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American Morning

Pat Robertson on Islam

Aired February 25, 2002 - 08:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The big question this hour, did the Rev. Pat Robertson go too far? Well this morning the reverend is defending some controversial remarks he made about Islam last week on his "700 Club" TV program. He said -- quote -- "I have taken issue with our esteemed president in regard to a stand in saying Islam is a peaceful religion. It is just not, and the Quran makes it very clear if you see an infidel, you are to kill him".

Robertson also said, "Islam is not a peaceful religion that wants to coexist. They want to coexist until they can control, dominated, and then if need be destroy".

Joining me now from Virginia Beach, Virginia is the Rev. Pat Robertson. Welcome back.

PAT ROBERTSON, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK: Thanks, Paula. It's good to be with you, as always.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: It seems like the only time I talk to you is when you're in trouble.

ROBERTSON: I don't know -- let me wish you a Happy Birthday. Yesterday was your birthday, I think, and so please accept my best wishes as we start this interview.

ZAHN: Well, thank you for that.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTSON: OK.

ZAHN: All right, let's get back to the tough stuff.

ROBERTSON: Go ahead -- tough stuff.

ZAHN: At a time when the president is saying, he's clearly made the delineation that this is not a war against Islam. This is not a war against Muslims. This is a war on terrorism. You've come out and a lot of people are saying "muddied his message". Do you understand how your incendiary comments might compromise the president?

ROBERTSON: You know it's funny it's called incendiary. You remember Santayana said, "Those who won't learn the lesson of history are doomed to live it again." I'm a history major in college, and we studied about jihad and it started right after the death of Muhammad about 635 when the Muslims overran all of the Middle East and were -- took Spain, and were invading France. They sacked Bordeaux in the Battle of Tour in 732, repulsed them. But this was not a peaceful religion. They were -- they were declaring a jihad, which was war against the West, and I'm afraid they're doing it again.

ZAHN: All right, so let's fast forward to today.

ROBERTSON: All right.

ZAHN: Because you made it clear you love Muslims, right? You said that you're not against the Muslim people.

ROBERTSON: Of course I do. Of course, I've got many, many friends in the Arab world.

ZAHN: So let me ask you this, I mean aren't you asking these people who -- to remove the prophet who they fundamentally believe in from their religious belief, that Muslims are OK, but Muhammad's bad. Isn't that what you're saying?

ROBERTSON: The prime tentative of Islam is that Allah is the one true God and Muhammad is his prophet, and then he -- Muhammad said these things. He said the second duty or the second good work a man can do is to lead a jihad against the infidels. And you know it's amazing this is considered an incendiary.

I looked it up in the encyclopedia Britannica and it says "believers are under obligation to wage war against all unbelievers". That's the encyclopedia Britannica. I don't understand why this has suddenly become so incendiary.

ZAHN: All right, but if you believe what you believe so wholeheartedly about Muhammad, how is it then that you don't -- that you say that you like Muslims? I mean, if people are following Muhammad, they believe in what Muhammad is saying.

ROBERTSON: Well, you know I'm a Protestant. How many Protestants really follow all the teachings of the Bible? How many Roman Catholics follow all the teachings of the church? You know, there are many religionists who don't really buy into it. The thing of it is the -- there's probably 150 million Muslims who really do. I mean what we've seen in Iran is a perfect example of carrying the teachings of Muhammad to its ultimate conclusion.

And I think Osama bin Laden is probably a very dedicated follower of Muhammad. He's done exactly what Muhammad said to do, and we disagree with him, obviously, and I'm sure many moderate Muslims do as well, but you can't say the religion is a religion of peace. It's not.

ZAHN: But let me ask you this, I mean couldn't you carry this to an extreme and say -- couldn't you -- couldn't a Muslim say the thing about Christianity and you know I believe in your fundamentals and principles just as long as you don't follow Jesus?

ROBERTSON: Well...

ZAHN: Isn't it essentially...

ROBERTSON: ... I'm...

ZAHN: ... pretty much that's what you're saying about Muhammad?

ROBERTSON: ... not telling any Muslim not to follow Muhammad, but all I'm telling America is that we're at war. I mean the president has declared an "axis of evil" and two of them are Muslim states. One of them is Iran, which is a Muslim theocracy. The other one is a dictatorship under Saddam Hussein.

But look at the terrorist states. Syria has been listed as a terrorist state by the State Department. Sudan is persecuting Christians. They have killed at least two million Christians and possibly enslaved another million. Somalia is primarily Muslim and it's in chaos. I daresay Pakistan might be ready for a revolution. The masses, Paula, the thing about in the Arab world, about 70 percent of the population is under 30, and they're poor. And they haven't been well educated, and they're under the control of some of these radical mass and Islam -- Osama bin Laden is a hero for them.

ZAHN: All right, but in closing, how is it the average American is supposed to react to Muslims?

ROBERTSON: I think we should love Muslims as people. We should accord them the privileges of this great nation, but the -- my remarks were triggered by a -- we have Arabic speaking people on our staff and you know, our station in the Middle East was overrun by Hezbollah.

Our people had to flee for their lives -- they were shooting at them, and they sacked the station. We've had our studio blown up twice. Our transmitter was Katyusha bombed once, and our microwave link had a mortar attack. So I mean I'm familiar with the warfare over there. And I think we need to understand that this nation is at war, and these people, large millions of them dislike Israel with a passion, and they hate America as a defender of Israel. And we might as well recognize it's not just few, it's a large number who want to hurt us.

ZAHN: All right, Rev. Pat Robertson, we'll have to leave it there this morning. You'll have to fill us in on how many more e- mails and letters you get as a result.

ROBERTSON: Oh, we'll get...

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTSON: ... we'll get hundreds of...

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTSON: All right. Thanks, Paula. ZAHN: All right, thanks for trying to help us better understand what that all meant, appreciate it so much.

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