Rev. Franklin Graham. (BGEA)
Commenting on the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, Rev. Franklin Graham noted the barbarity of the Islamic State but also the often oppressive nature of Islam itself, stating, “This is Islam: They persecute the church, they persecute Christians.”
“The Sunnis persecute the Christians,” said Rev. Graham in an interview with CBN News. “We see in Syria and Iraq where they cut the heads of Christians, they rape the women, take them as sex slaves.”
“They take the Yazidis, the minorities, and they do the same thing,” he said. “They kill the men but take the women to have sex with them. And then after they have used them for a number of months, they’re so distraught mentally and physically that then they may let them go or they may kill them.”
“But this is Islam,” said Rev. Graham. “And if you look at Saudi Arabia, again it’s Islam. There are no [Christian] churches in Saudi Arabia.”
“If you go into Saudi Arabia with a Bible, they take it away from you,” he said. “If you try to preach or evangelize in Saudi Arabia, they will execute you.”
“So this is Islam,” said the reverend. “They persecute the church, they persecute Christians.”
“And so, I think we have a real problem in this country as it relates to immigration.,” he continued. “I think we need to examine people very carefully before we allow them in because we are creating a danger for ourselves.”
CBN host Efrem Graham (no relation) then asked, “The president is talking about increasing the number of immigrants. Does that concern you?”
“I would love to see those immigrants be the minorities,” said Rev. Graham. “The Christians, the Yazhidis, and other minorities, the Assyrians, and so forth, that still live in Syria and that are minorities, and allow these Christians and minorities to come to this country would be great.”
U.S. journalist James Foley moments
before he was decapitated with a
knife by an Islamic State
executioner. (YouTube)
“But to allow more Muslims into this country at this time while we’re still fighting against ISIS, and we have these issues, I think it’s creating a problem for us,” said the reverend.
The host also asked, “How would you grade our president thus far on handling that particular crisis?”
Rev. Graham said, “Well, I would have to say the crisis is a result of his failed policies.
Franklin Graham, 63, is the son of world-renowned evangelical preacher Billy Graham. Franklin Graham runs the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and is the president of the international Christian relief group Samaritan’s Purse.