Word: emperor
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...Forced Argument on Forced Conversions Viewpoint: Kidnapped journalists converting at gunpoint. The Pope quoting a 14th century Byzantine emperor. The sudden focus on forced conversions to Islam reflects a fundamental misreading of that religion's history
...This agreement, reaching across centuries of time and several religious schisms, has been especially evident in the last month, when American Evangelical Christians and the current Roman Catholic Pope (aided by a 14th Century Byzantine emperor and head of the Greek Orthodox Church) spoke up on a single topic: the forced conversions of Christians by Muslims...
...then it swelled once more. Pope Benedict seemed to revive it last week, with the help of an old -- make that a very old -- friend. He cited Manuel II Paleologus, the emperor of Byzantium from 1391 to 1425, who in a ?dialog? with ?an educated Persian? said: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.? Benedict then paraphrased Manuel's complaint using the explicit phrase ?forced conversion...
...that matter, was Emperor Manuel. He was the political and religious head of a much-shrunken and highly endangered Byzantine Empire, surrounded by the Ottoman Turks, who would swallow it up 53 years after his death. At a very early age he began a career as the public face of Byzantium in the West. ?He was notable for traveling the courts of Europe and arguing the case that Europe needs to come to the aid of the Greeks in the East, to revive, if you will, the crusading spirit," says Charles Barber, an art historian and expert in the Byzantine...
...victims of attacks in Turkey over the past several months. The Vatican said the Pope did not intend the remarks - which he made during a speech in Germany on Tuesday - to offend anyone. Benedict didn't explicitly endorse the statement, which recounted a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam. "The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the Pope said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil...