John R. Houk
© April 24, 2010
Sarah Palin steps up to defend Franklin Graham. I was going to her Facebook page to get the direct quote, but as of this writing Facebook seems to be down. So here is Governor Palin wrote in defense of Graham from Politico’s Ben Smith:
"Are we really so hyper-politically correct that we can’t abide a Christian minister who expresses his views on matters of faith? What a shame. Yes, thing have changed."
Greg Sargent of Who Runs Gov’s blog The Plum Line writes that Palin also said (and he paraphrased), “Graham’s remarks were directed only at radical and violent Jihadists”. Sargent then provides these quoted Palin words (I assume from the Facebook page):
His comments in 2001 were aimed at those who are so radical that they would kill innocent people and subjugate women in the name of religion. Are we really so hyper-politically correct that we can’t abide a Christian minister who expresses his views on matters of faith? What a shame.
From this Palin quote Sargent asserts she is mistaken in believing Graham’s Islam is evil words were only directed toward radical Islam:
Actually, no, his comments weren’t aimed only at those radical enough to kill and subjugate women. They were directed at all of Islam.
Then Sargent paraphrases a Palin comment which I assume is related to the revelation that Graham actually meant all Islam:
That’s news, and I hope it’s widely reported, with Graham’s full quote included in every media account.
Since I am uncertain on Greg Sargent’s views on former Governor Palin, I was having a difficult time deciding if he was criticizing her intelligence or reporting about her support of Graham’s statement about Islam is revealing as to what kind of person Palin is.
Here are my thoughts of Palin’s defense of Graham. First of all Graham is correct! Islam as a theopolitical ideology as directed by its prophet is evil. On the other hand Palin is probably quite aware that a majority Muslims do not follow the purist path of Islam which versions of radical Islam are trying to reform to bring back the Prophet’s Seventh century thinking back to the 21st century. Hmm … That would be a kind of an Islamic Back to the Future thing, would it not?
Although not a single Muslim will dare to expose Mohammed as a heinous wicked man who inspired one of the world’s greatest conquering forces to be maintained by a theopolitical ideology that included conversion by force, humiliation or death for non-converts, pillaging for wealth advancement and the exploitation of women for illicit sexual pleasures (either rape or sex slavery) as well as pedophilia. At best Mohammed was a true spiritual man of inner peace who became deranged by persecution that caused him to flee Mecca followed closely by the rejection of his Prophethood by Jews and Christians.
Palin’s awareness of the Muslim majority quiet attempts to distance themselves from their purist reformers undoubtedly led her to believe Graham’s Islamic denunciation was toward the Islamic purists. When approached about Graham’s wider net of thoughts of Islam, her thoughts were also undoubtedly a, “Who am I to correct the man of God?”
Palin’s public concerns are political and not theological. Last I heard Sarah Palin is of the Pentecostal persuasion which the Left for some reason likes to vilify. Since I am also of the Pentecostal (and Charismatic) persuasion I thus would guess Palin’s personal view is that Islam is inimical toward Christianity hence the so-called religion of peace could enter the realm of evil spiritually. Politically I doubt Palin would ever attach herself to a potential personal concern about Islam. The Left would twist personal thoughts of an evil Islam into a character assassination. Ask Franklin Graham.
Here is an example of an off the target remark:
Imagine if a leading American imam decried Christianity as an "evil" religion and then was invited to participate at a National Day of Prayer event at the Pentagon. How would conservative pundits, shouting heads, bloggers and politicians react?
This is the opening salvo of a David Corn article on Politics Daily.
Corn’s article and many similar denunciations of Graham and Palin in the belief that Islam is evil should be aware that the Saudi government provides literature support to most Mosques in America. A 95 page PDF article entitled, “SAUDI PUBLICATIONS ON HATE IDEOLOGY INVADE AMERICAN MOSQUES” demonstrates the venom of Muslim Clerics and Imams in America. Here is just a small sample of a large compendium of examples:
The prominent Saudi religious leader Sheik al-‘Athimein, in a fatwa found distributed in several cities in the United States [Document No. 52], refers to Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, another fanatic medieval source and disciple of Ibn Taymiya. Using these rulings, the Saudi embassy instructs Muslims not to congratulate Christians at Christmas time, by for example uttering the words “Happy Holiday.” In fact, this abominable activity is “a practice more loathsome to God…than imbibing liquor, or murder, or fornication.” This implies that a Muslim wishing a Christian “Happy Holidays” on Christmas is an apostate and should be put to death. If Christians, continues the Saudi embassy source, greet Muslims on the occasion of Christian holy days, Muslims are to remain silent since all such festivities are either fabrications abhorrent to God, or have been superceded by the coming of Islam. No holiday banquets, no exchange of gifts, and none of the traditions of Western culture are permitted to Muslims living among unbelievers according to the Saudi publications. Such behavior on the part of Muslims has the added danger of instilling greater self-confidence in the hearts of the infidels and making them proud of their false religion [Document No. 52].
The apparent intent of the Saudi embassy document is to frighten Muslims in America into living lives aloof and alienated from the rest of society. Again the implication is that common politeness shown by the Muslim to a non-Muslim could be tantamount to infidelity or apostasy and deserve death.
Wake-up Mr. David Corn: Islam in America is not pleased with Christianity in America.
UPDATE: At the end of this writing Facebook finally came up or at least I was able to access it. Here is Sarah Palin’s exact Facebook wording:
My, have things changed. I was honored to have Rev. Franklin Graham speak at my Governor’s Prayer Breakfasts. His good work in Alaska’s Native villages and his charitable efforts all over the world stem from his servant’s heart. In my years of knowing him, I’ve never found his tempered and biblically-based comments to be offensive – in fact his words have been encouraging and full of real hope.
It’s truly a sad day when such a fine patriotic man, whose son is serving on his fourth deployment in Afghanistan to protect our freedom of speech and religion, is dis-invited from speaking at the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer service. His comments in 2001 were aimed at those who are so radical that they would kill innocent people and subjugate women in the name of religion.
Are we really so hyper-politically correct that we can’t abide a Christian minister who expresses his views on matters of faith? What a shame. Yes, things have changed.
- Sarah Palin
JRH 4/24/10
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