Fethullah Gulen, Prominent Muslim scholar from Turkey, has issued the following written statement on the Pope’s recent comments on Islam in his speech at the University of Regensburg.

Gulen called the Pope’s language most unfortunate, at a time when tolerance and understanding should be preached by men of religion.

The following is the full text of Gulen’s statement:

Pope Benedict XVI impertinent statements cannot be found anywhere among the messages of prophets dating from the first human Adam to Muhammad (PBUH) and in the words of saints of Islam who to date have come and gone. As for the differences, disputes and altercations between and among the great Abrahamic faiths have never stemmed from differences in religions, that is God’s original messages to prophets, but rather derogation of the religious values and tenets of religion with time by those who used religion as a tool to further their personal ambitions and advance their self-interests, along with hatred and anger in their hearts for others.

Those who approach Islam from political ideology, sometimes influenced by prejudice and sometimes by the action of ill-intentioned few, have not been able to free themselves form the ingrained image in their minds of Islam as religion of violence and hatred. Reducing Islam to a system of violence and barbarism stems from the very same roots of that ignorance and that bias. It is most unfortunate to see the leader of over a billion Catholic faithful to make such unfounded statements about God’s religion that might lead to serious provocations and moral outrage.

The message of Islam is one melodic message of peace, a music of social congruence, and breath of tolerance and dialogue. Incivility, rudeness, and roughness, hatred, and enmity are the nausea of those who view it with ignorance and prejudice. In a heart where Islam has settled in, there is nothing but love and concern, and tolerance for the living that stem directly from the love of God.

On the other hand, our world today, exhausted from centuries of battles, is once again showing signs of becoming a stage for new conflicts, in the face of insatiable appetite of humanity for material wealth. At a time when the responsible thing to do would have been to call for tolerance and understanding, his holiness’ reckless statements are most unfortunate and damaging. It is for such statements, its past actions, and for its role in crusades that the Vatican has felt the necessity to apologize in recent past. But, most unfortunately Pope XVI Benedict’s speech at Regensburg University that appeared to borrow a page from Byzantine Emperor Michael Paleologos’ time, is not at all in accord with the position that should be of a pontiff’s in today’s world.

My sincere hope is that this recent behavior of the Pope does not open the flood gates to a new wave of turbulences in the world, for his holiness has not only derogated the great religion of Islam but has also made ugly remarks on the beloved prophet of Islam, flagrantly offending the whole Muslim world.

Uttering of such words by the leader of a Catholic world of over a billion people may only give encouragement to those radical groups with the crusader mentality to cause an upheaval in the world.

I sincerely hope that the Muslims, expecting at least an apology from the pope—which is their most natural right—would react to this unfortunate event in a civilized manner, most becoming of the principles of Islam taught by the prophet of peace and mercy, so that we may avoid the likes of the cartoon crises of not so distant past.

This episode of the Pope’s talk once again reminds us that today we need tolerance and understanding more than ever. What’s more important is that in a global world we put aside our differences in ideology, culture, religion, and politics and try to live within the exceptional principles-- that are in accord with the human nature-- brought by God’s messenger for the good of humanity.