The Center for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an advocacy group for American Muslims that is, according to The Christian Post, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization in the United States, has called on Donald Trump to drop evangelist Franklin Graham from participating in Friday’s presidential inauguration.

Graham, son of Billy Graham and president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, is one of six faith leaders scheduled to be a formal part of the inauguration proceedings, but CAIR strongly believes that Trump should drop him from having any role in the inauguration because he is a “notorious Islamophobe” who harbors “extremist views” about Muslims.

In a statement, Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of CAIR, said, “If President-elect Trump truly seeks to unite our nation as he promised in his acceptance speech, he will limit the list of those offering prayers at the inauguration to religious leaders who work to bring us together, not to create divisions between faiths. Rev. Graham's ill-informed and extremist views are incompatible with the Constitution and with American values of religious liberty and inclusion.”

Graham has indeed been a strong critic of Islam over the years, previously saying such things as “Islam can’t save anyone from Hell” and that Islam is a “very evil and wicked religion.” In 2009, he told CNN that “true Islam cannot be practiced in this country. You can't beat your wife. You cannot murder your children if you think they've committed adultery or something like that, which they do practice in these other countries.”

According to The Christian Post, while Graham has been demonstrably critical of Islam, the humanitarian organization he leads, Samaritan’s Purse, has provided food, clothing, and other forms of aid to both civilian and military victims in war zones around the world, including those who are Muslim. Writing about the efforts of Samaritan’s Purse on Facebook, Graham has said, “Samaritan's Purse is there to show God's love. We want to show the same love and compassion for each and every one because that's what Jesus Christ would have us do.”

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large