Evangelicals Condemn Franklin Graham's Call to Ban Muslim Immigration After Chattanooga Shooting
Samaritan's Purse President & CEO Wants US to Repeat World War II Treatment of Japanese and Germans
Harris Zafar is the national spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, one of the nation's oldest and largest American-Muslim organizations. Zafar, aslo author of Demystifying Islam: Tackling the Tough Questions, previously criticized Graham for his "anti-Islam" remarks concerning Duke University's decision to allow the Muslim call to prayer to play from speakers on its chapel bellow tower.
On Monday, Zafar said Graham's latest "tirade" was "an exposé of demented imagination in place of intelligent rational thinking" and that he "would have expected more knowledge about the religion of Islam from a religious leader."
The "Rev. Graham's comments are the latest in a regretfully long string of remarks exhibiting not only his intolerance of Muslims and Islam but also his inherent ignorance of the Islamic faith," Zafar said in an email to The Christian Post.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"I have always had respect for the humanitarian work (the) Rev. Graham has been engaged in through Samaritan's Purse, but his engagement in social, political and religious discourse has exhibited an extreme and intolerance [sic] mindset and ideology. His approach to dialogue is an insult to the inspiring and Divinely guided teachings of Jesus. He may think he is deriding Islam through his dialogue, but he only derides the teachings of Jesus. Franklin Graham is to Christianity and Christians as ISIS and Taliban are to True Islam and Muslims," he argued.
The Demystifying Islam author, who has asked Graham to debate him publicly about the religion, said he also found the mostly positive responses to Graham's Facebook remarks "quite surprising."
If Christians are suspicious or fearful of Muslims, the best way to address their concerns would be "to simply meet and get to know some Muslims," said Zafar.
"Have lunch with them, go to each other's homes or houses or worship. Ask questions in order to understand what they truly believe in. True Islam condemns all violence, does not promote violent jihad, champions freedom of speech and freedom of religion and champions the empowerment of women. If you want to judge Islam, first find out what true Islam is," he added. Zafar also noted that his organization, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, "has enjoyed very strong interfaith relationships with all varieties of Christian congregations."
The Christian Post attempted to contact Graham about his Facebook post and the resulting responses, but was told Monday by DeMoss, the public relations firm representing Graham and his organizations, that he was traveling and unavailable to comment.
In addition to his outreach and relief work through Samaritan's Purse, Graham follows in the footsteps of his influential and widely respected father, the Rev. Billy Graham, by preaching as an evangelist around the world through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
The evangelistic ministry recently published a feature with David Nasser, a former Muslim and the senior vice president for spiritual development at Liberty University. Nasser, whose family moved from Iran to the United States when he was a child, suggested that Christians should be motivated by love and not fear in sharing the Gospel with their Muslim neighbors and friends.
"Muslims are not the enemy; they are the prize. We are part of the only kingdom where the King of our kingdom died for His enemies. It is us for them, not us against them," Nasser said. "We want to see them come to Christ. And we need to maintain a passion for the very people we rise up against, but at the same time rise up for."
Correction: July 22, 2015:
An article on Tuesday, July 22, 2015, reported that Tim Sweetman is the general manager of training and leadership development at two Chick-fil-A franchise restaurant locations in Annapolis, Maryland. Sweetman, also a writer and blogger, informed The Christian Post that he did not make his statement regarding Graham as a representative of Chick-Fil-A.
