October 14, 2002
Muslims Accept Falwell's Apology
by Salah Nasrawi
The Associated Press
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Leaders in the two main branches of Islam welcomed an apology from the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who had angered Muslims by calling the founder of their religion a terrorist.
Falwell "deserves thanks for his return to the righteous path," said Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, the grand sheik of Al-Azhar, a Sunni Muslim mosque in Cairo. The sheik's comments came in a statement Monday to The Associated Press.
In the Iranian city of Qom, an important Shiite Muslim center of learning, a high-ranking cleric said Falwell had shown courage.
"A person courageous enough to apologize for his errors is worthy of praise," Ayatollah Hussein Mousavi Tabrizi told The Associated Press. "It's humanitarian and good Islamic behavior to accept an apology from a person who admits making a mistake."
Read the complete story (Some news sites require registration)
Related Headlines
Increasing numbers of radical Islamic Web sites are spreading al-Qaida's message in English
Philippine gay rights group wages battle to run in 2010 congressional elections
Muslim countries seek UN treaty to protect religion from blasphemy
