Rick Santorum Forgives Franklin Graham’s Anti-Muslim Comments

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who has his eyes on the Republican nomination for president, says Franklin Graham can be forgiven for calling Islam an evil religion because they were made “in the heat of an attack” on America. The Pentagon recently rescinded an invitation for Graham to speak on National Prayer Day.

SANTORUM: What Franklin Graham has done, is he made a statement in the heat of an attack on this county by people who were Jihadists, and it was a reasonable statement at the time. And I think Franklin Graham has done everything over the last ten years to show that this is a man who cares about humanity and cares about preaching the word of God, and that is love and peace and forgiveness, and the Army should practice at least the forgiveness part of it. […]

The fact that he made a statement in the heat of an attack on this country, is something that is eminently forgivable. And, if applied just to the people that were attacking this country, is true. That was an evil act, by people who, if you focus on Jihadists, are in fact evil. So this is the Army trying to be politically correct.

Graham’s comments, on November 16, 2001, slammed the entire religion, not just “jihadists.”

“We’re not attacking Islam but Islam has attacked us. The God of Islam is not the same God. He’s not the son of God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It’s a different God, and I believe it [Islam] is a very evil and wicked religion.”

However, it wasn’t “in the heat of an attack” when Graham last week painted Muslims as thinking they have to make car bombs or die in holy wars to be accepted by God. And it wasn’t “in the heat of an attack” in 2006 when Graham said he stood by his earlier comments.

Asked by ABC correspondent John Donvan whether Muslim groups had succeeded in altering his outlook about Islam, Graham said “No.”

“Do they want to indoctrinate me? Yes. I know about Islam. I don’t need an education from Islam,” he said. “If people think Islam is such a wonderful religion, just go to Saudi Arabia and make it your home. Just live there. If you think Islam is such a wonderful religion, I mean, go and live under the Taliban somewhere. I mean, you’re free to do that.”

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.