Evangelist Franklin Graham said Muslims must be barred from entering the United States, in light of what he purports to be the growing “threat” of Islam evidenced by the recent fatal shootings in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In the wake of last week’s tragedy that claimed the lives of five service members, the son of celebrated evangelist, the Rev. Billy Graham, said Friday that America needs to bring an end to the immigration of Muslims to the U.S.
Franklin Graham posted to his Facebook page that those deaths are the result of “a radical Muslim whose family was allowed to immigrate to this country from Kuwait.”
“We are under attack by Muslims at home and abroad. We should stop all immigration of Muslims to the U.S. until this threat with Islam has been settled,” he continued.
“Every Muslim that comes into this country has the potential to be radicalized — and they do their killing to honor their religion and Muhammad. During World War 2, we didn’t allow Japanese to immigrate to America, nor did we allow Germans. Why are we allowing Muslims now? Do you agree? Let your Congressman know that we’ve got to put a stop to this and close the flood gates. Pray for the men and women who serve this nation in uniform, that God would protect them,” Mr. Graham said.
The preacher’s remarks have been re-posted by more than 57,000 other Facebook users since the social media musing was published late last week.
Authorities say Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez opened fire at two military installations in Chattanooga on Thursday, fatally wounding five troops in all before being executed at the second crime scene by local law enforcement.
Abdulazeez, a naturalized U.S. citizen who emigrated from Kuwait in 1996, had increasingly been attending services at the Islamic Society of Greater Chattanooga in recent months, said sources who spoke with The New York Times last week.
“The Tennessee Muslim community unequivocally condemns today’s heinous and unjustified attack in Chattanooga,” Paul Galloway, of the American Muslim Advisory Council, told The Tennessean after last week’s attacks. “The Tennessee Muslim community wishes to express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. Terrorists seek to divide our society, and we pray that all Americans will stand together united against their wanton violence and hatred.”
Mr. Graham is currently the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Earlier this year, he led a campaign against Duke University after the school announced plans to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer from the campus bell tower.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.