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THE leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, has called for Muslims to apologise for the 9/11 and 7/7 bomb attacks, declaring that the public should not have to live "in fear of attack" from believers of the Islamic faith.

In a move that has provoked a storm of outrage, the cardinal claims that, as the Pope apologised for the offence caused last month by his comments on the Islamic faith, so Muslims should now step up and say sorry for the attacks carried out in the name of their faith.

O'Brien said: "There have been no apologies for the shooting of the nun [in Somalia after the Pope made his remarks], let alone for 9/11 or the London bombings. I would like to see some reciprocal moves from the Islamic side. We shouldn't have to live in fear of attack from Muslims."

The cardinal's comments were made in the same interview in which, as was revealed last week, he backed Scottish independence, praising the benefits autonomy could bring. A fuller version of the interview appears in this weekend's Catholic Herald newspaper.

O'Brien expands on his views on the British constitution. He declares that he "would be only too happy to continue to undermine the British State" if it goes on espousing sectarianism in the form of the Act of Settlement - the law which bars Catholics from marrying the heir to the throne.

Last night, the cardinal's views on Islam had stirred up a new controversy, with Muslim leaders furious at the comment. They claimed that as the terrorist attacks were carried out by extremists, mainstream Muslims who had already condemned the actions had nothing to apologise for.

scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com . . .

It's a fair comment.

Chocoholic wrote:It's a fair comment.

Which bit?

Well whenever someone else does something that is deemed offensive to Islam or muslims, there's always outcry. But no-one gives a hoot if someone from an Islamic background offends someone else.

Like the clerics in the UK, where's there apologies for inciting violence, hatred etc - oh wait no, they all got banged up, but still no apology.

However my jury's still out on the 9/11 thing, it's just all wrong, seen too much evidence to suggest there wasn't something else going on there.

Chocoholic wrote:Well whenever someone else does something that is deemed offensive to Islam or muslims, there's always outcry. But no-one gives a hoot if someone from an Islamic background offends someone else.

Like the clerics in the UK, where's there apologies for inciting violence, hatred etc - oh wait no, they all got banged up, but still no apology.

oh yeah? that cleric apologised my islamophobic friend

chevaliers-de-sion wrote:In a move that has provoked a storm of outrage, the cardinal claims that, as the Pope apologised for the offence caused last month by his comments on the Islamic faith, so Muslims should now step up and say sorry for the attacks carried out in the name of their faith.

The logic doesn't work. The pope apologised for something he said. To expect muslims to apologise for the actions done by the few extremists is . . . well, stupid, frankly.

Ask them to condemn the actions certainly, but apologising?