Pope praised for making an apology
 

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Muslim groups in the UK have praised Pope Benedict XVI for apologising after Muslims were offended by his speech.

The Vatican said the Pope was sorry he had offended Muslims by using a quote stating Muhammad had brought only "evil and inhuman" things to the world.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said the Pope made "a good first step" in "recognising the hurt he caused".

Ajmal Masroor of the Islamic Society of Britain said it was "greatly noble" of him to accept "his mistake".

Labour peer Baroness Uddin had earlier called the Pope's words a "throwaway irrelevant analysis of religion".

The criticism of the Prophet Muhammad quoted by the Pope was made by 14th century Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Byzantine Empire - the Orthodox Christian empire which had its capital in what is now the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Reacting to the Pope's statement of regret, the MCB continued: "But [we are] not sure whether this is enough of an apology.

"It would've been better if he'd said the views of the emperor no way accorded with his. There is still a concern that he has not repudiated the views of the emperor."

The MCB had earlier said it would write an official letter asking the Pope to clarify his comments.

And one of the UK's highest-ranking Muslim police officers, Chief Superintendent Ali Dizaei, had called for calm.

Protests were unnecessary and played into the hands of those who claimed that Islam stifled free speech, he said.

In his speech at Regensburg University, the German-born Pope explored the historical and philosophical differences between Islam and Christianity, and the relationship between violence and faith.