Prof. Ralph M. Coury essay from the latest Race & Class issue ( from Race & Class, Vol. 50, No. 3, 30-61 (2009) )is much better of if you read Dr. Aref Ali Nayed’s commentary instead [a must read, and it gives you an insight on the Islamic way how Muslims should engage dialogue with the People of the Book - Christians and Jews]. I don’t have time to elaborate, but Insha’Allah very soon. Here is a summary of Ralph M. Coury’s article, and you need password to log on to read full text [Link]:

Pope Benedict XVI’s comments about Islam at the University of Regensburg on 12 September 2006 are examined here in terms of the traditions of Orientalism on which he draws and the political functions that they serve. The Pope portrays Islam as tending to irrational violence, in contrast to a Christianity based on a rapprochement between faith and the spirit of Greek philosophical inquiry, a rapprochement that is taken to be the foundation of European identity. This article examines the falsehoods, misrepresentations and weaknesses of the Pope’s arguments and locates his understanding of Islam within broader intellectual patterns. It argues that his remarks reflect, more particularly, the specificities of his personal formation and the contemporary needs of the Roman Catholic Church.

Key Words: clash of civilisations • European identity • Islamophobia • Qur’an • Roman Catholic Church