Muslim anger builds over Pope's speech

A statement from the Vatican has failed to dampen growing anger among Muslims around the world at a speech by the Pope in which he discussed the concept of holy war.

The Vatican said last night that Benedict XVI had not intended to offend when he quoted a 14th-century Christian emperor as saying the Prophet Muhammad had introduced only "evil and inhuman" ideas into the world.

"It certainly was not the intention of the Pope to carry out a deep examination of jihad and Muslim thought on it, much less to offend the sensibility of Muslim believers," a Vatican spokesman said after Pope Benedict returned to Rome from his native Germany, where he made the speech.

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