TIMESonline
Jenny Booth and agencies

An Iraqi militant group led by al-Qaeda has threatened to massacre Christians in response to remarks about Islam by Pope Benedict XVI that have caused offence across the Muslim world.

The Pope quoted a 14th Century Byzantine emperor who criticised the teachings of Mohammad for endorsing the use of violence, in a speech to an academic audience at a German university last Tuesday.

Yesterday, after a wave of protests across the Islamic world, Benedict said he was deeply sorry. He said that he had had no intention of causing offence, and stressing that the text he had quoted in no way represented his personal views on the Muslim faith and the doctrine of jihad.

“I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect,” the pontiff added.

Today an internet statement by the Mujahideen Shura Council, an umbrella group led by Iraq’s branch of al Qaeda, threatened reprisals against “worshippers of the cross” for the Pope’s remarks.

“We shall break the cross and spill the wine. … (you will have no choice but) Islam or death,” said the statement, citing a hadith (saying of the Prophet Mohammed) promising Muslims that they would “conquer Rome… as they conquered Constantinople”.

“We tell the worshipper of the cross (the Pope) that you and the West will be defeated, as is the case in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya. God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the Mujahideen.”

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Just great! Would someone please ask the Pope to shut his yap-trap?!