Like the vast majority of moderate Muslims, I too felt a visceral disappointment with Pope Benedict XVI's statement which recalled King Constantine's medieval Christianity's stereotypical portrayal of Prophet Muhammad's "legacy of violence."

For Muslims, Muhammad is the most loved figure in Islamic history who also had great respect for Judaism and Christianity. (In Islam, Jews, Muslims and Christians are considered people of "The Book" or the Qur'an).

Muhammad is also a symbol of kindness, compassion and justice for the Muslims. In a post- 9/11 world, during the age of the war on terror, the timing of the pope's comments, unfortunately, could've only helped strengthen the hands of the extremists and those calling for a clash of civilizations. Osama bin Ladin must've been gloating in his cave after hearing the Pope's comments because the "us against them" rhetoric is exactly what fuels Al-Qaeda's radical worldview.

Had Pope Benedict read Muhammad's biography by Karen Armstrong he could've benefited from an indepth and more nuanced view of the prophet of Islam. In the 21st century the Pope (and all other religious scholars) should strive to be an informed and uniting voice for millions of believers who are fighting bigotry and fanaticism within their own societies.

Nevertheless, I'm happy to see that he has backtracked and has now begun to walk in his predecessor's footsteps. When Pope John Paul II became the first Roman Catholic Pope to enter and pray in a mosque in Damascus, Syria, he gave a speech which included the statement: "For all the times that Muslims and Christians have offended one another, we need to seek forgiveness from the Almighty and to offer each other forgiveness."

Pope John Paul's statement resonated strongly in the Muslim world and is a far more powerful weapon against the extremists because it neutralizes their fear-mongering and divisive hate sermons.