Such a definition nevertheless still reflects a polythetic approach because the presence of the required property is not sufficient to make something a religion. Martin Kramer was one of the first experts to start using the term political Islam in 1980. In 2003, he stated that political Islam can also be seen as tautology because nowhere in the Muslim world is a religion separated from politics. Islam is the Religion of peace. Pope Benedict XVI, meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on 14 September 2007, voiced his “heartfelt hope” for the success of peace talks next month for the war-torn region of Darfur, the Vatican said. After Emperor Hirohito (aka Emperor Shōwa) announced Japanese surrender to the Allies to end World War II on August 15, 1945, many around the globe fervently hoped he would soon be tried as a Class A war criminal for crimes against peace. The following month Pope Benedict XVI took another step to placate anger in the Islamic world over his remarks on holy war, making additions to his original text affirming that a quotation from a 14th-century Byzantine emperor was not his personal opinion. In some Muslim countries, especially Egypt and Pakistan, political counter-movements with religious ideological leanings took root.

In Egypt the weakness of Muslims was blamed on poor adherence to scripture. Under increasing cultural pressures Muslims asserted their national identities and cultural heritage, and some factions emphasized religious dimensions. However, in response to the external pressures of foreign wars, religious fervor was strong, especially among women. However, as the wealth of the temples grew, the influence of their priesthoods increased, until it rivaled that of the pharaoh. Later, however, missionaries arrived preaching Christianity. The signatories to the letter declare that they accept the Pope’s “personal expression of sorrow and assurance that the controversial quote did not reflect his personal opinion”. Some of the clerics who signed the letter were Shaikh Habib Ali of the Tabah Institute in Abu Dhabi and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the special adviser to Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Pope Benedict XVI welcomed King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to the Vatican on November 6, 2007, marking the first time that a Saudi king has officially held talks with the Pope. A papal spokesman later clarified the remarks, saying the Pope had told the Turkish leader the Vatican did not have the power to intervene, but “viewed positively and encouraged” the process of Turkey’s entry into the EU “on the basis of common values and principles”.

The Vatican considered Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strong victory in the 2007 general election in Turkey “the best result for Europe and for the Christian churches.” In an interview published by Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani also invited the European Union to resume talks with Ankara on Turkey’s entry to the bloc. Vatican said in a statement. The Pope told Erdoğan that while the Vatican seeks to stay out of politics it “desires Turkey’s membership in the EU”. The Pope had reversed his earlier opposition to Turkey’s efforts to join the EU, appearing to back the overwhelmingly Muslim country’s hard-fought push towards membership at the start of his visit. During his tour of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, accompanied by local art historian Dr. Sedat Bornovalı, the pontiff turned towards Mecca in a gesture of Muslim prayer, together with Prof. Dr. Mustafa Çağrıcı, Mufti of İstanbul. “As you all know I am leaving for Turkey on Tuesday,” the Pontiff said in his weekly Angelus prayer in Rome on the preceding Sunday. Do you know where Urartu, also sometimes called the Kingdom of Van, was located? Pope Benedict XVI called for negotiations to end fighting in Somalia, Associated Press reported from the Vatican City.

Benedict called on all sides to lay down their arms and negotiate. Pope Benedict XVI by 38 Muslim authorities (later extended to 100) express an acceptance for his apology over his remarks on Islam. The Pope said he backed Turkey’s bid to join the European Union, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after meeting the pontiff upon his arrival in Ankara for his first visit to a Muslim country. In a speech to diplomats recently on global issues, the Pontiff recalled an Italian nun who was slain in Somalia last September, who he said would inspire efforts to end conflict in the Horn of Africa, where an Islamist movement threatening to overthrow the Western-backed dictatorship of Somalia has been ousted. The Pope “thanked divine Providence for this” and said: “May all believers identify themselves with the one God and bear witness to true brotherhood.” The Pontiff augured that Turkey “will be a bridge of friendship and collaboration between East and West” and he thanked the Turkish people “for the cordiality and sympathy” they showed him throughout his stay, when “he felt loved and understood”. The Pope also praised Islam as a peaceful faith and expressed support for Turkey’s bid to join the EU.