It is forbidden in Islam to attribute evil acts to God.
Loyalty to one's nation is permissible in Islam. ("Muslim Scholars Release Open Letter To Islamic State Meticulously Blasting Its Ideology, Ibid)
Rev. Franklin's rigid emotional need for rightness of belief and self-justification help to explain his hatred toward people who, in his mind, become The Other. In an interview on Charlotte's WCOS TV 9, when the interviewer told him that an Imam said his words "are harsh and offensive," Graham's denial kicked in. He replied, "The truth sometimes is offensive, isn't it? So, I'm just telling the truth." He then said, "I want that Imam to know that God does love him and Jesus Christ died for his sins." Graham went on, "I want all Muslims to know that God loves them and cares for them. . . . I care for the Muslims, love them very much." ("Franklin Graham: 'I am trying to warn America, warn Duke University,'" Jan. 15, 2015)
Graham has no idea just how offensive such words are to the identity and integrity of Muslims. His paternalism and arrogance prevent him from realizing that his "I care for the Muslims, love them very much" is actually a subtle way of swearing at them. If he truly loved them, he would value and honor what is important to them, not require them to be like him. Instead, he tramples on their integrity with sanctimonious words.
In the WCOS TV 9 interview, rather than "truth"- telling, Rev. Graham did violence to the truth. He said, "For ten years, it's been the Muslims that have been fighting and destroying and burning the Middle East, and they'll destroy the whole Middle East. And," he continued, "this war isn't over yet. It's going to continue for years to come. . . . And it's going to come to this country." Graham's next statement flew in the face of reality. "President Bush was wise enough to try to fight the enemy overseas. Unfortunately, we are taking our guard down, and will be dealing with this in this country soon." (Ibid)
There was no "enemy overseas" threatening America with a "fight." President George W. Bush launched an unnecessary, war against Afghanistan, and then a falsely-based, pre-emptive criminal war against non-threatening, sanctions-weakened Iraq. Which, contrary to Bush administration lies, had no weapons of mass destruction, nor ties to 9/11. America has committed horrible war crimes against the Iraqi people. Hundreds of thousands, to over a million, civilians killed. Some four-and-a-half million displaced. Possible two million widows, and some five million orphans. (See, "Iraq's Shocking Human Toll: About l Million Killed, 4.5 Million Displaced, 1-2 Million Widows, 5 Million Orphans, By John, Tirman, Alternet, Feb. 1, 2009) The country's life-sustaining infrastructure decimated.
The American-led invasion and occupation also triggered severe sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Iraqis. And this violence gave birth to the rise of ISIS, which is the primary achievement of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" (See, "ISIS: the inside story," by martin Chulov, The Guardian, Dec. 11, 2014)
Another result of the criminal Iraqi war: the grieving in hundreds of thousands of American homes for dead and "wounded warriors." The waste of our country's resources. Also, ironically, our National Guard has created horrible destructive fires overseas, when it have been needed to put out wild fires in our own West--and protect people from floods in our Midwest.
And who was waiting in the wings to show up in the aftermath of the criminal invasion of Iraq to convert Muslins to Christ--that is, those fortunate enough to still be alive? Rev. Franklin Graham, who, along with other prominent white evangelical Christian leaders, was reported as "claiming that the American invasion of Iraq would create new prospects for proselytizing Muslims." ("Wayward Christian Soldiers," By Charles Marsh, The New York Times, Jan. 20, 2006)
Rev. Graham's international aid organization, Samaritan's Purse, followed in the wake of the devastating American-led invasion of Iraq, to pick up the pieces: providing relief for the sick and hungry and homeless--vulnerable victims who were ripe for proselytizing. Early on Graham, reported to be "one of the nation's outspoken critics of Islam," was quoted as saying "he has relief workers 'poised and ready' to roll into Iraq to provide for the population's post-war physical and spiritual needs."
He also said, "I believe as we work, God will always give us opportunities to tell others about his Son. . . . We are there to reach out to love them and to save them, and as a Christian I do this in the name of Jesus Christ." ("Group to Aid, Proselytize in Postwar Iraq, By Deborah Caldwell, abcNEWS, March 27, 2003)
Rev. Graham saw Iraq as "creating exciting new opportunities for proselytizing Muslims," not as a horrible war crime committed by the Bush administration against the people of Iraq. He was like a vulture circling overhead, ready to swoop down on its stricken prey, ripe for the pickings. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is quoted as having said about Graham: "This is a guy who gave the Invocation at President Bush's Inauguration and believes Islam is a wicked faith. And he's going into Iraq in the wake of an invading army and convert people to Christianity? Nothing good is coming of that." (Ibid)
Rev. Graham's self-deception is classic. His magical, Christifying words enable him to conceal himself from himself. Another case in point is his chastising President Obama for reminding everyone at the recent National Prayer Breakfast that, "during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ," and "in our own country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often were justified in the name of Christ." ("Remarks by the President at National Prayer Breakfast, www.whitehouse.gov, Feb. 5, 2015) Graham took to his Facebook to respond: "Mr. President- Many people in history have used the name of Jesus Christ to accomplish evil things for their own desires. But," he said, "Jesus taught peace, love and forgiveness. He came to give his life for the sins of mankind, not to take life. Mohammed, on the other hand," he continued, "was a warrior and killed many innocent people." Then his point: "True followers of Christ emulate Christ--true followers of Mohammed emulate Mohammed ." (www.facebook,com/FranklinGraham/posts)
Jesus may have "taught peace, love and forgiveness. But that is obviously not what Rev. Graham is about. His embracing of the criminal war against Iraq and blessing of war criminal George W. Bush speak for themselves. And his angry response to Duke University's recent attempt at interfaith cooperation came from a place where "peace, love and forgiveness" do not dwell.
Duke, a United Methodist-affiliated institution, flirted with real affirmation of its 700 Muslim students by deciding to allow them to issue their call to prayer on Fridays from the chapel bell tower. According to the vice president for student affairs and government relations Michael Schoenfeld, the aim "was meant to be unifying," but "was turned into the opposite." He said that "the university received hundreds of calls and e-mails, many of which were quite vitriolic . . . unlike any other controversy we have seen here in sometime." ("Duke University reverses decision, will not allow Muslim call to prayer at its chapel," By Adam Bell, www.charlotteobserver.com, 1/15/2015)
Rev. Graham spearheaded the "vitriolic" reaction against Duke University's attempt at interfaith respect and unity. His wrote words on his Facebook page that were not about "peace, love and forgiveness": "As Christianity is being excluded from the public space and the followers of Islam are raping, butchering and beheading Christians, Jews and anyone else who doesn't submit to Sharia Islamic law, Duke is promoting this in the name of religious pluralism," Graham said, and called on "donors and alumni to withhold their support from Duke until this policy is reversed."
Then followed more Facebook words from Rev. Graham, lacking "peace, love and forgiveness." He stated, "Will evangelical Christians be allowed the same three minutes weekly to broadcast the message across campus that God Almighty of the Bible sent His Son Jesus Christ to offer forgiveness of sins and salvation to all who will repent, believe, and call on His Name?" He added, "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me' (John 14: 6)."
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