Osama vs the Pope

[Dunenewt]

Allegedly Osama talks about a conspiracy involving the Pope in his latest video.  Could this provoke a larger and more heated debate between Catholics and Muslims.  Would Catholic leaders start to back the U.S. in their hunt to find Osama?  I think Osama has done something very risky in mentioning the Pope, and is trying perhaps to provoke a clash of civilisations.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7306002.stm

[nemafakei]

Nono, he said "crusade", it was the Catholic bishop who was talking about the conspiracy.

[Dunenewt]

Ah, right you are.  Still, I think Osama is trying to incite a clash of civilisations, and is trying to provoke a response from the Catholics, which could be dangerous.

[Caid Ivik]

I don't know why you give attention to it, unlike His Holiness, bin Ladin has no authority to speak for Islam as a whole...

[Tatar Khan]

Catholics live in the areas of the world that are more prospereous and so less likely to become involved in religious fighting, or the areas (Latin America) from where they won't be able to do much of religious fighting and really they are too busy with problems closer to home.

[Dunenewt]

Northern Ireland springs to mind. 

[gunner154]

I think Northern Ireland is more so a case of being "busy with problems closer to home".

[Tatar Khan]

And I think that in Northern Ireland it was also mor eabout independence the fact that anti-British were mostly Catholic and pro-British were mostly Protestant would not make it that much of a religious war. However, I do not have a strong opinion in this matter and would gladly accept any arguments against above statement.

[gunner154]

I concur, though I'm sure many would bring up ancient events regarding the burning of churches and all that. You'd be surprised.

[Dunenewt]

And I think that in Northern Ireland it was also mor eabout independence the fact that anti-British were mostly Catholic and pro-British were mostly Protestant would not make it that much of a religious war. However, I do not have a strong opinion in this matter and would gladly accept any arguments against above statement.

The status of Ulster and relgion go hand in hand I'm afraid, you can't really separate one from the other.

[cnc95fan]

Well, recently NI has gone very quiet. You don't hear of any secterian violence, the I.R.A have disbanded, and there's a power-sharing government in place, and it's steady.

[gunner154]

It's history, relevant or not.