Franklin Graham: Piers Morgan Is Right, ISIS Has 'Declared War on Christianity'
Evangelist Franklin Graham says he agrees with Daily Mail editor Piers Morgan who said Monday that the Islamic State terror group is clearly targeting Christians following the bombings of two more churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday.
At least 45 people were killed in the two suicide bombings that targeted Christians during church services in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria.
The first attack took place at St. George's Church in Tanta where an explosive device was reportedly planted near the altar and detonated while the congregation was singing hymns. Soon thereafter, in Alexandria, a suicide attacker detonated a bomb strapped around his body as he stood outside St. Mark's Orthodox Coptic Cathedral.
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Distraught by the terror attacks, Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said in a Facebook Post on Tuesday, "Piers Morgan is absolutely right in what he told Fox News about Sunday's church bombings in Egypt."
"He said, 'What happened in Egypt was unbelievably significant. You know if you look at what ISIS really stands for, what they are carrying out now in the Middle East and in Egypt in particular, is a kind of genocidal attack on Christians and Christianity. They want Christianity eradicated and they want to convert all Muslims to their crusade, they want it to be a holy war and they want Christians gone. And I don't think that narrative is getting the attention that it should get in the American media and the same in other media, as well as around the world.'"
"He's right!" Graham exclaimed while concluding his post with an additional statement made by Morgan: "'ISIS have declared war on Christianity.'"
Morgan was adamant in telling Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the mainstream media in the United States is grossly underreporting IS' ongoing attacks against Christians in Egypt.
"Of the attack on Saints Petersburg last week, they made it absolutely clear this was a war against the Cross — they said that! They are at war in their heads, with Christianity. Not just Christianity, they're at war with all other religions as well. But they have been singling out in increasingly virulent terms that their real war now is against Christians and the Cross," Morgan added.
Morgan, a Catholic, said he's also concerned about Pope Francis' scheduled trip to Egypt, noting that the pontiff would be a massive "prize" for IS.
According to The Independent, the Minya Coptic Orthodox Diocese announced that they'll tone down Easter celebrations this week to just liturgical prayers "without any festive manifestations," following the attack.
Egypt is now observing a three-month state of emergency following the suicide bombings on Palm Sunday. The pope also called for solidarity with Egypt's minority Coptic Christian population.
The leader of the worldwide Catholic Church plans to go ahead with his visit to Cairo on April 28–29 despite risk.
