A great interesting article from Ray.

Is it Jews that are so fanatic as I read in the talkbacks? or I can say it is Ynet's readers? Is Ynet a right wing media in Israel? Can someone let me know. Is it like Fox in USA?

First: Christianity has been violent thrgough history, but today it's not. Second: Islam is violent today, and let me tell you that a jihadist is not a boyscout but a crazy fanatic who kill children in a bus - thus, he is at least the same cruel and violent as an inquisitor. Third: Muslims too have been violent through history, you'd better read about Maimonides who had to leave Spain for the presence of a muslim fanatic dynasty from north africa. Fourth: The violence carried out in the past by others don't justify you, muslims, to be violent today. Fifth: You have no moral authority to attack the christians because you inherited ALL THE HATRED AGAINST THE JEWS, that was so typical for christianity. I'm a Jew and i have no doubt about it: Muslims and Christians are the worst danger for us today. If a religion is of peace or not, it dependes on its believers: as for now i'm afraid that most muslims are fanatics, so they make islam a religion of war.

It's nice to start the day with a good laugh This is obviously one of his comedy sketches published in error Quote... Christians have been around a few hundred years longer than Muslims and have a head start on violence. ...Unquote There is a subtle difference ---any violence by christians was not on the instruction of Jesus or the christian God and could certainly not compare numerically with the vicious murders and tortures of the Indian holocaust perpetrated by islam following the instructions of their god and prophet and thats only for starters At one stage islam even tortured the dogs belonging to infidels However it was a good piece of Taqiya or is it kitman ???

Finally we got a leader who said loudly what others think even if it was done in an elusive form of citation. From its very birth Islam is spread by sword and fire and nothing changed until today. Mr Hanania rightfully reminds us of the dark ages of Christianity. But this only endorses the view that Islam is in his early stage of development equal to Christianoty's Middle Ages and didn't learn anything from Christianity's previous experience. So different, but so similar, Islam will need centuries to go through its childhood disease of violence. In the meantime the whole world will suffer. On my opinion, the Pope had his speech thoroughly prepared, forseeing the reaction and therefore using the citation instead of his own words. His cautiousness was well founded and rewarded in a certain degree so that he can now elegantly redirect the "responsibility" of the statement onto the ancient Imperor. However the sense and intention are clear and we have only to regret that other world leaders still don't dare to say loudly: the king is naked - meaning that Islam is at no means has a peaceful face that muslims try to present to the world in spite of their deadly deeds.

A likely story, but obviously a diversion from the fact that the Koran calls on the believers to "strike at the necks of the unbelievers". Maybe Hananiah has never seen Assyrian frescoes showing Assyrians invading Egypt and behading all their captives. Strangely enough, all that happened before Jesus of Nazareth.

If anything, all this column emphasises is that the Muslim world is a good few hundred years behind the rest of us. And if we can look back on violent pasts with disapproval (such as the Inquisition), then we can sure as hell look at the current Muslim world with that same disapproval.

The Pope had the guts to speak out. Now look at how he is made to eat his words. SHAME.

(the issue of violence touches on many related touchy topics involving religion) How many righteous cases were buried in oblivion because we deem them touchy or immune to discussion. The naive only will think he can persuade a highly intelligent or an average person only with words. Other methods compulsorily come to play; even if one does not intend to. But, as all of these means, it will be effective only when it is surrounded by harsh restrictions “from the heavy weight”. It is how much strict and harsh these restrictions which controls these persuasive “force” are . These restrictions will make persuasion by words not only effective but also -and as a priority- will keep one from the sin of doing harm to the others. Our environment is full of lethal factors to human, but it is the restriction of these factors by the law of nature which make these of negligible harm. We have to live the reality. The strength of the logic may be more enforced by showing some spiritual and materialistic strength. The Pope remarks helped to show how advantageous is to be a Muslim. The Pope’s words were viewed as devine; he is the religious dictator of the catholic Christian. In Islam, it is a duty for each Muslim to make his own opinion. Scholars are only for answering questions regarding faith and conduct and their views and remarks are not strictly mandatory. In Islam, there is no so called “leader of Islamic faith” as is wrongly thought. There are no monks, no bishops and no pope.

We need to clearly distinguish between the teachings of the religion and the behavioprs of people claiming to be religious..... The teachings in chrstianity instructs christians to be peacefull and not fight other. The teachings of Quran instructs muslims to fight and go to jihad.... I can go kill and say that I am killing for God, but does that mean that God is telling me to go kill or my religion is telling me to kill???

Because they told their spiritual leaders (monks) that the right way to live is in silence. Imagine if every mullah, priest and rabbi living like a monk?

do we really care at this point in time, the history of Christian violence. i am much more concerned about being butchered by Ray and his cousins than i am vis-a-via the Pope's TRUTHFUL speech. the leftists at Ynet (along w/ the others in the media) should not give this terrorist apologist a soapbox.

