Pope Benedict XVI criticises Prophet Muhammad's teachings

September 13, 2006 During a theological lecture at the University of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Pope Benedict XVI criticized the idea of jihad. He opined that the mujahideen and the jihad they are fighting "(goes) against the nature of God". The Pope said "Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul". He quoted Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, who 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".

The Pope also criticized the Western world for alienating other cultures and "excluding God".