Islam is a religion of peace in much the same way MacDonalds is committed to healthy eating. They promote their healthy eating / non violent credentials yet their entire history, from foundation to right now, is based on junk food / aggression and murder.
If they could they would destroy the west, our people, our technology, our culture and yes all our lives. There are no examples of a fair and successful Islamic states. Some have so much mineral wealth that they make money is spite of their backward ways. It is a flawed system better suited to the tribal dark ages of sexism, murder and living in fear. Let the Islamists be sure of this. If they inflame us to rage and create a total backlash (ie.Dirty-bomb) then it will be all over in a Intercontinental Ballistic Flash. I am an Atheist not a Pacifist so do not keep provoking and threatening my people, country & way of life. I don’t turn the other cheek and I am getting sick of this drama. I think Enoch Powell saw the future.

John, Highlands, Scotland

If the world were all Muslim, as the Koran wishes, then the Sunnis and the Shiites would be battling to the death as they are in Baghdad.

If the world were all Muslim, the world would be thrown back into Tribalistic dark ages forever-the end of intelligence as it is known.

jon becker, las vegas, USA/Nevada

If one truly wants survival of the World, then rid the world of 99% of it's religions.

jon becker, las vegas, USA/Nevada

I doubt if the above quoted Muslim scholars are sincere. If it is true that Muslims want peace then I want them to answer the decisions made by Allah or Muhammad in the Quran.
The following injunctions are in the Quran and let the Muslim scholars above quoted deny the Quran first:
(1) Allah divided the world into two- the house of Islam and the House of War (i.e. Dar al Hab and Dar al Islam). The Catholic Pope also divided the world into two for Spain and Portugal.
(2) Allah tells Muslims not to make friends with Christians and Jews. Quran specifically tells Muslims to chop of the heads and hands of Christians and Jews and not to make friends with them.
The Quran also teach Muslims to make non Muslims fear them by being aggressive to others.
(3) Allah tells Muslims to spread Islam by the sword. If Allah is really a God who makes the universe there would be no need for Muslims to kill other believers unless this Allah is human being moved by greed for political power.

Tan, Sarawak, Malaysia

Wow, I'm stunned - finally religious types are admitting responsibility for the insanity they've imposed on the world for thousands of years. All those people who claim that it's a fallacy to equate religion to war and conflict now don't really have a leg to stand on.

If we can get some Humanists into power in the US and Middle East we'll be on the road to a new world order. That way, while we're all concentrating on preventing the self-destruction of humanity, religious people can sit in the corner out of the way and "understand the unity of God".

James M, Southport, UK

What are these 138 people talking about? The Pope and other Christian leaders have never displayed any "relish" for conflict with Muslims. The 138 seem to think otherwise and find it necessary to "plead" for dialogue before it's too late. They're talking to the wrong people.

With rare exceptions, Islam knows no secularism at the political level. The 138 appear to think Christian leaders drive politics when they refer to "waging war against Muslims". Of course, secular governments in the West are the wagers of war, paying little heed to Christian leaders' dissenting pleas.

Islam needs to get it's own religious house in order. Sadly, that won't happen anytime soon because it's riddled with contradictory interpretation from one faction to the next, often on a fundamental level. The results are no strong centralized global leadership, rampant radicalism, and lousy PR. Islam the religion must surface, separate itself from tribal politics, and find a leader, the sooner the better.

Rick, Montreal , Canada

If the world has any chance of peace, it is in this. The humbleness of the Muslim religion should prove to Christians across the world that maybe it is time for a change; not of religion, but of perspective. One can only imagine what it would be like if religion wasn’t a reason of war; if people of all different races and religion could peacefully come together, not as Muslims or Christians, but as brothers and sisters. Forgetting the specifics, doesn’t really come down to just loving God? There is no reason that the human race can’t unite in doing this. I hope and pray that the Christian Church accepts the letter whole-heartedly and can reach an understanding of each other and their motives, and hopefully pave a new road for humanity; a peaceful one.

Josh, Ogdensburg, USA NJ

Does this mean that the world will be divided into Christian or Muslim religions?
Does a Christian and Muslim world include Jews, Budhists, Janes, Hindus, Confusionists, Gays, Zoroastrians, Atheists or do they convert? Or do they just "go away"?
Does Ahmadinijad want to wipe out Jews or just Zionists?
Notice that a religion can only validate itself by the larger number of its members and poligamy is part of being Muslim...?..should Muslims adopt birth control? or should Christians adopt poligamy?
Why does it take 138 Muslim experts to equal one Pope?
Afterall, it would only take 1 expert if he or she was correct...

jon becker, las vegas, USA/Nevada

Isn't it bad enough that people kill each other over money, land, and oil. Why must they also kill eac other over who has the best God?
Any religion that must use force to prove how right it is, is wrong and bad for everyone. I thought religion was about love and kindness, but religion is only about the power over the people.

Richard Carroll, Sparta, TN