A top evangelical leader argued Friday that too many Muslims in America sympathize with violent extremism, citing research that suggests millions of Muslims worldwide believe suicide bombings are “sometimes” or “often” justifiable.
In an op-ed published by USA Today, Rev. Franklin Graham claimed the roughly 100,000 American Muslims who told Pew researchers they could see legitimate reasons behind some suicide attacks were vulnerable to radicalization online by groups like the Islamic State.
“[T]he most likely place that terrorist recruiters or internet propagandists will find American Muslims who would be willing to kill is among those Muslims who don’t see anything wrong with it,” Graham warned.
His op-ed came in the wake of a terror attack in Nice, France on Thursday that claimed 84 lives and left hundreds of others injured.
“After Thursday’s events, how much comfort should we really take in knowing that the majority (of any group) is peaceful?” Graham wrote. “What does that mean for the rest of the world’s second-largest religion, and how many fall into the minority group who may have different views?”
According to the study Graham cited, 7 percent of American Muslims said suicide bombings are “sometimes” justifiable and 1 percent said such attacks were “often” justifiable.
