Send Page to a Friend Pope's comments unnerve local religious community   By Kristin Erekson The Jewish Advocate   Religious leaders throughout the Bay State are doubling their efforts to engage in dialogue with local Muslims, after a speech by Pope Benedict XVI linking Islamic beliefs to violence ignited outrage amongst the Muslim community worldwide. Pope Benedict XVI attempted to mend relations with 21 Muslim diplomats in a meeting at his summer residence outside Rome Monday, stating that both Christians and Muslims need to work together to fight against bigotry and brutality. Nancy Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, has been engaging in a "very lively discourse" with the Islamic Council of New England and the Rev. David C. Michael at St. John Chrysostom Parish in West Roxbury to ease tensions caused by the controversial papal address regarding reason and religion on Sept. 12 at the University of Regensburg in Germany. The pope caused a stir after he quoted 14th-century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologos by saying: "Show me just what Mohammed 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." Though Kaufman said she believes the pope did not make a direct attack on all Muslims by any stretch, she said there is a need for a hearty dialogue around the role Islam plays in the force for good and in the force for evil. "The pope's speech struck a chord for many people who have concerns about whether it is the religion of Islam that is a problem or it is the way that it is being used by some people in the Muslim community," Kaufman added. "Basically, I think the pope's main point is that violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the soul. Justifying violence using religious claims is an issue for all religions." Michael, who personally called Muslim leaders in Greater Boston to ease their anxieties following the pope's speech, said that although he can't step into the mind of the Holy Father, he does wholeheartedly feel that the pope did not intend to disrespect Islam. "I think that the Holy Father thought that the very careful context in which he delivered his remarks was going to carry over into the public's understanding of what he was saying, but that didn't happen," Michael added. "My sense of what he was really trying to do was call for frank dialogue." After publicly expressing regret on Sept. 16 for his statements, widespread riots and church-burnings continued to rage on. Rosa Sgorbati, an Italian missionary who was employed at a pediatrics hospital in Somalia under her religious name Sister Leonella, was shot by gunmen Sept. 17 – a crime that was linked to the speech's backlash by some rioting Muslims. David Dolev, co-director of the Center for Jewish-Muslim Relations in Watertown, said that the vicious outbursts by some Muslims were unacceptable but the pope also shouldn't have targeted the Islamic tradition as the only religion using violence. "He should have given examples of violence within different religions, including his own, especially with the Crusades," Dolev added. "But we also can't let extremists like the people who participated in riots, church-burnings and killings drive the interfaith agenda." M. Riaz Khan, a management professor at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell who co-chairs the interfaith committee of the Islamic Council of New England, said that even though he applauds the pope's peace mission by meeting with Muslim diplomats this week, he still can't shake the feelings of humiliation that came about after the papal address. Khan said he believes that Islam has been unfairly attacked, especially after the recent controversy over the Danish cartoons that satirized the Muslim Prophet Mohammed. "Islam is being associated with every bad thing," Khan added. "We are just really frustrated at this time but we would also like to put all of this behind us. I think this situation with the pope was just a misunderstanding or lack of communication and it shows that we need to educate ourselves and come closer to understanding each other." Khan has now been engaging in active dialogue with Boston's Catholic and Muslim communities, eager to show that "Islam does not approve violence of any kind in any shape or form." Also, the Islamic Council of New England will be holding their first formal dialogue of the year in Boston Oct. 31 with members of various religious communities throughout the Bay State. All and all, Khan said he is willing to forgive – but maybe not forget – the pope's bold statements. "I feel bad about what happened, but that doesn't mean the pope isn't a good man," Khan added. "The Muslim community continues to respects him."