Muslim Scholars to Pope: It's the Same God

Christianity and Islam are more alike than they are different, Muslim scholars say in a letter to Pope Benedict XVI. Quoting passages from the Bible and Koran, the letter shows links between the faiths, and calls for peace. If enough people heed the statement, one scholar says, “the atmosphere will be changed into one in which violent extremists cannot flourish.”

“We say to Christians that we are not against them and that Islam is not against them,” says the letter, which highlights the shared emphasis on love and insists both worship the same god. It’s a landmark event, one scholar told the BBC. “There are Sunnis, Shias, Ibadis and even the … Ismailian and Jaafari schools, so it's a consensus.” (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)