Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Tuesday that President Obama’s strategy of not mentioning “radical Islamic terrorism” obviously is not working, citing four major attacks in the West in the past year.
He also said that the targeting of homosexuals in Orlando underscored the extremist Islamist ideology behind the attack.
“Somebody should point out the superiority of our civilization to the barbarians that we are facing,” Mr. Giuliani said on CNN’s “New Day.”
Mr. Giuliani defended the use of the term “radical Islam” when challenged by CCN host Chris Cuomo, who accused him of disparaging all Muslims.
“I don’t know why we’re arguing over this. The Obama strategy of not mentioning it by name obviously isn’t working,” Mr. Giuliani said. “We’ve had four attacks in the last year. That’s outrageous. They are increasing.”
He apparently was referring to the four major attacks in the the past year, including attacks in Belgium and Paris.
“The fact is that the weaker you are, the harder they hit you,” Mr. Giuliani said. “And there is a connection between radical Muslims and attacking gays and lesbians.”
Mr. Cuomo had pressed the former mayor about the reluctance of some Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to acknowledge that homosexuals were targeted in Orlando, where a gunman linked to the Islamic State killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in the most deadly attack in the U.S. since 9/11.
“Radical Muslims believe that the death penalty is the correct punishment for gays,” said Mr. Giuliani, who described himself as one of the few Republican leaders who supports gay marriage.
He noted that he planned to officiate at a gay marriage ceremony this summer.
“Look, we argue about gay marriage in the United States. There is nobody in the United States who argues for death for homosexuals,” he said. “So this is a very different culture and we are at a very different level of civilization.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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