Iraq calls for calm after Pope's remarks

[ECH1969]

Iraq's government called on Muslims on Saturday not to attack the country's small Christian minority in response to remarks by Pope Benedict that have angered Muslims.

The door of a church in Basra was attacked overnight, in what appeared to be the first strike on a Christian target in Iraq since the comments.

"We call on all those who love God's prophets not to carry out actions that will harm our Christian brothers here," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in an interview with Iraqiya state television.

Iraq's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Vatican's top diplomat in Baghdad to seek an explanation for the remarks and had sent a letter expressing concern via Iraq's own embassy at the Vatican.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060916/wl_nm/religion_pope_iraq_dc_2