British Muslim leader condemns pope's remarks on Islam

A British Muslim leader speaking in Australia on Saturday added his voice to the mounting global furor over recent remarks by Pope Benedict XVI, saying they had caused "genuine pain and hurt" in the Islamic world. Sheik Ibrahim Mogra from the Muslim Council of Britain said Muslims around the world were "extremely disappointed" by a speech the pope made in Germany this past week citing an obscure Medieval text that characterizes some of the teachings of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman."

"It is very sad that the remarks ... have caused a lot of difficulty and genuine pain and hurt across the world among Muslim communities," said Mogra, who was the keynote speaker at a conference of Australian imams in Sydney. "I think words of encouragement ... Are what is more needed in our time and age." (AP)