Vatican City, Sep 22: Pope Benedict has invited the ambassadors of Muslim countries at the Vatican, as well as leaders of Italy's own Muslim community, to a meeting Monday at his summer palace, a senior Vatican official said today.

The meeting is part of the Vatican's diplomatic efforts to explain to offended Muslims that a speech in Germany last week seen as portraying Islam as violent has been misunderstood.

''We welcome it and are definitely going to participate,'' said Iran's deputy ambassador to the Holy See, Ahmad Faihma.

''This is a positive signal from the Vatican. I know that this will improve relations with the Islamic world,'' the Iranian diplomat told Reuters.

The leader of more than a billion Roman Catholics worldwide has expressed regret three times in the past week for the reaction caused by his speech quoting 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, who spoke of the Prophet Mohammad's ''command to spread by the sword the faith he preached''.

But he has not given the unequivocal apology demanded by many Muslims. Al Qaeda groups have declared war on the Church, Iraqi protesters have burnt the Pope's effigy and some Turkish religious officials petitioned for his arrest.

The German-born Pope said at his Wednesday audience that his real intention had been to ''explain that religion and violence do not go together but religion and reason do''.

Muslim diplomats accredited at the Holy See were sent an invitation today by the Vatican secretary of state, while the leaders of Italy's Islamic community were invited by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

It was not clear if any Muslim leaders from outside Italy would be invited to the meeting, which takes place at 1530 hrs IST on Monday.



Reuters