The secretary general of Italy's Islamic Cultural Centre, Abdellah Redouane, has praised comments made by Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi apparently distancing it from recent Muslim convert to Catholicism Magi Allam's remarks criticising Islam.Allam, who was baptised a Catholic last Saturday by Pope Benedict XVI, said in a radio interview on Thursday that had he considered Islam "a true moderate religion of love and love of life, I would never never have converted."
"I note with satisfaction the position expressed today by the Vatican on the recent statements by Magdi Allam that denigrate Islam and the Muslims," Redouane told Adnkronos International (AKI) on Thursday.
Reacting to Allam's comments, Lombardi told Vatican Radio: "He has the right to express his own ideas. They remain his personal opinions without in any way becoming the official expression of the positions of the Pope or the Holy See."
"By keeping its distance in this way, the Vatican has confirmed its chosen path of dialogue with Islam," said Redouane.
"Dialogue and mutual respect are not an option but unavoidable if fruitful relations are to be constructed."
A Muslim scholar involved in high-level dialogue with the Vatican, Aref Ali Nayed, earlier this week called the pontiff's baptism of Allam a "deliberate and provocative act".
Nayed, who is the head of Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, said Allam's baptism came "at a most unfortunate time when sincere Muslims and Catholics are working very hard to mend ruptures between the two communities."
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