Franklin Graham Says 'Imagine Outcry If Christians Beheaded 21 Muslims,' Asks Why Obama 'Continues to Protect Islam'

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter
U.S. President Barack Obama talks to reporters after meeting with newly sworn-in Defense Secretary Ash Carter (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, February 17, 2015.
U.S. President Barack Obama talks to reporters after meeting with newly sworn-in Defense Secretary Ash Carter (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, February 17, 2015. | (Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

Evangelical preacher Rev. Franklin Graham has responded to the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians at the hands of terror group ISIS by criticizing President Barack Obama's response, which he says "continues to protect Islam." Graham also asked people to "imagine the outcry" if it was Christians beheading Muslims.

"Can you imagine the outcry if 21 Muslims had been beheaded by Christians? Where is the universal condemnation by Muslim leaders around the world? As we mourn with the families of those 21 martyrs, we'd better take this warning seriously as these acts of terror will only spread throughout Europe and the United States," Graham said in response to a video of the beheadings titled "Message to Nation of the Cross," released earlier this week.

In another Facebook post, Graham said that Obama refuses to "acknowledge the truth" and "call Islamic extremism what it is."

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He pointed out that in the White House statement responding to the news of the beheadings, the Obama administration identified the victims as "Egyptian citizens" but did not point out that they are Christians.

"The truth is — their barbaric murderers openly said they killed them because they were 'people of the cross.' Why is the president seemingly continuing to protect Islam and refusing to open his eyes to the truth?" Graham asked.

Men in orange jumpsuits purported to be Egyptian Christians held captive by the Islamic State are marched by armed men along a beach said to be near Tripoli, in this still image from an undated video made available on social media on February 15, 2015. Islamic State released the video on Sunday purporting to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians kidnapped in Libya. In the video, militants in black marched the captives to a beach that the group said was near Tripoli. They were forced down onto their knees, then beheaded. Egypt's state news agency MENA quoted the spokesman for the Coptic Church as confirming that 21 Egyptian Christians believed to be held by Islamic State were dead.
Men in orange jumpsuits purported to be Egyptian Christians held captive by the Islamic State are marched by armed men along a beach said to be near Tripoli, in this still image from an undated video made available on social media on February 15, 2015. Islamic State released the video on Sunday purporting to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians kidnapped in Libya. In the video, militants in black marched the captives to a beach that the group said was near Tripoli. They were forced down onto their knees, then beheaded. Egypt's state news agency MENA quoted the spokesman for the Coptic Church as confirming that 21 Egyptian Christians believed to be held by Islamic State were dead. | (Photo: Reuters/Social media via Reuters TV)

On Monday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins pointed a similar accusation at Obama, saying that it's "troubling" that Obama did not identify the Egyptians as Christians.

"ISIS made very clear in this video that this was an execution of 'people of the cross.' ISIS apparently has no difficulty saying 'Christian,' while the White House has a very difficult time," Perkins told Fox News.

Other conservative politicians, such as former Baptist pastor and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, have also previously said that Obama has "undying support" for Muslims.

"Everything he does is against what Christians stand for, and he's against the Jews in Israel. The one group of people that can know they have his undying, unfailing support would be the Muslim community. It doesn't matter whether it's the radical Muslim community or the more moderate Muslim community," Huckabee said.

The remarks were a response to Obama's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, where the president used the Crusades and the Inquisition as an example of people who committed "terrible deeds in the name of Christ."

Graham has said that the "evil of ISIS" should not be a shock for Christians, because "it is fully in keeping with their ultimate agenda of hastening a final apocalypse."

"God's Word tells us that there will be a final battle one day, but it will result in the defeat of Satan and all those allied with him," the preacher said on Facebook.

"One thing is for sure — one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

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