Benedict receiving the Koran
On April 17, 2008, during the inter-faith meeting he promoted in Washington at the John Paul II Cultural Center, Benedict received an ornate silver-plated copy of part of the Koran with a mother-of-pearl inlay. It contained calligraphic verses from the Mohammedan book.
The gift, which has an indisputable symbolic meaning, was received with all possible complacency by Pope Ratzinger.
Photo from Reuters, April 17, 2008, online coverage of the visit
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