"I have no quarrel with you, good Sir Knight, but I must cross this bridge."
The fact of the matter is, he was using the quote in question to set up what he was talking about in his speech, as speakers often use "interesting" quotations. Moreover and, again, if you bother to read the remarks, it's clear that he was distancing himself from the part of the quote that has caused such difficulty.
Why is it that there is such an impulse in parts of the non-Islamic West, including mainstream media, to concede to the "Arab Street" ("Muslim Street" seems a better term this time) its misinformed, mullah-whipped impressions of what is actually happening and being said in western countries? Doesn't it seem more that a little patronizing to imagine it's always necessary to pander to the wrong opinions of certain groups of people instead of trying to change them by marshaling facts and reasoned arguments? How about treating the people who misinterpret the Pope's remarks, or seize on them, the way we would treat any other adults who misunderstand something, or who disagree with something? Is it really just too impractical and counterproductive to address those from other cultures who misunderstand or disagree with us—or ascribe malice where there is none—with as much self-confidence and respect as we would show in a conversation with an intelligent twelve-year-old? I'm not suggesting they'll listen to reason, mind you, and if they don't about some things they might end up, deservedly, like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but at least Arthur treated the Black Knight honorably and with respect. (Clarification: by "end up" I really mean metaphorically end up.)
This episode does make me want to take a deeper look at those claims that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad didn't actually say something that was best interpreted as "Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth" or whatever it was. If those remarks were reported at the same slight level of detail as the Pope's speech, it's easy to imagine something was taken out of context. I doubt it, but not because I have any faith that mainstream media in the U.S. did not overdistill what he actually said.
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