Christian leader condemns Islam (Preacher Franklin Graham calls Islam ‘wicked, violent’)

msnbc ^ | 11/16/2001 | By Jim Avila

[KQQL]

Christian leader condemns Islam
Preacher Franklin Graham calls Islam ‘wicked, violent

On the first day of Ramadan, Franklin Graham's comments last month about the Muslim faith are causing problems for the Bush administration.

By Jim Avila

NBC NEWS Nov. 16 — The Bush administration continues to be careful about what it says concerning the religion of Osama bin Laden. However, it turns out that one of Bush’s close friends in the American religious establishment has had some very harsh words for the Muslim faith. There is fallout from such remarks made last month by Franklin Graham.

FRANKLIN GRAHAM is one of America’s most powerful Christian leaders. He delivered the benediction at George W. Bush’s inauguration. His father, Billy, counseled a long list of presidents. But now Franklin is in trouble with political friends for comments made recently, calling the entire Islamic religion “wicked, violent and not of the same God.”

“I don’t believe this is a wonderful, peaceful religion,” said Graham. “When you read the Koran and you read the verses from the Koran, it instructs the killing of the infidel, for those that are non-Muslim.”

Asked by NBC News to clarify his statement, Graham repeated his charge that Islam, as a whole, is an evil.

“It wasn’t Methodists flying into those buildings, it wasn’t Lutherans,” said Graham. “It was an attack on this country by people of the Islamic faith.”

Meanwhile, Ramadan, the holiest season of the Muslim year, has begun. Graham’s comments came as Bush, himself a deeply religious Christian, wished the world’s 1 billion Muslims, “health, prosperity and happiness during Ramadan.”

“Islam never teaches hatred, Islam never teaches terrorism,” says Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America.

The White House also distanced itself from Graham’s remarks Friday, saying the president “views Islam as a religion that preaches peace,” and that the terrorists do not represent what Islam teaches.

None of the other Christian leaders contacted by NBC News, including Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, would comment on Graham’s attacks.

“Obviously, Mr. Graham is tone deaf in this respect,” says Newsweek religion editor Ken Woodward. “He’s certainly not his father’s son in terms of discretion.”

A presidential friend and supporter now finds himself at odds with both the Muslim world and the message from the White House.

[editor-surveyor]

"I am afraid, however, that you might be standing with a sward above the person on his knees as you admonish him to repent."

The only 'sward' that I choose to wield is the Sword of the Lord, the Holy Scriptures. - Whether you repent or not is your concern, but I highly recommend it.

[Shuhite]

Wetern thinkers have been urging us to cultivate the fortitude of the heart, but you seem to be appealing to an altogether different organ.

Well, I dunno if I would call the testes "an organ"... but the phrase "testicular fortitude" is just one that my BUS 101 prof last year used every now and then and I kind of like it. I'm one to complexify simple phrases. I guess you wanted me to simply say "the balls"... Or maybe you wanted me to say that this gentleman "had the heart to stand up..."? Personally, when I think of someone standing up for something, that person has the balls, not the heart to do so. Just my opinion; make what you want of it.

[Cindy]

AGAPE PRESS: "FORMER MUSLIM: GOD OF ABRAHAM NOT THE SAME AS GOD OF MOHAMMED" by Chad Groening

[John Locke]

First, try learning to read. This is what I wrote:

"Of course, there's a lot of racist stuff in the OT too."

OT - Old Testament.

Got that? Now take your condescension and stuff it.

[Les_Miserables]

This is what you wrote.
""Of course, there's a lot of racist stuff in the OT too. That's one of the (many) problems of organized religion: the bad attitudes of former times tend to get frozen into dogmas and pollute the minds of generations to come. That's a problem in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism."

When you learn to write I'll learn to read. You attempted to wrap your problem with all organized religion (implying an expertise on organized religions that I doubt) around a statement about racism in the OT. (Technically incorrect if read with any understanding BTW). Your leap from OT "racism" to "That's one of the...problems of organized religion":...again wrapping into Christianity... Yours is an intellectually cheap attempt to incorrecty link Christianity with all manner of spooky issues.. using racism as the base example of polution of the minds (not a problem for you obviously) of generations to come.. please...learn something about those you criticize.... and lose your insulting tone when you can't defend your ill-formed positions. It serves you poorly.