Malaysia says Pope's apology inadequate

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is not satisfied with Pope Benedict XVI's apology to his remarks linking Islam with violence and will continue to insist on a full apology, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said.       

"Muslims have all this while felt oppressed and the statement by the Pope saying he is sorry about the angry reaction is inadequate to calm the anger, more so because he is the highest leader of the Vatican," Syed Hamid said.             

The Pope must retract his statement as he only stated he was "deeply sorry" about the negative reaction, Syed Hamid said from Cuba, where he was attending a Non-Aligned Movement summit.   

The Pope's reference to Islam and jihad, in a complicated speech last week touching on the relationship between religion and violence during a visit to Germany, has caused widespread anger in the Muslim world.     

The Pope quoted an obscure medieval text that criticised some teachings of the Prophet Mohammed as "evil and inhuman."              

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also chairman of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), had earlier called on the Pope to apologise and retract his statement.