terrorism by being “enraged” against Islam.
Equating Islam with violence is wrong, said the Holy Father.
“You just can’t say that (equate Islam with violence), just as you can’t say that all Christians are fundamentalists. We have our share of them (fundamentalists). All religions have these little groups,” he said.
“They (Muslims) say: ‘No, we are not this, the Koran is a book of peace, it is a prophetic book of peace’.”
“I told the president (Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan) that it would be beautiful if all Islamic leaders, whether they are political, religious or academic leaders, would speak out clearly and condemn this because this would help the majority of Muslim people,” the Holy Father said.
Sources
- ABC
- Sjna
- Image: Yahoo News