Nun murdered in Somalia after Pope’s speech

Sunday, September 17, 2006

A 66-year old Italian nun was shot dead by gunmen in a hospital run by SOS Children in Islamist-controlled Somalia. Sister Leonella Sgorbati was training nurses at the SOS mother and child clinic in Mogadishu. She allegedly forgave her murderers before she died.

Muslim leaders in the region have demanded that Muslims “hunt down” and kill the Pontiff. They have also told worshippers that “whosoever offends our Prophet Mohammed should be killed on the spot by the nearest Muslim”. The attack comes in the wake of a speech made by the Pontiff on Tuesday in which he quoted a 14th Century Christian emperor who said the Prophet Muhammad had brought the world only “evil and inhuman” things.