All next week - specifically from 25 November through 3 December - I will be in Istanbul, Turkey, attending the Papal-Patriarchal events. The Pope's visit to the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople will be an occasion for much tumult and comment, especially in light of his Regensburg address on faith and reason, which provoked so much indignation in the Muslim world.
 
Accompanying me on this endeavor is a distinguished group of writers and scholars, including but not limited to Dr. Robert Moynihan of Inside the Vatican, Dr. Daniel Schmidt of the Bradley Foundation, Rowena Itchon of the Pacific Research Institute, and Dr. John Birkenmeier of the University of Maryland.  Our writing and photography on this historic event will be collected at Pope and Patriarch, a new website focusing on Catholic-Orthodox affairs. 

Below is my first short essay at Pope and Patriarch, on one Ali Bardakoglu of the Turkish Directorate-General for Religious Affairs. It can also be found here.

Reuters reports today that Ali Bardakoglu, chief of the Turkish Directorate-General for Religious Affairs, has requested that Pope Benedict XVI explicitly declare Islam to be peaceful: "I think the attitude the Pope should take is that neither Islam nor Christianity is a source of violence." Of course, the Pope does not take this attitude toward his own faith -- see his august predecessor's famous "Day of Pardon" during the Millennial Jubilee -- and there is little rational reason to think thus of Islam. (See, for starters, the Muslim reaction to the Pope's Regensburg remarks; to say nothing of the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks, for which I was present in New York and London respectively.) Bardakoglu's stated desire that the Pope should participate in a propaganda exercise is sadly typical, and profoundly ironic, given the source.

That fact is that Ali Bardakoglu was a rather prominent voice of Muslim indignation following the Pope's Regensburg address. He is on record as accusing the Pope of having an "attitude, which fuels division and lack of mutual trust, [that] is seriously threatening world peace," presumably by inciting Muslims to burn churches, kill priests, etc. He has declared that the Pope harbors a "subconscious Crusader mentality" that is "disrespectful" and "hostile." He has announced that the Pope has a "grudge in his heart" toward Muhammed, and that he does "not think any good will come from a visit to the Muslim world by a person who has such ideas about Islam's prophet." He has stated that the Pope represents an "abhorrent, hostile and prejudiced point of view" toward Islam.

Now, presumably, Benedict XVI is supposed to accede to this man's request for his preferred whitewash of Islam. Bardakoglu may or may not see any irony in this; what is certain is that trafficking in propaganda is part of his stock in trade. Among his roles is the provision of cover to the Turkish government, for its treatment of non-Muslims. As Reuters reports, "Bardakoglu defended Turkey's treatment of its tiny Christian community and of other religious minorities. 'If the Pope says Christians in Turkey are mistreated, I will tell him that he has been seriously misinformed.'" Catholic World News reports that "Bardakoglu ... dismissed concerns about the government's failure to offer official legal recognition to the Catholic Church. 'All religions are recognized,' he claimed. 'Turkey is a secular state; the problem does not exist.'" Well. Tell that to the Christian converts now on trial in Turkey. Tell that to the Christian clerics in Turkey subjected to murder and assault in recent months. Tell that to the 73 United States Senators who felt moved enough by the threat posed by the Turkish state toward its Christians to write to the President. Tell that to the Orthodox Christians who must watch helplessly as Muslim protesters occupy the Hagia Sophia.

Now, in fairness, the Turkish authorities put a swift end to that episode. And, in fairness, Ali Bardakoglu has a track record of urging his fellow Turks to educate girls and not kill young women. These are surely laudable things. But then, the bar is set rather low, and the overall record is so mixed. Meaningful dialogue requires an honest interlocutor. If and when Pope Benedict XVI chooses to speak on Islam again -- and it seems immensely doubtful that he will -- let us hope it is not at the behest of the likes of Ali Bardakoglu.