The pope's comments

As usual, I find thought provoking the commentary by First Things on current events, namely Pope Benedict's speech and the reaction to it. First Things contributor Robert T. Miller thinks that the pope's speech is a turning point in Muslim-Christian relations, that now "Muslims can expect Christians to present their grievances, current and historical, against Islam with the same frankness that Muslims present theirs against Christianity... The rumor has long been that Benedict intends to take a new diplomatic approach toward the Muslim states, an approach based on reciprocity, i.e., a demand that the religious freedom accorded by European states to their Muslim minorities be accorded by Muslim states to their Christian minorities. He intends, in other words, to hold Muslim states to the same standard that the Western states hold themselves." Miller thinks that Benedict went about this imprudently and that all anyone will remember from the speech is the quote saying that everything new Mohammed brought was "evil and inhuman." Perhaps so. Just like so many people who've commented on it, I haven't read the speech myself. I don't know if the Iranian president has either, but at least he's expressing respect for the pope.