Cartoons and editorials published in newspapers in the Arab/Muslim world falsely portray Jews as the manipulators behind Pope Benedict XVI and his speech at a German university on the theological need for faith and reason, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

"Once again anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are being promoted by the Arab/Muslim media, this time in the outrageous claims that Pope Benedict XVI is being manipulated by Jews to attack Islam," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Objections to the Pope's comments should be made civilly, not with violence being perpetrated by Muslims against Christians, and not with inflammatory cartoons and editorials against Jews."

Mr. Foxman called on Islamic religious and political leaders of good will to publicly denounce and reject these false assertions of Jewish control of the Pope and to reject violence against Christians and Christian institutions as an unacceptable form of protest. "Religious leaders have a special responsibility to show their followers that there are non-violent ways to express their opinions and disagreements," he said.

The Bahraini newspaper, Akhbar Al-Khalij, has taken the lead in publishing cartoons claiming Jewish control of the Pope and a Jewish-Christian conspiracy against Islam.

•September 18: Headline "The Pope." However in Arabic when it is read in a different vowelization it means the "Great Ink." The cartoon depicts a Jewish hand spilling the ink all over the "Muslim World's" Head.



•Sept. 17: Headline "The insolence against Islam continues." It portrays a caricature of a Hasidic man as a snake charmer with his flute luring out of a basket several snakes, one with the head of Pope Benedict and one with the head of President George W. Bush. Another shows a Cross and Star of David stabbing Islam, represented by a crescent moon.








•Sept. 16: Headline "The Vatican Pope insults Islam." It shows Jesus saying to Pope Benedict XVI: "With your words (speech) you have insulted me as did the Jews…" The Pope has in his hand the Jewish snake of strife.




ADL also found a growing trend in editorials and opinion-pieces in the Arab/Muslim media that claim the Pope's statements should not surprise anyone, since they are the long-lasting natural discourse of international Zionism against Islam. Some maintain that after September 11 a new Rome was erected, one that aims at converting Christianity and God to Judaism under the watchful eyes of the evil American-Israeli alliance that was established by the international Zionism, which eventually seeks to enflame a full confrontation between Islam and Christianity.

The Jordanian daily Ar-Rai argued that the only reasonable explanation for the Pope's behavior is his German origin; his youth years were under the Nazi regime and this constitutes both a heavy psychological and cultural burden on the Pope's shoulders, given that Germany is still "subjected to political and cultural extortion" led by the Zionist movement; accordingly it was obvious that Pope Benedict XVI would adopt pro-Israeli positions and express evil views regarding the Arabs and the Palestinians.

Such anti-Semitic, anti-Christian conspiracy arguments have appeared in widespread daily newspapers, including the Egyptian Al-Gomhuriyya, the Jordanian Ar-Rai and Qatari Al-Watan.




The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs