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Rev. Franklin Graham Says Obama Helps Islamists, Ignores Christian Persecution

Rev. Franklin Graham says President Barack Obama has “given Islam a pass,” including ignoring atrocities against Christians in the Muslim world — so much so that the evangelist says he cannot “categorically” say Obama is not a Muslim.

In a stunning interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday, the prominent Christian leader and son of Billy Graham expressed shock that Obama was doing little to protect Christians across the Muslim world against a wave of persecution.

Editor's Notes:

MSNBC’s hosts were flummoxed by Graham’s strong rebuke of Obama, and queried whether Graham believed the president to be a Christian.

“You have to ask that of President Obama,” Graham shot back. “You can ask me do I believe you’re a Christian. I think people have to ask Barack Obama. He's come out saying he's a Christian. So I think the question is, what is a Christian?”

Graham added that he accepts Obama’s claim he’s a Christian at face value, but said ultimately only God knows his heart, while noting that Obama has shown strong empathy toward Muslims and the president has an Islamic background.

“Under Islamic law, under Sharia law, Islam sees him as a son of Islam, because his father was a Muslim, his grandfather was a Muslim, his great-grandfather was a Muslim,” Graham said.

“So under Islamic law the Muslim world sees President Obama as a Muslim, as a son of Islam. That's just the way it works. That's the way they see him.”

Asked if believed Obama was “categorically not a Muslim,” Graham said, “I can't say categorically because Islam has gotten a free a pass under Obama.”

Graham declared that Obama’s Middle East policies have helped Islamists while hurting Christian minorities through the region.

“We see the Arab spring, and coming out of the Arab spring, the Islamists are taking control of the Middle East. And people like [Hosni] Mubarak was a dictator, but he kept the peace with Israel and the Christian minorities in Egypt were protected.

“Now those Christian minorities throughout the entire Arab world are under attack. A Newsweek magazine cover story last week [was about] was the massacre of Christians in the Islamic world. From Europe all the way through the Middle East to Africa into East Asia, Muslims are killing Christians.

“The president can come out and make a statement demanding that if these countries do not protect their minorities, no more foreign aid from the United States. They are not protecting the minorities. The society in these Islamic countries is not protecting the Christians anymore.”

Graham claimed Obama is doing little to nothing to help persecuted Christians.

“And he's got the power of the White House,” Graham complained. “He could be speaking to these countries right now, demanding that they protect the Christians in those countries. He’s been quiet about it.”

The White House has issued numerous calls for religious tolerance in the wake of violence against Coptic Christians and other minorities in the Arab world.