Pope Francis on Islam

I do not like to speak of Islamic violence because every day when I leaf through the newspapers I see violence here in Italy: one who kills his bride-to-be, another who kills his mother-in-law … And these are baptized violent Catholics! They are violent Catholics. If I spoke of Islamic violence, I should also speak of Catholic violence. Not all Muslims are violent; not all Catholics are violent. It is like a fruit salad, there is a bit of everything, there are violent individuals of these religions.

One thing is true: I believe that in almost all the religions there is always a small fundamentalist group. Fundamentalists, we have them. And when fundamentalism arrives at killing – but one can kill with the tongue, and the Apostle James says this, not I, and also with a knife – I believe it is not right to identify Islam with violence. This is not right and it is not true! I had a long conversation with the Great Imam of al-Azar University and I know what they think: they seek peace, encounter. The Nuncio of an African country told me that there is always a queue of people in the capital – it is always full! – at the Holy Door for the Jubilee: some approach the confessionals, others pray in the pews. But the majority go ahead to pray at Our Lady’s altar: they are Muslims who want to take part in the Jubilee; they are brothers.

When I was in Central Africa, I went to them and the Imam even came onto the pope-mobile. One can coexist well, but there are small fundamentalist groups. And I also wonder how many young people – how many young people, that we Europeans have left empty of ideals, that do not have work, that take to drugs, to alcohol … go there and enrol in fundamentalist groups. Yes, we can say that so-called ISIS is an Islamic State that presents itself as violent, because when they have us see their identity cards they make us see how on the Libyan coast they cut the throats of Egyptians, or things of that sort. But this is a small fundamentalist group, which is called ISIS. But we can not say – I don’t think it is true or right to say – that Islam is terrorist.