Pope speech draws Muslim ire

VATICAN CITY, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI is drawing growing criticism from Muslim leaders for a speech in Germany in which he quoted historical sources to denounce jihad in Islam.

The criticisms have not stopped despite clarification from the Vatican that the pontiff did not intend to offend Muslims when he quoted a 14th-century Christian emperor to say Islam's concept of holy war is a violation of God's will and nature.

In a resolution Friday, Pakistan's parliament said the pope had made "derogatory" comments and urged they be retracted, reports the BBC.

In Egypt, the head of the Muslim Brotherhood was quoted as saying the remarks had "aroused the anger of the whole Islamic world."

In India, which has the world's third-largest Muslim population, Minority Commission Chairman Hamid Ansari said: "The language used by the pope sounds like that of his 12th-century counterpart who ordered the crusades ..."

In Turkey, which Benedict is scheduled to visit in November, the Muslim country's top religious official Ali Bardakoglu demanded an apology from the Vatican head.

Separately, The Los Angeles Times reported that other Muslim leaders had remarked that Catholicism has a bloodstained past arising from the forced conversions of Jews and Muslims in Medieval times. Some also recalled Vatican's alleged relationship with Adolf Hitler.