Message on the Death of Pope John Paul II
I want to express my condolences to the Catholics of the World on the sad demise of Pope John Paul II. He was truly a
world leader. For nearly a quarter century he was a beacon of freedom, religious tolerance, and inter-faith relations.
In a world despiritualized by materialism, secular fundamentalism and religious extremism, he was a champion of
moderation and peace.
He was a friend of Islam and Muslims and we shall always remember his bold positions on the Middle East crisis and the
war against Iraq.
One of his many legacies will be his outreach to Muslims and I hope that his successor will not will continue in the
same spirit but will move forward to further emphasize the good relations between the Catholic Church and the Muslim
World.
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M. A. Muqtedar Khan, Ph.D.
Director of International Studies
Chair, Political Science Department, Adrian College
Non-Resident Fellow, Brookings Institution
URL: http://www.glocaleye.org
URL: http://www.ijtihad.org