Franciscan friar attacked in Turkey

From the Asia Times:


9 February, 2006
Turkey
A priest is beaten in isomer, to the cries of “we will kill you all”


This latest attack targets sulfonamidean friar and comes the same day the Vatican confirms Benedict XVIÂ’s visit to Turkey, scheduled for November.

AnkarAsiansews) - With the battle cry "We will kill you all" a group of youths launched themselves in attack on a Franciscan friisomer Izmir (the ancient Smyrna). The attack took place within the confines of St. Helen's parish.

Speaking with evident evident emotion, Msgr Luigi Padovese, Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia, says "The boys grabbed him by the throat shouting 'we will kill you all' ". According to the bishop this latest aggression is "fruit of rampant fanaticism". The attack took place within the monastic compound. The priest, who hails from Slovenia, is Martin Kmetec.
Msgr Padovese says that brother Kmetec reported the incident to local police but "they took little heed of the attack".

Go read the rest. This threat comes on the heels of the murder in Turkey of Italian Catholic priest, Father Andrea Santoro, of Santa Maria Church in Trabzon, Turkey. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims are going beserk around the world because of cartoons (the worst of which are fake and never published in Denmark), yet utter little in the way of protest when Muslims attack Christian clerics or burn Christian churches.

The good news is that the Turkish government has invited the pontiff to visit Turkey this fall. Clearly, many Muslims are trying to find ways to reach out to non-Muslims.