UNITED NATIONS (Reuters):

An organisation of 56 Islamic nations pressed Pope Benedict yesterday to apologise for his comments linking Muslims and violence, keeping alive a two-week-old controversy.

Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, approved a statement urging the Vatican to "retract or redress" the comments, in which the Pope cited quotes saying the Muslim faith was spread by violence.

The group issued its statement a day after Pope Benedict assured diplomats from some 20 Muslim nations and the leaders of Italy's Islamic community that he respected them and was committed to dialogue.

It was the fourth time he had tried to make amends, without actually apologising directly, for his September 12 speech at a university in his native Germany.