Evangelicals Condemn Franklin Graham's Call to Ban Muslim Immigration After Chattanooga Shooting
Samaritan's Purse President & CEO Wants US to Repeat World War II Treatment of Japanese and Germans
A YouGuv/Huffington Post survey of 1,000 U.S. adults interviewed March 6-9 about Islam revealed that 55 percent of Americans hold a "somewhat" or "very" unfavorable view of the religion. Fifty percent of respondents said they did not understand Islam "too well" or "well at all." Seventy-four percent said they do not work with anyone who is Muslim, while 68 percent said they did not have any Muslim friends and 87 percent said they have never been inside of a mosque.
Less than 1 percent (2.75 million) of the U.S. population identifies as Muslim, with 63 percent of them born outside of the United States, according to the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan fact tank Pew Research Center. Pew also reports that "between 1992 and 2012, a total of about 1.7 million Muslims entered the U.S. as legal permanent residents," originating from 77 countries.
The New York Times reported in June that the segment of the U.S. population most responsible for cases of deadly domestic terrorism were not Muslims. The Times reported that "white supremacists, antigovernment fanatics and other non-Muslim extremists" have predominantly committed such crimes, according to figures collected by the George Soros-funded think tank New America.
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In comparison to the 26 people killed in "deadly jihadist attacks" since the 9/11 terrorism attacks, 48 people were killed as a result of "deadly right wing attacks," the research center reported.
The most recent entry under New America's "deadly right wing attacks" is the case of Dylann Storm Roof, the 19-year-old white supremacist gunman charged with killing nine black men and women during Bible study inside their church on June 17 in Charleston, South Carolina.
The day after the shooting, and before Roof was apprehended by authorities, Graham expressed sympathy for the families of those killed in the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church attack. Although he has yet to make any specific comments regarding Roof on his Facebook page, Graham shared with his followers that he believed it was time for the Confederate flag "to be set aside as a part of our history." Roof's fondness for the flag pushed the Civil War icon to the center of public debate, highlighting a continued divide over its public display and historical meaning to Americans.
In that same post calling for the Confederate flag "to be set aside," Graham added: "We are all Americans, and we need unity today more than ever. Through faith in Christ we can have love and reconciliation with one another — regardless of race. Jesus Christ can change the human heart and take away the prejudice, racism, and hatred that lies within."
