Falwell’s anti-Islam remarks triggered global violence and international condemnation

Evidence

Vines’s claims struck many as extremist, but he quickly drew the support of fellow evangelicals. Falwell jumped to his friend’s defense, explaining how Vines had hard evidence from Unveiling Islam. “If you want to raise the ire of the mainstream press and the swarm of politically-correct organizations in this nation, just criticize Islam [as Dr. Vines learned],” Falwell wrote to his newsletter subscribers. When asked about his support for Vines a few months later, Falwell didn’t mince words: “I think Mohammed was a terrorist.” Falwell’s remarks unleashed a global furor. The Iranian foreign minister condemned Falwell’s comments, intimating that they were “part of a propaganda war by the US mass media and the Zionists” intent on sparking “war among civilisations.” The British foreign secretary called Falwell’s comments “outrageous and insulting.” In India and Kashmir protests erupted; in the Indian town of Solapur violence left at least eight people dead. Falwell ended up apologizing, claiming he “intended no disrespect to any sincere, law-abiding Muslim.” — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne, 499

Categorization

• CANDY: Falwell calling Mohammed a terrorist, and it literally sparking deadly riots in an Indian town, is a compact barroom conversation starter.
• XREF: Connects to the ‘complaints about immodesty’ moral-panic essay line: elite signaling and boundary-drawing through vilifying out-groups.