Hussein Shobokshi

One of the main reasons for the growing Islamophobia in America today is the strong anti-Muslim rhetoric coming from the evangelical Christian leaders. They have repeatedly made venomous statements about Islam, and the Bush administration continues to support them, suggesting that while the official position is that Islam is a religion of peace, the government does not have any issue cozying to those who hate Islam. The latest decision by the White House to nominate a prominent Islamophobe to the board of the US Institute of Peace, and the invitation by the Pentagon to Franklin Graham, who described Islam as a wicked religion, are signs that even the top leaders are not protected from the impact of a group of bigoted religious fundamentalists who are undermining the secular character of America, subverting the peaceful message of Christianity and polluting the socio-cultural environment of America. Rev. Jerry Falwell, Rev. Pat Robertson, Rev. Jerry Vine and Rev. Franklin Graham are four of the most prominent.

In the past few months they have unleashed an assault on Islam. Reverends Falwell and Pat Robertson have called the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) a terrorist and argued that Islam and its teachings are the source of violence. Rev. Franklin Graham has announced that Islam and its teachings are evil and wicked.

The problem with this group is not just their ideas and their hate mongering but the fact that they have a following large enough to influence the outcomes in American elections. By virtue of their votes and their fund-raising capabilities they exercise more power over Congress and the president than the sheikhs of Saudi Arabia over the decisions of their king. Furthermore, the close relationship between the president himself and Rev. Franklin Graham and some members of his administration like Attorney-General Ashcroft is extremely disturbing. Is it possible that the very purpose of the Federal initiative to support faith-based programs is to allow these groups to influence their operations with those of the federal government? Their involvement in postwar Iraq further strengthens these notions.

These groups’ main organizations are based in Nashville, Tennessee; a city that has become to evangelists what Rome is to Catholics. Hate mongering is exceptional in the Christian communities of America.

Most other Protestant groups and Catholics in general have gone way beyond the call of duty to befriend, support, protect and comfort American Muslims in their hour of need, and most Christian groups opposed the war against Iraq as unjust and have condemned anti-Muslim bigotry. Saudi Arabia recently fired its zealot imams (in an overdue decision) who have been providing hateful sermons in mosques.

Is it not possible for America to do the same with these fundamentalist Christians preachers of terror? The world would be better off.

Arab News Opinion 1 July 2003