Thread: CAIR Applauds Pentagon Decision to Drop Graham

CAIR Applauds Pentagon Decision to Drop Graham

Thursday, 22 Apr 2010 08:48 PM

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today applauded the Pentagon's decision to disinvite a scheduled speaker, controversial Christian evangelist Franklin Graham, who has called Islam a "very evil and wicked religion" and this morning said Muslims are "enslaved by Islam."

CAIR had earlier today called for such a move on the part of military officials. Graham was scheduled to speak May 6 - the National Day of Prayer - at the Pentagon.

"We applaud this decision as a victory for common sense and good judgment," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Promoting one's own religious beliefs is something to be defended and encouraged, but other faiths should not be attacked or misrepresented in the process."

In an interview today about the controversy on Fox News, Graham refused to revise his past comments that Islam is evil and claimed that Muslims are "enslaved by Islam."

In a 2009 CNN interview, Graham stated in part: "[T]rue Islam cannot be practiced in this country. You can't beat your wife. You cannot murder your children if you think they've committed adultery or something like that, which they do practice in these other countries... I don't agree with the teachings of Islam and I find it to be a very violent religion."

In 2002, Graham said terrorism is part of "mainstream" Islam and claimed the Quran, Islam's revealed text, "preaches violence."

In 2001, Graham stood by remarks he made about Islam at the dedication of a chapel in North Carolina. At that event, he said: "We're not attacking Islam but Islam has attacked us. The God of Islam is not the same God. He's not the son of God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It's a different God, and I believe it is a very evil and wicked religion."

http://newsmax.com/Headline/graham-isla ... /id/356616

Tony Perkins Condemns Army on Franklin Matter

Thursday, 22 Apr 2010 08:52 PM

WASHINGTON-- Today Franklin Graham announced that the United States Army withdrew an invitation for him to appear at a special Pentagon prayer service. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins made the following statement about the rescinded invitation:

"Franklin Graham is a man of courage and integrity whose deeply held biblical convictions should not be a pretext for denying him the opportunity to share the Gospel," said Perkins. "His ministry, Samaritan's Purse, has fed literally millions of men, women and children in Muslim countries. The fact that he has theological differences with Islam, differences wholly in keeping with the teachings of the New Testament, and that he has expressed them publicly, is now being used by anti-Christian zealots in a manner offensive to the freedom of religion guaranteed by the very Constitution military leaders are sworn to uphold.

"This decision is further evidence that the leadership of our nation's military has been impaired by the politically correct culture being advanced by this Administration. Under this Administration's watch we are seeing the First Amendment, designed to protect the religious exercise of Americans, retooled into a sword to sever America's ties with orthodox Christianity.

"For those Christian leaders who have avoided the controversy of political issues, saying they just wanted to preach the gospel – this should be a wake up call!"

Perkins was uninvited to speak at a prayer luncheon at Andrews Air Force Base earlier this year due to his expressed opposition to President Obama's call to allow homosexuals to serve in the military.

http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/perkins- ... /id/356617