A New Crusade? Evangelical Christians Rally Against Islam

[Guest guest]

A New Crusade?

Evangelical Christians Rally Against Islam, Despite Bush Disavowal

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/evangelical_christians02

1118.html

 

Nov. 18 — The nation's leading evangelical Christians have been

thundering against Islam, both from the pulpit and on television.

"I think Mohammed was a terrorist," said conservative preacher Jerry

Falwell in a televised interview. "I have read enough of the history

of his life, written by both Muslims and non-Muslims, that he was

about a violent man, a man of war."

 

That comment and others from some conservative Christians have

expressed harsh opinions of the prophet Mohammed, the founder of

Islam.

 

"This man was an absolute wild-eyed fanatic," said Pat Robertson,

founder of the Christian Coalition. "He was a robber and a brigand.

And to say that these terrorists distort Islam? They're carrying out

Islam!

 

"Adolph Hitler was bad, but what the Muslims want to do to the Jews

is worse," Robertson said.

 

The Rev. Jerry Vines said at a Southern Baptist convention, "Islam

was founded by Mohammed, a demon-possessed pedophile who had 12

wives, and his last one was a 9-year-old girl."

And televangelist Jimmy Swaggart said, "You know what we ought to

do? We ought to take every single Muslim student in every college in

this nation and ship them back to where they came from."

 

Bush Administration Responds

 

For months, President Bush, who frequently says Islam is a religion

of peace, declined to condemn these statements. Until now.

A few days ago, Bush said, "Some of the comments that have been

uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government

or the sentiments of most Americans."

Secretary of State Colin Powell followed suit. "This kind of hatred

must be rejected," he said. "This kind of language must be spoken

out against."

 

Critics suggest the administration waited to condemn the statements

from leading evangelists because they didn't want to alienate a key

constituency before the midterm elections. The White House denies

the claim.

What is clear is that evangelical attacks on Islam risk further

alienating key Arab allies as the United States prepares for a

possible war against Iraq.

 

Falwell's comments about Mohammed became a hot topic of discussion

on the Arab satellite television station al Jazeera, and a protest

erupted in India, leading to a riot that killed five people. Falwell

has since apologized for his comment.

Swaggart, who now says he regrets some of his recent comments, also

says he doesn't worry about creating diplomatic problems with Arab

countries.

 

"I feel like it's my responsibility and my obligation to stand up

and to say that which I believe to be the truth," he said. "They do

the same thing."

 

Critics say evangelists are attacking Islam because it's a good way

to drum up passions and donations among their supporters.

Evangelical leaders say they're speaking out of conviction, and

they'll keep doing so no matter what they president says.