HAHA to you. aren't you and your "proud" people living in cesspools and filth. you can laugh all you want. it does not change the fact that Arabs have never brought anything to the world but hate and alot of bad odors. keep begging for money, it is the only way you will eat.

Though not a Catholic, I am a Christian and I will apologize to all Musims in the world for Pope Benedict.....I apologize for the inability of Muslims to grow up and act like adults, for all the hatred, violence and backward thinking ingrained in them from birth by their ayatollahs, imams and jihadist "heros", the fact they have no clue this is the 21st century and not the 12th century, and that the Pope was completely correct about the violence, and hatred brought to this world by Mohammad your prophet.

Thanks Jake ... Assyrians speak Aramaic but are not Arab. Just ask them. They have their own language and culture although they ive in the Middle East. It always amazes me at how little humor SOME on this talkback section have. But that lack of hujor only reflects the hatred that dominates the people like the Palestine is a myth fanatic ... but then, what's the difference between being called a monkey and being called non-existent? I don't think there is one but I am sure the people who hate me will say there is. I think that both are wrong which makes me stand out oh so clearly from the cadre of venom thrown here. But there are so many good people emailing me I urge you all to write despite the threats and intimidation from the others. Your positive voices are needed. Thanks Ray Hanania Le Shana Tavoh atickativo to all who are Jewish and Ramadan Mubarak to those who are Muslim; and happy Thanks Giving soon to Americans; and, and early Holy Christmas to the Christians bet they here in the West, the Middle East or under Vatican occupation -- just yukking.

Did you just say Chrusitians were violent at one time in our history!!! How dare you!!! I think i am going to go burn a few mosques and kill an innocent woman who happens to be the wrong religion! Oh, wait, I am not a Muslim... As far as sects hating each other, I don't think the Lutherans and Presbyterians have a patch on the Sunni and Shiites. At least the Pope said he was sorry for talking about the history of Islam. I never seems to be a big deal when when Muslims talk about "Western Crusaders" or draw cartoons of Jews that would put the Nazi's to shame. Of course that might be because the Christians and Jews didn't murder anyone or burn anything when they did that, probably that whole "not being a Muslim" thing again.

really a waste of computer space. However I did gleen something out of it. Anyone else? While the preislamic christian inquisitions were barbaric disgraces yet in line with human mentality of the day in many places. the difference is christianity went through that terrible phase and grew. It appears many followers of islam would be perfectly happy in those days because that is how they behave more than a millenia later. Todays struggle with those elements of islam and the rest of the world are clearly a war between those who want to live in the past and those who want to live for the future. while i am at it the crusades that followed were primarily defensive actions against muslim expansion by sword unlike what the muslims and even much of the rest of the world have been brainwashed to believe. The pope said what he said intentionally and knew those couple sentances, which are frankly true, would be focused on. His way of saying wake up world.

You say," in islam, it is the duty of each muslim to make his own opinion" Just shut up. that is so patently false one must laugh. Thats as as rediculous a phrase as "military intelligence' or "muslim intellectual" Not thinkink for yourself seems to be the root of all the problems with muslim societies. you don't,( or can't, thanks to your governments and clerics) think for yourselves. Not all muslims of course but clearly a majority. so save you crap for people who are dumber than you. your whole post is crap

Mr. Hanania I admire your courage as well as your sense of humor. but you are right Christians had invented so many evil things such as the inquisition , torture and beheading , but we all know that no nation now has monopoly on violence, i think so many nations are as guilty of it , including Muslim nations but the state of Israel stands out now with its inhuman inquisition-like treatment of the Palestinian people.

ISRAEL SOLIDARITY RALLY - UN / IRAN 9.21.06: 35,000 Post, blog, link, email, chat, what world media [AP / Reuters / BBC / NYT ...] refused to show. http://www.onejerusalem.org/blog/archives/2006/09/jim_tisch_at_co.asp ===========================

SEND SHANA TOVA & BLESSINGS TO THE KIDNAPPED SOLDIERS' FAMILIES http://forum.giyus.org/smf/index.php?board=13.0

THEY PROMOTE IT http://christgiving.com/05-Israel_Events.html

Evangelical = Believes the Bible as the 100% ultimate authority. http://christgiving.com/05-Israel_Events.html

date #30. G-D will give you any thing you want or freedom from want. termite wants the earth and all the wood in the world. Take those big books and shuffle them and then make them required reading for those that are LITERATE enough to read rather than just hear and speak. Look out that little window . Do you see men in funny hats? Or a buzzing bee that is in love with a spinning spider?

no they arent all fanatics. read haaretz http://www.haaretz.com

It has humor, truth and history. A very good read for people that allow critical thinking in their lives. It's obvious from the attacks on you in the talkbacks that most are just looking for something out of context to criticize or attack you. Maybe it's because you are Palestinian and maybe even Christian but mostly because you're points are well written and very fair.