Italy premier praises values of Islam in meeting with Muslim diplomats

Lavishing praise on Islam and denying he ever said Western civilization was superior, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi held on Tuesday night a three-hour long meeting with ambassadors from Muslim nations in an attempt to recover from remarks he made last week that raised a global furor.

Berlusconi's office said he "reiterated that the opinions on Islam, which he never uttered, were falsely attributed to him." The premier met with envoys from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Pakistan, Tunisia, Indonesia and Palestine.

The Italian premier's comments about Islam angered the Muslim world and stunned Western allies trying to forge a coalition against terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and at the Pentagon.

While in Berlin last week for discussions with the leaders of Russia and Germany, Berlusconi told reporters that Western civilization is superior because "it has guaranteed well-being, respect for human rights and - in contrast with Islamic countries - respect for religious and political rights."

Berlusconi's office said he used Tuesday's night meeting, to "recall his profound respect for Islam, a great religion, which over 1 billion people believe in, and which preaches tolerance and the respect of human rights."

Berlusconi also praised Islam for having "contributed significantly to human civilization," the premier's office said in a statement.