Vatican City, Sept 19 (ZEENEWS.COM) Pope Benedict tried on Sunday (September 17) to calm Muslim anger at his remarks on Islam, saying he was "deeply sorry" about the reaction and that medieval quotes he used on holy war did not reflect his personal views.

The head of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics stopped short of the full apology or retraction demanded by some Muslims for a speech they say portrayed Islam as tainted by violence.

It was unclear whether his words would end the backlash.

Before the Pope spoke, there had already been attacks on churches in the West Bank.

In the town of Tubas outside Jenin, a group of Palestinians set fire to a Roman Catholic church, causing minor damage before the flames were put out. One individual was arrested, Palestinian security forces said.

A Roman Catholic church in the town of Tulkarm also sustained damage in a blaze. Witnesses said they saw a man set the fire in the early morning.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack.

Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited Nablus on Sunday after five churches in the West Bank city were attacked over the weekend.

Palestinian security forces were deployed to churches in the West Bank to prevent further violence, witnesses said.

"(The attacks) are totally rejected. Every Palestinian must stop any harm to the churches of Christians on the Palestinian land," Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said on Sunday in response to the series of church attacks.

But Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas rejected the Pope's expression of sorrow.

"In Hamas we do not view the statement attributed to the Pope as an apology. We see there is nothing new in the position of the Pope. He has to show full courage and correct his position following the great offence he has caused to muslims and Islam," Sami Abu Zuhri said in Gaza.

In Egypt, deputy leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Habib who initially described Pope's remarks as "a sufficient apology" later said: "It does not rise to the level of a clear apology and, based on this, we're calling on the Pope of the Vatican to issue a clear apology that will decisively end any confusion."

Many across the Muslim countries have expressed dismay at what they see as offensive comments and religious leaders have called it the start of a new Christian crusade against Islam.

In the speech, the Pope, a former theology professor and enforcer of Vatican dogma, referred to criticism of the Prophet Mohammad by 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus.

The emperor said everything the Prophet Mohammad brought was evil "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and politicians in Italy rushed to Benedict's defence, saying he had been misunderstood and had really being making an appeal for dialogue.

But angry Muslim leaders flung what they saw as allegations of violence back at the West, referring to the medieval crusades against Islam and to the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have fanned the flames of Muslim resentment.

In Iran about 500 theological school students protested in the holy city of Qom on Sunday and influential cleric Ahmad Khatami warned that if the Pope did not apologise, "Muslims' outcry will continue until he fully regrets his remarks".

"The Pope should fall on his knees in front of a senior Muslim cleric and try to understand Islam," Khatami said.

In London, a small demo was held outside Westminster Cathedral. The protesters chanted slogans and carries banners condemning remarks made by the Pope.

The uproar had raised questions about whether a papal visit to Turkey in November could go ahead, but the Turkish government, while calling his remarks "ugly", said there were no plans to call it off.

The church has officially encouraged dialogue with Islam and other non-Christian faiths since the Second Vatican Council that ended in 1965. Benedict has sought dialogue with Islam -- but he also stresses Europe's Christian roots and, before elected, said he opposed mainly Muslim Turkey joining the European Union.

He may have come closer than any modern-day pope to saying sorry in public for something he has said. His predecessor John Paul II made public apologies for the church's historic errors, such as the Inquisition and its failings in World War Two.