Sheikh attacks Israel, pope walks out
Chief Islamic Judge of the Palestinian Authority, Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Tamimi [pictured above], launched a poisonous verbal attack on Israel at a gathering attended by Pope Benedict XVI. In a meeting with organizations involved in inter-religious dialogue at the Notre Dame Jerusalem Center, Tamimi called upon Muslims and Christians to unite against what he said were the murderous Israelis.
Taking the podium after the pope without being on the original list of speakers scheduled for the evening, Tamimi accused Israel of murdering women and children in Gaza and making Palestinians refugees, and declared Jerusalem the eternal Palestinian capital. Nine years ago, Tamimi caused a similar scandal when at an interfaith meeting at the Notre Dame Jerusalem Center, attended by the late Pope John Paul II, who was the pontiff at the time. Then, the Palestinian religious leader condemned Israel for a long list of offenses.
Following the diatribe and before the meeting was officially over, the pope exited the premises.
Minutes after the embarrassing occurrence, Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See press office, released a response to the incident. "The intervention of Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi was not previewed by the organizers of the meeting," the message read. "In a meeting dedicated to dialogue, this intervention was a direct negation of what [it] should be," it continued. "We hope that such an incident will not damage the mission of the Holy Father," Father Lombardi added.
"We hope also that interreligious dialogue in the Holy Land will not be damaged by this incident," the message concluded.
[Jerusalem Post]
Pope Walks Out after Muslim Cleric Accuses Israel of "Slaughter"
-Yair Ettinger
After the pope was informed of the political nature of al-Tamimi's speech, delivered in Arabic without simultaneous translation, he left the conference.
Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, charged with coordinating the pope's visit to Israel, said, "It is a shame that the extremists were those who represented the Palestinians and the Muslims in this important event."
(Ha'aretz)
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Chief Islamic Judge of the Palestinian Authority, Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Tamimi [pictured above], launched a poisonous verbal attack on Israel at a gathering attended by Pope Benedict XVI. In a meeting with organizations involved in inter-religious dialogue at the Notre Dame Jerusalem Center, Tamimi called upon Muslims and Christians to unite against what he said were the murderous Israelis.
Taking the podium after the pope without being on the original list of speakers scheduled for the evening, Tamimi accused Israel of murdering women and children in Gaza and making Palestinians refugees, and declared Jerusalem the eternal Palestinian capital. Nine years ago, Tamimi caused a similar scandal when at an interfaith meeting at the Notre Dame Jerusalem Center, attended by the late Pope John Paul II, who was the pontiff at the time. Then, the Palestinian religious leader condemned Israel for a long list of offenses.
Following the diatribe and before the meeting was officially over, the pope exited the premises.
Minutes after the embarrassing occurrence, Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See press office, released a response to the incident. "The intervention of Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi was not previewed by the organizers of the meeting," the message read. "In a meeting dedicated to dialogue, this intervention was a direct negation of what [it] should be," it continued. "We hope that such an incident will not damage the mission of the Holy Father," Father Lombardi added.
"We hope also that interreligious dialogue in the Holy Land will not be damaged by this incident," the message concluded.
[Jerusalem Post]
Pope Walks Out after Muslim Cleric Accuses Israel of "Slaughter"
-Yair Ettinger
After the pope was informed of the political nature of al-Tamimi's speech, delivered in Arabic without simultaneous translation, he left the conference.
Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, charged with coordinating the pope's visit to Israel, said, "It is a shame that the extremists were those who represented the Palestinians and the Muslims in this important event."
(Ha'aretz)
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