If Al Qaida assassinates the Pope, what would the global fallout be?

[Ignacio Upton]

While Benedict's comment could have been phrased better (and I'm not fan of him in terms of his religious conservatism) the reaction worldwide has gotten me un-nerved:
http://www.aina.org/news/20060919152543.htm

While it seems like the usual posturing from the usual Islamic fundies, I'm wondering what would happen if they get their wish. What would happen if Al Qaida sucessfully took out the Pope? It would be a first in history (sucessful Papal assassination) and could have dire consequences for Christian-Muslim relations, no just with Americans, but in almost EVERY Christian country or country with a sizable Christian population.
I can easily see the Freepers and Dobsonites (even though they're Evangelical protestants who consider Catholics to be heretics) using his death as an excuse to exact their plan to bring about the end times, and to have that Holy War that they always wanted with the Islamic world. Unfortunately, Christians from Nigeria to Argentina would start attacking Muslims as reprisals, which would begat more violence.

[muntrv]

1. It would be holocaust all over again. And it would degenerate from

Christians vs Muslims to white people vs colored people.

[Ignacio Upton]

2. What about Catholics in Latin America and Africa?

I can easily see a split country like Nigeria erupting into civil war over this.

[Selatius]

3. Christian fundamentalists in the US will call for witch hunts in the US

Except subsitute "Salem Witch Trials" with "concentration camps." Nevermind the fact that most are not Catholic, but don't let that get in the way of a good old-fashioned witch hunt.

[davidinalameda]

4. the Middle East would be a smoking ruin

[ComerPerro]

5. They would have better luck assasinating a US President than a Pope

[Ignacio Upton]

7. I think you're right about that

The Pope doesn't travel nearly as often, and is tucked away in Vatican City. Also, he has the Swiss Guard to protect him, and while they make wear old ceremonial clothing, they are an active group.

[ComerPerro]

11. I would venture to say its the most protected position on the planet

[pitohui]

6. none whatsoever

they'd just say it was a lone nut like they did the last time a pope was assassinated, wouldn't they?

[Ignacio Upton]

8. I'm talking about if radical Islamists take him out

Especially if his killer(s) is connected to Al Qaida itself. If Bin Laden releases a tape praising the killer, I can see another Holy War being ignited.

[pitohui]

16. yeah and even if they do

my answer remains the same, the old AQ would have to do something very dramatic to get any credit at all rather than a "lone nut" type of excuse

this is why al qaeda had to move to the synchonized events, individual events, such as the egypt airliner brought down in d.c. by the suicide pilot or american airlines 587 are lied about and brushed off -- i don't disagree w. the policy, it is probably wise not to give terrorists any more publicity than need be -- but al qaeda can boast, strut, and release all the videotapes they like, the official story is going to be a lone nut did the pope and that's my final answer, alex

oswald was connected to russia and to cuba, supposedly took out an american president all on his lonesome as a "lone nut" -- no doubt it diffused many international tensions to call it that way, world war would not bring kennedy back from the dead

but if they'd sit on the truth of the killing of a beloved figure like jfk ... don't think for a moment that they wouldn't fib about the truth of the motives behind an attack on this problematical pope

[JVS]

9. They'd elect a new Pope. The West would tighten immigration barriers.

Europe would have a great amount of debate over what to do about the large number of Muslim immigrants (Turks in Germany, Algerians in France, etc.)

[Ignacio Upton]

12. The rise of Islamic fundies in Europe is becoming a problem

And combined with the fact that many of them are living in crappy conditions and in isolated ethnic enclaves, I can see things getting fucked up.

[JVS]

Most extreme scenario is that Europe deports them.

I don't think Europe would go so far as to kill them these days.

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. Thirty more days of Pope-Cam?

:shrug:

[treestar]

13. I think you're wrong; Popes have killed each other before, rival

Popes, etc, at times when the Pope was actually a political power - there were times the Pope was held prisoner or the Vatican occupied.

We overdramatize ourselves in this century, due to our ignorance of history. The Pope is just a figurehead now.

Besides, they probably wouldn't assassinate him. That's just fear mongering. Muslims who say rash things get all the headlines, but even the ones saying it are just saying it. Salman Rushdie would not still be alive if they were serious about their fatwas.

Besides, they would never have liked the Pope, anyway, just because he is the leader of the "infidels" so it's not like the Pope can really say anything to make him more unpalatable to them.

[Ignacio Upton]

14. But has a Pope ever been killed by Islamic extremists?

Not even during the Crusades did that happen.

[Erika]

15. Maybe the religious would be quieted for a few days?

Islams attacking Christians, Jews attacking Islams. I've never been more turned off in my life by religions attacking each other acd causing wars, while the poor and national economies are devestated.

I don't want to hear once more about how Christianity, Judaism, or Islam are religions of peace. Those calling the shots are all nuts. Please protect me from this world's concept of religion.

But people don't trust atheists to do what is right because of no sense of Godliness. Give me a break.

[qwertyMike]

17. Zilch

[rpannier]

18. Huge and devastating

It would make what's going on today look pleasant and friendly.

[mykpart]

19. Bush will use it as an excuse

to invade Venezuela!

[raysr]

20. Confetti?

[Irreverend IX]

21. First, the Vatican's reliquary researchers...

Would release the Divine Scourges from their cryo-sleep in the vaults beneath St. Peter's Basilica. At the same time, the Catholic Paranormal Response Division would use the arcane technology captured from the Gnostic heretics to summon the spirit of the dread god Ialdebaoth into a clay vessel consecrated with the ashes of 1000 of the Church's most pious monks and nuns. The remaining cardinals in Vatican City would then declare a Code Leviticus Emergency, mobilizing Rome's 777 Jesuit Undercover Demolitions Squadrons. The combined might of the Vatican's secret military forces would then fall upon the unbelievers.

Well, actually, I expect that the UN and other international bodies would be calling for peace, radical right-wingers in Europe and Latin America would be chomping at the bit for war, and Dubya would be unsure what the hell he was going to do -- a holy war would make some of his more insane supporters happy, but it would have the potential to ruin his oil profiteering efforts. I seriously doubt it would turn into a war of "white vs. colored," seeing as a huge percentage of Catholics, and most of the church's new growth, is in "colored" regions like Latin America and Africa.

[and-justice-for-all]

22. The Popes not that important.....

...and Evangicals dont like the Catholics anyway.