Afghan foreign ministry demands Pope apologize

Afghanistan's parliament and foreign ministry on Saturday demanded that Pope Benedict XVI apologize to the world's Muslims for remarks linking Islam and violence. "The comments showed an inadequate understanding of Islam and (warrant) ... an apology to Muslims, the followers of a religion of peace and reconciliation," Afghanistan's foreign ministry said in a statement. The country's fledgling lower house of the parliament at the start of its Saturday session also "strongly condemned" the pontiff's remarks made to university professors in Germany earlier this week.