The Saddening, Dangerous Remarks of Franklin Graham

On July 17, Franklin Graham made some deeply disturbing remarks on his Facebook page. This man who was once known for his acts of mercy and love through Samaritan’s Purse (an organization he still heads up, which still does tremendous work to ease suffering around the world) continued his growing political and xenophobic tendencies and actively advocated that Muslims no longer be allowed to immigrate to the United States. In part, he wrote:

We should stop all immigration of Muslims to the U.S. until this threat with Islam has been settled. Every Muslim that comes into this country has the potential to be radicalized–and they do their killing to honor their religion and Muhammad. During World War 2, we didn’t allow Japanese to immigrate to America, nor did we allow Germans. Why are we allowing Muslims now? Do you agree? Let your Congressman know that we’ve got to put a stop to this and close the flood gates.

Let’s take that apart, piece by piece.

1. How will we know when the threat with Islam has been “settled”?

Will this occur when Islam no longer exists because everyone has either been killed or converted? Since Graham believes every Muslim is potentially a danger, how could it be otherwise? (I doubt Graham meant to imply this, but it’s important to think through the ramifications of what he is suggesting.) Will it be when there is not a single terrorist attack by a Muslim in the world? Will this be when ISIS is vanquished? In a world of changing warfare, how do we know when we have won the war? And if the thesis is that Islam itself is a violent ideology, will there ever be a time when we can allow Muslims to immigrate to the United States again?

2. Will this call to ban Muslim immigration mean abandoning our neighbor to abuse and atrocity?

Alan Noble wisely tweeted:

One obvious reason why it’s immoral to ban Muslim immigrants: the people who suffer the most under radical Islam are Muslims.

— O. Alan Noble (@TheAlanNoble) July 19, 2015

Ben Corey wrote:

When we perpetuate negative stereotypes and label people we ultimately dehumanize them in our own minds. Franklin has been engaged in a systematic process of allowing our Muslim brothers and sisters– people with stories, families, hopes, and dreams– to be reduced from real people to a mental image that doesn’t reflect the truth. As a result, it’s an easy step for Franklin to now advocate that we refuse entry to Muslims even though so many of them are refugees who would die if not granted entry into the United States. Once you’ve removed a person’s humanity in your own mind, it’s much more palatable to actively or passively advocate for their death.

This is true. While we certainly should consider reducing the risk of radicalized individuals joining our nation, we cannot abandon the countless numbers who are mistreated and abused under radical Islam and who need safety. Are we seriously going to suppose that they must abandon their religion in order to obtain safety? Are we going to abandon the women and children who are abused under radical Islam and refuse to provide them sanctuary? Do we hear the cry of the poor and needy? Do we care?

Furthermore, do we care that words such as Graham’s, words that paint all Muslims with broad brush strokes, can actually put our peace-loving Muslim neighbors in danger? When a respected Christian leader speaks words of fear about other groups, it legitimizes those fears.