Date: November 19, 2001
Dear Rev. Franklin Graham,
As per the following media reports, the Canadian Muslims are concerned that a knowledgeable person like yourself does not know or understand the teachings of Islam. Let me quote the following two media reports before going further.
In a report aired Friday on “NBC Nightly News,” Rev. Franklin Graham stood by remarks he made about Islam last month at the dedication of a chapel in North
Carolina. At that event, Graham said: “We’re not attacking Islam but Islam has attacked us. The God of Islam is not the same God. He’s not the son of God of the Christian or Judeo-Christian faith. It’s a different God, and I believe it is a very evil and wicked religion.” In the NBC report, Graham said, “I don’t believe this [Islam] is this wonderful, peaceful religion.” SEE: http://www.msnbc.com/news/659057.asp?cp1=1
On Sunday, Graham issued a statement in which he said: “It is not my calling to analyze Islam or any other religions, though I recognize that all religions have differences. In the past, I have expressed my concerns about the teachings of Islam regarding the treatment of women and the killing of non-Muslims or infidels.” Graham said he would have no further comments on the issue. SEE: http://www.charlotte.com/observer/natwor/docs/franklin1119.htm
I saw your father, Rev. Billy Graham (for whom I have deep respects) on TV at the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance service at the National Cathedral in Washington, on Sept. 14. saying “We come together today to affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious or political background may be,” He further Said, “The Bible says that he is `the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.'”
You must have some misunderstandings about the teachings of Islam and we are sure that these misunderstandings can be removed through dialogue. Therefore, on behalf of ISCC, I would like to invite you to visit Calgary and discuss all the issues which you might have with Islamic faith. ISCC will pay all your traveling and living expenses to Calgary. Please choose a date and time convenient for you and let us know.
If your busy schedule do not allow you to come to Calgary I am willing to travel to any place where we can discuss your issues with Islam. Please let me know when do you have some time to meet with me at a place of your choice.
May I also suggest to you that you should review a presentation about Islam at http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.com and click on Islam 101 and send me your comments.
Thank you very much and looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards,
Syed B. Soharwardy
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Islamic Supreme Council of Canada
45 Overlea Blvd, East York RPO, P.O. Box 22121, Toronto, Ontario, M4H 1N9
Date: November 28, 2002
Rev. Pat Robertson,
The Christian Broadcasting Network
Virginia Beach, VA, USA
Re: Open letter to Rev. Pat Robertson
Rev. Pat Robertson,
On November 26, 2002 you gave an interview to Martin Savidge of CNN. Your interview proves that you certainly need help. I am sure you realize that telling a lie is a sin in Christianity. In your interview you tried to misguide and misinform people by making wrong remarks about “Jihad” and peaceful nature of Islam. Just reading the translation of Qur’an and quoting it’s verses out of context is a big dishonesty and immoral.
Without going into details I would like to ask you the following questions. I am sure you know the answers of these questions. These facts are in the history books written by Christian authors.
- Who killed thousands of aboriginal people in North America and Australia in order to occupy their lands and properties?
- Who killed millions of South Americans?
- Who killed millions of human beings in World War I?
- Who killed 6 million Jews during World War II?
- Who killed 2 million Polish Christians in World War II?
- Who killed 6 million Chinese during the invasion of China?
- Who killed 2 million Cambodian during the civil war?
- Who killed more than 2 million Filipinos during invasion of Philippines?
- Who killed more than half million Tibetans during the last 6 decades?
- Who killed more than 2 million Vietnamese during the Vietnam War?
- Who dropped chemical and biological bombs on Vietnam?
- Who dropped nuclear bombs on Japan and killed thousands of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
- Who killed more than 2 million African Christians in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Burundi and Congo within the last two decades?
- Who made more than 9.5 million human beings refugees in Africa?
- Who is killing and confiscating lands from White farmers in Zimbabwe?
- Who invented the nuclear, biological and chemical bombs?
- Who sells the most sophisticated bombs and the best killing machines to the world?
- Who killed hundreds of blacks in America and did not consider them as human beings until 1960s.
- Who are White Supremacists?
- Who did not consider women as persons until 1940s?
I am purposely not asking you about the killings of millions of Muslims in Bosnia, Kossovo, Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine, Russian Federation, Iraq, Afghanistan, China, India, etc.
Can you please prove that the most of the above holocaust and genocide of human race were not caused by the people who claimed to be Christians? Non-Muslims also created the other genocide? If you are interested I can send you a longer list of all the holocausts and genocide caused by the people who were not Muslims?
Rev. Robertson, I propose that you and I have a dialogue. You should bring a list of all the killings carried out by the Muslims throughout the history and I will bring a list of all the killings caused by the non-Muslims. And let us compare the both lists. I am confident that I can prove that the killings carried out by the Muslims are negligible compared to the killings carried out by Christians and other non-Muslims.
On behalf of Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (ISCC), I would like to invite you to visit Canada and we will arrange an open town hall meeting to discuss your issues with Islam. ISCC will pay all your traveling and lodging expenses. If this is not possible for you, please let me know when and where you can meet with me to have a dialogue and I will travel to your place on my own expenses.
I strongly believe in bringing together the followers of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. These three great religions have more in common than the differences but people like you are destroying these efforts.
Rev. Robertson, your ignorance about Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and Islam is so deep that you do not even know the basic beliefs of a Muslim. You do not even know how to spell Qur’an (it is not Koran, it is Qur’an). We are here to help you. We, as Muslims do not hate God’s creation. It is a requirement of our faith that we like for others what we like for ourselves. We just want to educate you about Islam so that you can be a better person.
In the past we had asked Rev. Franklin Graham, Rev. Jerry Falwell and other Christian leaders to attend our course Islam 101 in Toronto and ask as many questions as you want about Islam and Muslims. But please do not badmouth about our religion in the media. We do not have access to the media as you do. We, the Muslims living in Canada and the USA know that the media in North America is NOT FREE. In the third world countries, the dictators and the governments control the media while the Western media is controlled by the rich and strong interest groups. Had the media in the west free, Muslim leaders would have gotten the equal chance to respond to the comments made by the people like yourself.
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. Seasons greetings to you and to your family and friends.
Thanks
Syed B. Soharwardy
Founder and President
Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (ISCC)
Muslims Against Terrorism (MAT)
CC: The Media in Canada and the USA.
ISCC distribution list
http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.com/
Phone: (647)-294-4833