During his historic visit to the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI, the self-described “pilgrim of peace,” took the golden opportunity and spent a lot of time to strength frayed ties with both Muslims and Jews.Many Muslim leaders have forgiven the German-born pope for remarks made during a speech in his native land a few years ago.Pope Benedict has to be commended for undertaking this visit to the Middle East.By all standards, his visit was not only highly successful, but it also speeded up the healing process.During his papacy, the present pope has infuriated both Muslims and Jews. First it was the pope’s speech linking Prophet Muhammad to violence.Pope Benedict also angered the Jews with when he lifted the ex-communication of a Holocaust-denying bishop.A Vatican spokesman, commenting on the pope’s visit to the Middle East, said the trip was a sign of hope that the pope can contribute to reconciliation in the Middle East.The stop in Jordan was Pope Benedict’s first visit as pope to an Arab country, although he visited predominantly Islamic Turkey three years ago.The pope’s itinerary for Jordan surprised many, both in length and substance.Pope Benedict spent three days in Jordan.Included in the visit was a major address at a mosque built in honour of the late King Hussein of Jordan.There is no doubt Pope Benedict is trying his best to mend relations with Muslims and Jews.The pope puts a lot of stress on the importance of Christian-Muslim relations for the 21st century.Pope Benedict is most eager to renew his message to the Islamic world.That message has four aspects:1. Mutual respect between Christians and Muslims2. Religious liberty for all3. Shared witness to religious witness to religious values against secularism4. The importance of reason for all believers.During the visit to Jordan, Pope Benedict was full of praise for Islamic faith and culture.He did not issue another apology for his 2006 Regensburg address, which raised questions about the status of violence within Islam.His remarks were met with anti-Christian riots throughout the Muslim world.However, the pope insisted that Christians and Muslims must live together in mutual respect and harmony.The pope appealed to Christians to “build bridges” with other religions and cultures.The same message is also being spread by many other moderate Muslim leaders.Since he became the pope, Benedict has surprised many with his attempts to improve dialogue with the Muslim world.The pope has already said he was “deeply sorry” over the reaction to his speech.It is time to move on.The pope has been encouraging Christians to build new bridges to enable a fruitful encounter of people of different religions and cultures.Others have to do the same if we are determined to enrich the fabric of society.And, during the trip to Jerusalem, the pope called for the establishment of a Palestinian state as Israel’s new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has refused to endorse the idea, sat silently a few steps away.This was a bold statement from a highly respected pope.United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also called on Israel to fundamentally change its policies on settlements and prove its commitments to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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