Representatives of the Religion of Peace™, humiliated by the Pope’s recent comments suggesting a link between Islam and violence, kidnapped and decapitated an Orthodox priest in Mosul: Relatives of beheaded Iraqi priest say kidnappers demanded apology for pope Muslim comments. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)

MOSUL, Iraq - Relatives of an Orthodox priest who was kidnapped and found beheaded three days later said Thursday that his captors had demanded his church condemn the pope’s recent comments about Islam and pay a US$350,000 (�280,000) ransom.

More than 500 people attended a memorial service Thursday for father Amer Iskender in the northern city of Mosul after his decapitated body was found Wednesday evening in an industrial area of the city.

Iskender was a priest at the St. Ephrem Orthodox church in Mosul.

“He was a good man and we all shed tears for him,” said Eman Saaur, a 45-year-old schoolteacher who said she attended Iskender’s church regularly. “He was a man of peace.”