The Pope's visit to Turkey has begun despite serious threats against his life. You have to wonder what he may accomplish (I am not faulting his effort, but the question remains) and whether there will be a serious attempt on his life.

Robert Spencer talks about the trip in Frontpagemag.com, here. "Pope Benedict XVI is set to arrive in Turkey on Tuesday, and tensions are running high. Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981, wrote to Benedict: "Your life is in danger. You absolutely must not come to Turkey." And several weeks ago, a Turk named Ibrahim Ak stood outside Italy's consulate in Istanbul and fired a gun while proclaiming his desire to strangle the pope. As he was arrested, Ak shouted: "I am happy to be a Muslim!" He said that he hoped the Pope would decide not to come to Turkey, and that his actions would inspire other Turks to violence: "God willing, this will be a spark, a starter for Muslims ... God willing, he will not come. If he comes, he will see what will happen to him."

Read the whole thing. Spencer points out that ... "Two converts from Islam to Christianity, Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal, are currently on trial on charges of "insulting 'Turkishness'" and inciting hatred of Islam. What seems to be behind the charges is that Tastan and Topal were proselytizing - which, while not officially illegal, is frowned upon and has sometimes resulted in beatings of Christians trying to hand out religious literature."

So it's a different kind of religious freedom, apparently, in Turkey, where one is free to worship as he or she may please but gets his butt beat for telling anyone. Spencer says...

"All this bespeaks a Turkish officialdom that is hostile - at best - to non-Muslim forms of religious expression, Turkey's guarantees of religious freedom be damned. "

Michelle Malkin has a story too, here. Looks like the Pope is in for some exciting times.