Muslims in North America and around the world have watched and listened to the NBC News interview with Mr. Franklin Graham, son of Rev. Billy Graham, and noted with profound grief and distress that a person who is acclaimed as a man of God should display such narrow-minded bigotry against Islam, and outrageous lack of religious knowledge.
In his interview, Mr. Franklin Graham, declared, “The God of Islam is not the same God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It’s a different God and I believe it is a very evil and wicked religion.”
Mr. Franklin Graham also made baseless accusations against the Qur’an, saying: “They instruct their followers to kill Christians, to kill infidels. They instruct followers of Islam to beat their wives. They want Islamic law. They don’t want democracy, they don’t want personal freedoms. So, you have to read the Qur’an.”
It is regrettable that Mr. Franklin Graham has decided to revive the medieval hate that accompanied the Crusades against Islam. Ironically, the hate and demonizing of Islam that Mr. Franklin Graham has chosen to revive goes against his father, Rev. Billy Graham’s ministry who taught a message of interfaith understanding and shared Abrahamic values. Mr. Graham’s statements - that stand in sharp contrast to American policy objectives - are inflammatory, and could lead to civil discord in American society and the world. In sum, Mr. Frank Graham has defamed the faith of over 1.2 billion Muslims around the globe. He should apologize not only to 7 million fellow Muslim Americans but also to all Muslims.
Franklin Graham is the son of Billy Graham, an internationally known minister who has counseled a number of world leaders. The younger Graham offered the benediction at President Bush’s swearing-in ceremony. On September 14, at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance service in Washington’s National Cathedral, his father, Billy Graham, said: “We come together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious or political background may be.”
The Secretary General of ISNA, Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, has already condemned these remarks in his conversation with the producers of the interview at NBC. However, it is essential that all Muslims must contact NBC News and their local sponsors to express their condemnation of such vile language to be broadcast on a public channel. Please be polite but firm and strive to educate the respondent that what was mentioned by Mr. Graham was un-American and antireligious at best. - Islamic Society of North America Press Release.