Genuine religion thus widens the horizon of human understanding and stands at
the base of any authentically human culture. It rejects all forms of violence
and totalitarianism: not only on principles of faith, but also of right reason.
Certainly, the Pope's comment expresses the Christian faith tradition. However, according to Islamic tradition, Islam was founded on conquest and murder. Muhammad was the leader of a band of murderers and thieves. The Qur'an itself calls for continual war against non-believers.
Westerners generally assume that all religions reject violence and that Muhammad taught the same precepts as Jesus. Unfortunately, the Qur'an and the Islamic traditions show otherwise.
Far from suggesting the essential unity of Islam and Christianity as being genuine religions that reject all forms of violence, many Muslims would have to understand the Pope's remarks as indicating that he does not view Islam as a genuine religion. Unlike Christianity, Islam requires its followers to kill or be killed for Islam. Its fundamental nature is one of violence and hate of all it views to be non-believers.
