Should the Pope go to Turkey?
Yes, says a Turkish journalist. No, says the man who tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II.
In the Turkish Daily News, Gunduz Aktan wrote an article criticizing Pope Benedict XVI, but suggesting his visit to Turkey could actually be a good thing. Here’s what Aktan had to say:
The pope’s words about Prophet Mohammed and Islam do not reflect the truth…However, he has also provided an opportunity for Muslims to show exactly what Islam is at a time its adherents are being accused of being backward, uncultured and terrorism-oriented. In this respect the pope’s forthcoming visit to Turkey can be turned into an occasion for religious debates. Vatican theologians can be invited in advance and an international seminar can be arranged, a seminar in which the discussions would be relayed to both the local and international public. That way the true face of Islam could be displayed to the world.
And here’s what Mehmet Ali Agca is saying:
The man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II warned his successor yesterday not to make a scheduled visit to Turkey because his life would be at risk.
“As someone who knows these matters well, I say your life is in danger,” Mehmet Ali Agca said. “Don’t come to Turkey.”
There’s no denying the Pope is in danger. And that’s without even leaving Rome.
