Wednesday, November 21, 2001

Leave racism off the pulpit
Generalizations could lead Christians to blame a religion
By James Zwilling
Skif Staff

One of America’s leading Christian evangelists, the Rev. Franklin Graham, eldest son of spiritual leader the Rev. Billy Graham, defended remarks he made during an interview last month calling the entire Islamic religion, “wicked, violent and not of the same god,” Friday by saying, “It wasn’t the Methodists flying into those buildings, and it wasn’t Lutherans. It was an attack on this country by people of the Islamic faith.”

These comments perpetuate the ignorance of the racists and bigots all across this country who have unleashed violence against innocent Muslims since the Sept. 11 attacks on America, and it makes Franklin Graham no better a man than those individuals who are committing these unprovoked acts.

Franklin Graham’s remarks came from a longer interview devoted mainly to his Christian theology but stands out because so many public figures, including Franklin Graham’s close friend, President George W. Bush, have urged Americans not to blame the faith for the Sept. 11 attacks.

His statements contradict the idea that America is involved in a war against terrorism, not a holy war.

The danger here is that Franklin Graham is a powerful man, and if local ministers fall prey to the misinformation that Franklin Graham is inundating them with, it will be only a matter of time before Christians all over the world will begin to blame this terrorism on the entire Islamic faith instead of a small group of tyrannical leaders in Afghanistan.

Franklin Graham is messing with the sacred institution of religion and his ideas are as big a threat to this nation as any act of terrorism.

This is not to say that Franklin Graham does not have the right to free speech. We do still have that right as Americans.

In fact, it is common in times of uncertainty that this nation latches on to its religious ideals to seek answers and understanding of world events. Franklin Graham’s own father, Billy Graham, has served as advisor to several presidents, and this practice has always been accepted by most.

Many people favor the separation of church and state. But when it comes down to it, sometimes faith is the only thing that can help maintain the state.

And if Franklin Graham wants to tell the president how much he hates the Islamic faith, by all means, let him do it. But as a leading member of the Christian faith, Franklin Graham has done a great injustice to this country by sharing what are no more than personal prejudices with the citizens of America.

For Franklin Graham to generalize an entire religion as “wicked, violent and not of the same god” is not only unfair to people of the Islamic faith, but it is a critical error on his part.

Perhaps Franklin Graham put down his Koran a little too soon. Had he kept reading, he would have learned something about prejudice, for it says in the Koran: “O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God’s sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware” (49:13).

Racism is incomprehensible to Muslims. It’s too bad that people like the Rev. Franklin Graham have to keep reminding Americans what it is and defining it for them.

James Zwilling is a junior news-editorial journalism major from Phoenix.
He can be contacted at (j.g.zwilling@student.tcu.edu).