It’s tough to try to promote the radical Islamic viewpoint in Australia; John Howard won’t sit still for it: Pope row in past, PM tells Muslims. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)

MUSLIMS are “perfectly entitled” to criticise the Pope for linking Islam with evil and violence, but John Howard wants them to “move on”.

The Prime Minister said last night he was “disappointed” and “exasperated” that “whenever the Pope says something (it) provokes demonstrations”.

In defence of comments yesterday by the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, Mr Howard said Cardinal Pell “has a point” in criticising Muslims for reacting to the Pope’s comments with “demonstrations and threats of violence”.

“It’s a strange form of restraint to respond to words of disagreement with demonstrations and threats of violence,” he said.

But Australia’s Islamic leader, Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, dismissed comments by his Catholic counterpart linking Islam and violence as a “cheap shot”.

Sheik Hilali said Cardinal Pell’s statements were “unnecessary from a man of such religious standing. We have declared our position repeatedly - we condemn terrorism and we continue to condemn terrorism.”

Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, of course, was recently seen at LGF marching in a pro-Hizballah demonstration in Sydney.

The spiritual leader of Australia’s Muslim community, Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, in brown cape, joins members of Sydney’s Lebanese community in a march through Sydney’s central business district Saturday, July 22, 2006. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)