We are deeply saddened by the pain, animosity and reprisals that have followed in the wake of Pope Benedict XVI's remarks to a scientific colloquium at the University of Regensburg last week.

It is unfortunate that the Pope chose this particular quotation - a remark peripheral to a 14th century scholarly dialogue - to open a debate about the role of faith and reason in academic inquiry. The contempt that its original author, Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, expresses for the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and for Islam should be seen as an artefact of a less tolerant age that is offensively out of place in an enlightened, multicultural society.

Sadly, the cherished ideals of tolerance, mutual respect and non-violence - principles that are central to the teachings of all great faiths - continue to elude humanity. Recent events, ranging from isolated bombings to the bombardment, invasion and occupation of territory, have taken countless innocent lives and fuelled a dramatic escalation in interfaith tensions. These acts of individual and state terrorism have bred a dangerous climate of mistrust, intolerance and hostility.

The world has become a tinderbox in which a single remark, regardless of its intent, can ignite a conflagration. We are alarmed by recent reports from Ecumenical Accompaniers living in Palestine of the vandalisation and destruction of some Christian Churches in the region, apparently in response to the widespread (and often sensationalistic) media coverage of the Pope's lecture. This does not augur well for the close relations that the Christian and Muslim communities in Palestine have enjoyed in the past. We are equally outraged by their reports of the discrimination, violence and humiliation that both Christian and Muslim Palestinians experience daily at the hands of Israeli soldiers and settlers.

We in South Africa know all too well where such animosity, intolerance and sectarianism can lead. We have learned the value of co-operation, dialogue and mutual respect. Together, we call on Christians and Muslims alike to refrain from acts of violence, to be slow to anger, to be respectful of one another, and to share their respective faiths and beliefs with each other in order to enhance understanding and dialogue. We urge all people, especially leaders and states, to recognise the importance of spirituality and belief in our lives and to demonstrate greater sensitivity in their language and actions.

This statement has been issued simultaneously by the United Ulama Council of South Africa.

For more information contact: Eddie Makue, SACC General Secretary, 082 853 8781 or E Gabriels, UUCSA President, 083 384 6971