Pope Meets With Muslim Envoys

The Pope is trying to mend fences with the Muslim world following the outcry over his speech in Germany. The Pope is trying to make nice, but may be asking for something that the Muslim world is not ready to give:

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Benedict XVI told Muslim diplomats Monday that "our future" depends on dialogue between Christians and Muslims, an attempt to ease relations strained by his recent remarks about Islam and violence.

The pontiff quoted from his predecessor, John Paul II, who had close relations with the Muslim world, when he described the need for "reciprocity in all fields," including religious freedom. Benedict spoke in French to a roomful of diplomats from 21 countries and the Arab League in his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo in the Alban Hills near Rome.

Asking the Muslim world to allow religious freedom is probably a deal killer, since in many Muslim countries other religions are specifically prohibited by law, and religious police patrol the streets to ensure compliance with Sharia law (with whips or rods), regardless of the faith of the persons involved.

Don't look for tolerance from the Muslim world.