Alleged al-Qaida threat to pope 'no worry,' Vatican spokesman says By Cindy Wooden
11/29/2006
Catholic News Service
ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNS) – Accusations about Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Turkey and a vague threat posted on the Internet by a group claiming to be part of the al-Qaida terrorist network have not led to alarm, the Vatican spokesman said.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, traveling with the pope Nov. 29, told reporters: "There is no worry on the part of the pope (or) of his entourage."
According to the British news agency Reuters, the Islamic State in Iraq, a group led by al-Qaida, accused the pope of going to Turkey in an attempt to undermine the Islamic faith of Turkey's majority.
"We have a date with victory and martyrdom and an (Islamic) state that rules under the commands of God the almighty, and then we shall break the cross and spill the wine," the group's statement said.
Father Lombardi said the statement simply demonstrated the importance of joint efforts to stop violence.
"This message also shows the importance of dialogue among religions to declare in the most explicit manner that all the various faiths must say ‘no’ to the use of violence in the name of God," the priest said