Link to article in Der Spiegel here. Translated in PRF on this thread:

The attacks against the Roman pontifex are especially grotesque. The harsh criticism, which often is accompanied by threats of violence, of Benedict’s speech in Regensburg is not only an attack on the head of the Catholic Church. The malicious misinterpretation of his words and the absurd suppositions of Islamic representatives are a head-on attack on free religious discourse. That more and more people in the Islamic world can be induced to follow these protests shows how much influence Islamic groups have gained there. The political intention is clear: A discussion between Christianity and Islam should only take place within the framework determined by political Islamism.

We can do without this. Whoever agrees to this kind of “dialogue” relinquishes his right to free opinion. What’s next? Perhaps the statement that Allah could be insulted by the many women who in the summertime walk around in bikinis in Europe? Or a pork sandwich. The militant Islamists will always find a reason for a fight between the cultures. And they will be happy when newspapers as the “TAZ” are dumb enough to have the pope on a crusade. They totally miss the point. At stake is nothing less than the principle of free speech and discourse. Each attempt to make the imaginary will of god to the highest guiding principle of political action has to be deterred if freedom and democracy are to flourish in Europe.

There are – few – serious tones in the increasingly loud choir of the critics of the pope. Should not have Pope Benedict XVI foreseen that his quote which he himself termed “harsh” would be misunderstood? Did the theologian Ratzinger run away with the pope? Even if. It should be a wonderful message even to left-wing agnostics and atheists that we have a pope who is able to give a demanding academic lecture. In his speech he certainly did not insult a single muslim.

That it is possible to remain calm in the struggle between cultures is demonstrated by an example from Denmark. A newspaper there recently published rather tasteless Holocaust cartoons which had previously been shown in Teheran. The reaction of the rabbi of Copenhagen was very different than the bloody wave of protests against the Mohammed cartoons during which 50 people lost their lives. As answer to the question whether he would now protest, the rabbi said: ‘Oh, you know, I have seen worse.”