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THE MO'KELLY REPORT: Pope Benny Apologizes for Set-Trippin'
*By now, if you haven’t heard of the controversy, then you are simply not exposing yourself to anything outside of music videos and shame on you. Pope Benedict XVI recently apologized for quoting a 14th century Byzantine emperor who regarded some of the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad “evil and inhuman” in one of his academic speeches.
"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the Pope said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.'"
First off, I understand the “context” in which the remarks were made. I’m in no way unclear that he was making a speech in the forum of academia and not in the course of a sermon espousing theological supremacy. Intellectually, I’m clear on the distinction and understood the supposed intent of the remarks.
At the same time, it was just a stupid thing to say…in GERMANY of all places.
I waxed and waned over the above word choice of “stupid” and whether it articulated the depth, the sincerity and the respect deserving of the head of the Roman Catholic Church. And after long and pained introspection…2 seconds later to be exact, I altered my conclusion slightly.
It was just a stupid AND dumb a$$ thing to say…in GERMANY of all places.
My mother, Katherine O’Kelly…God love her. I have an ongoing argument with her in regards to what is acceptable and appropriate in terms of public statements.
Right, I know…the king of politically incorrect public commentary lecturing someone on inappropriate public statements is wildly comical, but hear me out.
My mother is one of those individuals who lives life without an “edit” button in between the brain and the mouth. In radio, they call that a “dump”…that seven- second-delay button, preventing any obscenities from making it to the live airwaves.
Well, Kay O’Kelly doesn’t have one of those and when she’s “on the air” anything she says makes it from brain, to mouth, to world.
I know members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang with more verbal tact than ‘Kay’ O’Kelly. She is more profane than Richard Pryor was on his worst day and less inclined to apologize than the U.S. Senate for slavery. Not only that, she’d probably even agree with me on both accounts.
I love my mother, but I also know my mother. She will often contend that commentary offered in sincerity and devoid of malice shouldn’t ever have to be “edited” under any circumstances. That is to say, if she really doesn’t like the outfit you have on, she’ll likely let you know; because “it’s her duty” to keep you from walking around looking like an idiot the whole day, unbeknownst to you. And if she should have information about an aging relative’s supposed impotence, she feels she should be at liberty to discuss it with all other family members ad nauseam. The family “should” know about the health and well-being of all its members if you let her tell the story. And tell them she does.
My mother is just one of those people who missed the blessing of anti-lock brakes on the mouth…and the mouth just skids out of control routinely. Women, children, aging relatives…nobody is safe or exempt.
…I digress, but only slightly. Pope Benedict XVI should have had an edit button.
He has only held the top post in Catholicism a scant 17 months and already he’s done his part to revive the “good ol’ days” when Christians and Muslims used to set-trip and kill each other in ride-by chariot stabbings. Pope Benny has done his part to hearken back to when the Spanish Inquisition was a way of life, not a musical selection in a Mel Brooks movie.
There are some things, regardless of your beliefs, convictions or in this case papacy…better left alone and best left unsaid. Regardless of sincerity, absence of malice or nature of the public conversation and its intended recipients this truism does not change. No greater good comes out of such remarks and surely greater evil comes in response to them.
Let’s be honest, who DIDN’T know that reciting a quote besmirching the name of Muhammad would bring about a vitriolic Islamic response? Honestly…who doesn’t know that?! Who DIDN’T know that any such statement made in ANY context by the Pope of all people would lead to absolute bedlam in the Islamic community?
…It was simply a stupid and dumb a$$ thing to say. In GERMANY of all places.
But…there is a flipside to this. Blame could and should be parsed in more locations than just the Vatican.
If Muslims are offended at the juxtaposition of evil, violence and all things inhumane with Muhammad, it’s probably not good form to go out and threaten death to the Pope. It’s probably better to avoid public displays of burning effigies of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in effigy, instead of helping validate the misguided remarks. I might be wrong, but I doubt it.
That’s like African Americans rioting, looting burning down their own communities specifically in protest of the media portrayal of African Americans as criminal and lawless. You don’t debunk stupidity by its legitimization. You don’t help your own cause by hurting it at the same time.
For example, a 64-year old Italian nun was shot to death outside a children’s hospital in Somalia…shortly after Somali Islamic extremists threatened to kill Catholics in response to Pope Benny’s remarks. Now, let’s examine the key components of that previous sentence.
Nun…children’s hospital…shot to death…Islam. Yeah that should garner more respect for Islam the world over. Killing old women working at children’s hospitals in service of a higher calling is always a good response to being “disrespected.”
All because of a recitation of a quote by the Pope juxtaposing Islam, violence and inhumanity…are you serious?
That too is stupidity beyond measure. At least the Pope didn’t kill anyone. This isn’t an indictment against Islam as the Pope’s remarks were offensive to me…as a Christian. It angered me…as a Christian. It was boldly insensitive and ignorant in a way that baffles and boggles the mind. But killing nuns is probably not the reasonable or justified response. Wishing death upon the Pope because of ignorant remarks does not curry favor in the eyes of the world, it simply further isolates you. In fact, it makes President George Bush seem like he knows what he’s doing. And anyone in his/her right mind knows he doesn’t. Help me help you and don’t help George act a fool.
I understand that for many, the perception of President Bush is of a Christian extremist and the War on Terror is the new holy crusade. That sentiment is not lost on me; neither is the fact that these actions are of an extremist minority of Islam.
But…
If the goal is respect, acceptance and true acknowledgement of the Islamic faith in the way it “should” be, the abstention from killing nuns probably needs to be in short order. Y’all probably need to chill on the public death threats to the head of the Roman Catholic Church too. I mean, since evil and inhumanity are “not” congruous with the teachings of Muhammad…right? Far too many “extremists” are getting loose and “damaging” the larger image of Islam these days.
We hear time and time again that Islam is a religion of love…then it must be shown time and time again that it is just that with the choice of the moral high road. In the way that George Bush can’t export democracy and subjugate the Middle East to western ideals; the Middle East can’t ever expect death to be an acceptable “response” to ignorance and insensitivity.
The Mo'Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse...as well as entertain. For more Mo’Kelly - http://mokellyreport.blogspot.com. Morris W. O'Kelly can be reached at mokellyreport@sbcglobal.net and he welcomes all commentary.
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