Christian & Jewish Right  Morning Star (14 Oct02) reported that Jerry Falwell, Christian Right televangelist,  said in 2002 near the end of an hour-long interview: ‘I think Mohammed was a terrorist. I read enough of the history of his life, written by both Muslims and non-Muslims, to know that he was a violent man, a man of war.’ He said this to an interviewer on CBS but later apologised. He said: “I intended no disrespect to any sincere, law-abiding Muslim”. There were protests outside CBS News in New York. There were riots in Gujarat in protest and at least 9 were killed.  Pat Robertson, another Christian Right fanatic, said in Dec 2002, Muslims were ‘worse than Nazis’. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, (said Robert Fisk, Independent Oct03) gave the sermon at George W Bush’s 2001 inauguration and angered the Muslims when he called Islam a ‘very evil and wicked religion’.  Lt-Gen William Boykin told an audience in Oregon that Islamists hate the US ‘because we are a Christian nation, because our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christian and the enemy is a guy called Satan.” Boykin was promoted to deputy under-sec of defence for intelligence. Referring to the US intervention in Somalia, B said: ‘My God was bigger than his – I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol.’  The point is these Christian leaders can insult Islam and get away with it. The Muslim response is weak and sporadic. Both kinds (Christian & Jewish) have influenced Washington to make war against Muslims abroad, act against them at home and support Jewish settlers in the occupied territories. Innocent Muslim charities have been shut down in the US while “a known terrorist organisation such as the Jewish Defence League” is free to operate. Mutual interest make strange bedfellows. Christian Rightists often work in tandem with Jewish settlers to promote the formation of a greater Israel which they believe will usher in Armageddon. Conservative Republicans once suspected og intolerance and even anti-Semitism have become among the staunchest supporters of Israel. Many fundamentalist Christian groups finance efforts to re-settle Russian Jews in Israel. The beliefs of the Christian fundamentalists are quite amusing. Millions of them are awaiting the conclusion of history and the return (second coming) of Christ. Here is a quote from one of their books: ‘Christ’s faithful will be taken up in the clouds and given new, immortal bodies… Israel will be reconstituted and the Jewish Temple (destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE will be re-built... Those Jews who accept Jesus will enter the kingdom along with faithful Christians. Others will perish violently.’   Fundamentalist Jews believe that Jewish rule will extend to the entire land of Israel described in their scriptures and the Messiah (not Christ) will arrive. To these Jews, the conquest of the West Bank is part of the divine plan of redemption. In Sept 2002, thousands of Christian Zionists met in Jerusalem to Assured Israeli PM Sharon of their unconditional support for the state of Israel. Some 400,000 settlers now live in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Their presence poses a formidable obstacle to peace with the Palestinians. Of course, as in North America and South Africa, European Chirstians have not hesitated to invoke the Bible to justify land grab and settlement. Not a thought is spared to the indigenous people murdered or dispossessed.   Disappointingly, Muslim leaders and scholars have only reacted defensively and haven’t hit back decisively at Christian & Jewish fundamentalists whether analytically, rhetorically or satirically. The ludicrous fundamentalist beliefs would make a fine subject for satire. Reference 1. Will fundamentalist Christians and Jews ignite the apocalypse? National Catholic Reporter, 11 Oct 02