Ummahnews (England), 6 August 2002
http://ummahnews.com/viewarticle.php?sid=3928
US Muslim groups have been outraged by yet another attack on Islam by famous Christian evangelist Franklin Graham. In two media appearances yesterday, Graham said terrorism is part of “mainstream” Islam and claimed the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, “preaches violence.”
On Fox News cable network’s “Hannity & Colmes” program, Graham, after repeatedly refusing to deny that Islam is “evil,” said: “I think it’s [terrorism] more mainstream. And it’s not just a handful of extremists. If you buy the Koran, read it for yourself, and it’s in there. The violence that it preaches is there.”
Hannity responded by saying: “But this then raises a question. If this is not, reverend, the extremist fanatical interpretation of the Quran, then we do have a big problem.” Graham replied: “Big problem.
” Earlier in the day, Graham appeared on Hannity’s nationally-syndicated radio program where he made similar remarks and claimed that Muslim leaders have failed to condemn terrorism, despite the fact that all major American Muslim groups condemned the 9/11 attacks and other acts of terrorism. When a Muslim caller tried to offer a balancing view, Hannity cut his microphone. When other callers openly stated that “Islam is evil,” neither Graham nor Hannity challenged those bigoted views.
[…]
In November of last year, CAIR requested a meeting with Graham to discuss his remarks that attacked Islam as an “evil and wicked religion.” Graham did not reply to that request.