The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has called upon presidential hopeful John McCain to “to denounce and reject” endorsements he has received from reverend John Hagee of Texas and reverend Rod Parsley of Ohio. Both Hagee and Parsley have repeatedly insulted the religion of Islam, the former calling into question the loyalty of Muslim Americans. Reverend Hagee, in an interview with NPR’s Terry Gross in 2006, said that “Those who live by the Qur’an have a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews.” He went on to say that the Qur’an “teaches that very clearly.”
Reverend Hagee, whose past statements have put him at odds with African American, LGBT, feminist, Jewish, and especially Catholic advocacy groups, is also an ardent supporter of nuclear action in Iran. According to The Nation, Hagee wrote in the Pentecostal magazine Charisma in 2006 that “The coming nuclear showdown with Iran is a certainty”
John McCain, when asked about the endorsement in late February, responded by saying “When he [Hagee] endorses me that does not mean I embrace everything that he stands for and believes in. I am very proud of Pastor John Hagee’s spiritual leadership to thousands of people. That does not mean that I support or endorse or agree with some of the things pastor John Hagee might have said nor positions that he may have taken or other issues. I don’t have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy. They are supporting my candidacy, I am not endorsing some of their positions.”
On Reverend Parsley’s endorsement, Senator McCain has had less to say. McCain hailed the controversial minister as a “spiritual guide” at the Cincinnati campaign rally, who in turn labeled McCain a “strong, true, consistent conservative.” Parsley, an evangelical Christian, has repeatedly attacked Islam in the past, going so far as to refer to Allah as the “demon spirit.” In his 2005 book Silence No More, Reverend Parsley called upon Americans to recognize Islam as an imminent and global threat. Mother Jones magazine reports that in a chapter entitled “Islam: The Deception of Allah,” he [Parsley] wrote: “I cannot tell you how important it is that we understand the true nature of Islam; that we see it for what it really is. In fact, I will tell you this: I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.”
Parsley does not distinguish between terrorists who stake claim to the Muslim faith and ordinary Muslims. He states in his book that Islam is inherently violent and has an “anti-Christ” agenda. He goes on to say: “There are some, of course, who will say that violence I cite is the exception and not the rule. I beg to differ. I will counter, respectfully, that what some will call “extremists” are instead mainstream believers who are drawing from the well at the very heart of Islam.”
ADC national executive director, Kareem Shora, responded to the attacks, saying, “Our nation’s founding Fathers created a government based on separation of church and state. They based the United States on democracy and pluralism, on theocracy and religion. There can be no place in our political discourse for hate speech that attacks any religion or advocates for a war between religions. Senator McCain must condemn these comments in the strongest possible terms and reject any support from both men.” This statement was released just days after a letter was sent to the Arizona State senator from ADC President and former congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar. Ms Oakar wrote to Senator McCain concerned about his “recent remarks linking Islam to violence” and his generalization of all people of Muslim faith. She did, however, thank McCain for his disavow of Representative Steve King’s (R-IA) remarks, which alleged that, if elected, Senator Obama would be a “savior” for terrorists.
Both reverends have been subject to public scandal in the past. Reverend Hagee, founder of Global Evangelical Television (GETV), has been surrounded by financial controversy since the mid 1990s. In 1996, Hagee feuded with the U.S. Postal Service over non-profit rates and was awarded $40,000 in compensation. San Antonio Express News reported that, according to income tax statements filled by GETV in 2001, the non-profit organization, GETV, whose four-person board includes Hagee, his wife, and his son, is required by IRS law not to be family controlled.
Reverend Parsley’s scandals have been more personal in nature. In 1991, Parsley and his father, James Parsley, were charged with assault against painter and former employee Lewis Bungard over a money dispute. In 1992, Naomil Endicott filed suit against Parsley and his father. She claimed that James Parsley, her brother-in-law, had sexually harassed her multiple times. Both cases were settled out of court.
Endorsements from such controversial figures would not normally bode well for a presidential candidate, but Senator McCain has been courting the far right since the beginning of his bid for the 2008 Republican nomination. McCain was originally deemed a maverick by hard-line conservatives due to his bipartisanship and temper. In 2000, McCain attacked well-known evangelical leaders Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, referring to them as “agents of intolerance.” But in order to contend with evangelical stalwart Mike Huckabee (R-AK), McCain has softened his criticisms. Hagee’s and Parsley’s support was crucial for the McCain campaign to secure the evangelical Christian vote in both Texas and Ohio. Parsley, who is credited with having mobilized the evangelical vote in Ohio for President Bush in 2004, will be important to McCain if he is to win Ohio in the general election in fall.
