It is amazing to see how the media has dealt with the death of the Pope.

Life and death are the two realities everyone has to endure.

Prophets before us have passed away.

Death is the door that we will all pass through.

What puzzled me the most is to see how the media has been overwhelmengly covering the death of this religous man.

When the media likes someone, he or she is portayed as the greates human being who has ever walked on the planet. If you are liked by the media, you are then made a saint, a noble man and holy.

This is not to suggest I am trying to belittle or disgrace the Pope. Neither does it mean that I am happy to hear about his death. We should never feel happy for the death of another human being.

My sympathy to his family, friends and his fellow Catholics around the  world.

When I heard about the death of Pope and how the media has portayed him to be, I checked things out to find out about him and contributions, I couldn't find anything that he has done.

Indeed, he opposed  the war against Iraq, as reported by the media and he was the first pope to visit a Mosque. These are the only two things the media keeps repeating, over and over and over again.

Muslims have also joined the wagon in praising the Pope as the greatest leader who has been lost by humantity.

Do these Muslims really believe what they are saying? Or are they just joining the crowd and dancing as everyone else?

When great Muslim scholars such Sheikh Mohamed Mutawali Al-sha'raawi, Sheikh Abdulhamid Kishk, Sheikh Abdullah bin Baz and other noble scholars passed away, they did not get similar coverage by the Arab or Muslim media. But suddenly, we hear Islamic organizations and Muslim scholars shedding tears over the death of the Pope.

Are we real?

I really want to know what exactly did the Pope did for Muslims so that we, as Muslims, should be proud of him and praise him as everyone else and that we should cry for his death day and night?

Just wondering.

Muslims should not mourn the death of the Pope, and they should not grieve over Christians not mourning the death of Muslims whether the latter are remarkable scholars or simple mothers and their babies slaughtered in the streets of their homeland.

To associate partners with Allaah is a grave sin. To proclaim that God had a son is equally grave sin. 

The Qur'an says, "And they say, ‘The Most Merciful has taken a son.’ You have done an atrocious thing. The heavens almost rupture therefrom and the earth splits open and the mountains collapse in devastation. That they attribute to the Most Merciful a son. And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son. There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant." [Maryam: 88-93]

Be it Pope, Princess Diana or Mother Theresa they fall outside of Islaam and regardless of their "greatest contributions" to the world and humanity, they have failed the main mission of every ordinary human creature - to acknowledge and worship Allaah as the Supreme Authority and without any associations. 

"Say: ‘Shall we not inform regarding the greatest losers concerning their deeds? They are those whose efforts are wasted in the worldly life, whilst thinking that they were performing the best of actions." [al-Kahf: 103-4]

This may disturb many Christian visitors and perhaps generate squall of comments but the objective is not to water down the Truth in order to make it sound pleasing and appealing to someone... the objective is to establish the Truth.     

“Say: ‘O People of Scripture (Christians and Jews)! Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partner with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.” [al-Imran: 70]

MOCKBA

Well, it is expected, Since this is the first time any Pope has coverage like this of His death, it is normally behind closed doors until now and also it is kept in style in the way Pope John Paul was with his people and that he was in contact with people and the general people of the world unlike most Popes before. He was also out and about also unlike other Popes before. Pope John Paul also used the media and modern technology for conveying the message of the Catholic, to reached to others in a way that others before him have not. He was/is a people person I think this is more of a personal quality than a religious one. This is what and why the coverage of the Popes death is being viewed, even having his body publically shown on TV, is a first. This is what He obviously wanted. I am surprised that the Vatican has opened so much were it never has. I am waiting to see if the funeral wil be telecasted.

I do strongly believe this is not the case here, and I don't think its when the media likes someone but more to do with people wanting to see him. It was a way for those who couldn't see him personally or outside the Vatican to see the man that they wouldn't have been able to.

Just remember that this Pope is not like other Popes before him and many things that were done before, was done differently. 

Also remember the next Pope may be different. And perhaps this is why the media of the world has taken to it, it may not happen again.

Personally I think the coverage hasn't been that bad, I think it has been done beautifully.

If you like I can bring some link that I can get a hold of, ? let me know.  

Don't know about the greatest, he was one of many great leaders and he was quite different to 

If one does not want it, don't have it, I just wish that anyone can get their wishes in how they want it to be done, in dying, death and funeral. 

As I understand it, if it wasn't for Pope John Pau II, people wouldn't have the freedom of religion. He brought that in.

Originally posted by DavidC

You're just not old enough to remember it

DavidC

guess so

Check out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/2806153.stm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/2806153.stm

the letters at the bottom of the page are very interesting.

In 1981, a Turkish guy tried to assassinate the Pope. Obviuosly he didn't succeed, but when the Pope had recovered, he visited his would-be killer and forgave him.

He also worked hard to forge links and peace between Christians, Muslims and Jews.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/02/pope-faiths050402.html - http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/02/pope-fait hs050402.html

Kim...