Muslim response to Pope apology mixed

, Vatican City, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI's apology for his comments on Islam and violence quoted from historical sources drew a mixed response from Muslims around the world.

Some Muslim leaders said they accepted the pope's explanation about being "deeply sorry" for the remarks he said were made by a 14th-century emperor. The pontiff said those remarks "do not in any way express my personal thought."

The Muslim Council of Britain said the pope's expression of regret was "exactly the reassurance many Muslims were looking for," Asian Image reported.

In Germany, the Council of Muslims called the apology an "important step" to calm Muslim unrest.

Mohammad al-Nujemi, a professor at Saudi Arabia's Institute of Judicial and Islamic Studies, told Al-Arabiya television, "His statements might give terrorists and al-Qaida followers legitimacy that there is really an attempt to hurt Muslims."

EU Observer reports the Turkish government said there is no change in the pope's scheduled visit to the Muslim country in November.

But in places like Egypt, the Palestinian territories, Iran and Indonesia, some protests resulted in attacks on local Catholic churches.

Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency quoted some religious parties in Pakistan as saying a man of pope's stature should have avoided making such comments.