On the June 12 edition of the Christian Broadcasting Network’s The 700 Club, following a report on Muslims in Minneapolis seeking religious accommodations at school and work, host Pat Robertson stated, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have to recognize that Islam is not a religion. It is a worldwide political movement meant on domination of the world. And it is meant to subjugate all people under Islamic law.” He characterized the American Muslim community as “Islam light” and went on to say Muslims “want to take over and we want to impose Sharia on you. And before long, ladies are going to be dressed in burqas and whatever garments they would put on them, and next thing you know, men are going to be allowed to have wife-beating and you’ll be beheading adulterers and so on and so forth.
“As Media Matters for America noted, during the September 25 edition of The 700 Club, following a report on a summit between Pope Benedict XVI and Muslim envoys to address tensions over controversial remarks the pope made about Islam, Robertson stated:
“It’s amazing how the Muslims deal with history and the truth with violence. They don’t understand what reasoned dialogue is.”
Media Matters has documented other attacks by Robertson on Muslims.From the June 12 edition of the Christian Broadcasting Network’s The 700 Club:
ROBERTSON: The question would be, ladies and gentlemen, if a million Christians want to go to Saudi Arabia and say, “We want to pray,” you can’t pray in Saudi Arabia. You can’t have religious literature in Saudi Arabia. You can’t get together in Bible study groups in Saudi Arabia. As far as having special places for foot-washing and all that, no way. You will abide by Sharia law because they’re in control.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have to recognize that Islam is not a religion. It is a worldwide political movement meant on domination of the world. And it is meant to subjugate all people under Islamic law. In the Quran, it says it very clearly. There are two spheres. One is the Dar al-Harb, which is the realm of war. The other is Dar al-Islam, which is that part that’s under submission to Islam. There is no middle ground. You’re either at war or you’re under submission. Now, that’s the way they think.
Now, sure, over here, you’ve got Islam light and you’ve got all these various things, but the idea is we don’t want just accommodation, we want to take over and we want to impose Sharia on you. And before long, ladies are going to be dressed in burqas and whatever garments they would put on them, and next thing you know, men are going to be allowed to have wife-beating and you’ll be beheading adulterers and so on and so forth. That’s Saudi Arabia. We don’t want that here in America. If they don’t like it here in America, then let them go to Saudi Arabia, to Kuwait, to Yemen, to all those wonderful nations around the Middle East.
Here is the video of that Pat saying all that crab of his:
June 14, 2007 at 3:45 pm |
Anybody care to weigh in on this? I disagree with Robertson’s condescension, but what facts is he wrong on? My understanding is that the Muslim world hates the West because we do not adhere to their standards of decency and modesty. Is that incorrect?
June 14, 2007 at 5:51 pm |
SBM, It`s totally untrue that Muslims hate west countries.
And by the way, I live in an Islamic country where Christians can build Churches and do their service every sunday. My neighbors are Christinas and we`re living in harmony. And by the way Christinas don`t wear Hijab so they are not abiding by our Islamic rules, though we accept they religious right and we visit them if they`re a happy or sad occasion. We`re neighbors. What “Pat” is suggesting is that non-Muslims are not welcome in Muslim countries which is totally wrong because I am a Muslim and I know what I am talking about because I am living it.
June 14, 2007 at 11:38 pm |
And what about the Catholic Church? Is it not a religion because it wanted to dominate the world during the Inqisition?
June 16, 2007 at 8:44 am |
Pat Robertson is also wrong about “Dar al Harb” and “Dar al-Islam” – they are NOT in the Qur’an, NOR in the Sunnah, both of which are the two most important texts for Muslims. These terms came about centuries later when religious scholars became politicized (hmmm, Pat?) when they could get state favors for saying things that justified war (hmm, Pat? WWJD??) when that’s what leaders wanted to do. And assuming over a billion Muslims from over a hundred countries and cultures feel this way is ignorant.
June 16, 2007 at 5:22 pm |
I stand corrected Ahmed. For the few oppressive countries there are in the Muslim world, we are wrong to stereotype them all as being such. Iran, for example, doesn’t sound like a nice place for a westerner to live. Kuwait, on the other hand, is full of warm, hospitable people who are as tolerant as the day is long. As far as Muslims hating Westerners, I haven’t seen TV footage of demonstrations hundreds of people chanting “I love the USA!” in a Muslim country, but what all Americans have seen on TV is thousands of Muslims celebrating in the streets after 9/11, and often chanting “Death To America!, Death to Israel!”
I feel like some of your conspiracy theories are a bit far-fetched, but I am finding your blog to be one of the more informative and intelligent of the ones I’ve read on the Muslim culture and faith. Where you live sounds like I place I would like to visit.
By the way, I am a strong Christian believer who loves the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe in loving my neighbors and that includes treating EVERYONE with respect and dignity. I think many of the points Robertson made are probably accurate, although I find his comments to be overly stereotypical and inflammatory. Please do not judge the Christian faith by our televangelists.
June 16, 2007 at 5:44 pm |
SMB, I agree that Iran is different from Quwait.
(1) Iranians don`t tend to love Arabs let alone westerners.
(2) I don`t think that Arabs celebrate 9/11. 9/11 was what started the alleged war on terror which is actually on Islam so why do they celebrate that. It was Israelis who celebrated and danced on the day of 9/11.
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/fiveisraelis.html
And if you do some research, 3000 Jews used to work in World Trade Center skipped work on 9/11.
(3) I also love Jesus Christ.
(4) I don`t judge Christian faith by televangelists. I have Christian neighbors and I know who Christians are and I respect them.
(5) You`re more than welcome to visit my country.
June 21, 2007 at 9:11 pm |
“… that Islam is.. is a worldwide political movement meant on domination of the world. And it is meant to subjugate all people under Islamic law. ”
Is the above true or not?