Cardinal Pell ‘offends Muslims’ by comparing Islam to Communism

A MUSLIM leader has demanded a meeting with Cardinal George George Pell of Sydney after the Australian Church leader compared Islam to Communism.
Keysar Trad of the Lebanese Muslim Association said a speech by Cardinal Pell last month in America had offended Muslims.
According to The Age newspaper, the Cardinal said Islam might become the Communism of the 21st century, attracting those who were alienated and embittered or who believed they were victims of injustice.
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils said Cardinal Pell should have been more careful, but Mr Trad wants “a friendly meeting” with him. A spokeswoman for the cardinal sought to clarify the remarks, saying the talk had been about secular democracy’s failings, and democracy’s need for strong religious life in the wider culture. “The talk does not suggest that Islam and democracy are incompatible,” she said Mr Trad, who is also spokesman for Grand Mufti Taj al-Din al-Hilali, said the speech was contrary to what the Pope was trying to do.
He said: “The Pope and his predecessor have been trying to build bridges with the Muslim community.” He said the speech showed Muslims had overestimated Cardinal Pell’s level of awareness about Islam. “If he does know, and makes comments like that, it would be cause for concern after all the bridges we’ve built,” said Mr Trad.
Islamic Council of Victoria president Yasser Soliman said he was not offended by Cardinal Pell’s points. He said: “[But] what does concern me, and I would like to clarify, is his posing of Islam as something dark or sinister, comparing it to communism, which is godless.” Mr Soliman said it would be better for Cardinal Pell to talk to Muslims rather than about them.