CAIR calls on Trump to drop Franklin Graham from offering inaugural prayer

The Muslim civil rights group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on Donald Trump to remove Franklin Graham from the list of the six clergy members who will offer prayers at the inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20.

In a press release published on Jan. 12, CAIR described Graham as a "notorious Islamophobe" and referred to his previous statements about Islam on Facebook.

"Rev. Graham's ill-informed and extremist views are incompatible with the Constitution and with American values of religious liberty and inclusion," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

In a 2015 Facebook post, Graham called on the U.S. government to put a stop to all immigration of Muslims to the country.

"Every Muslim that comes into this country has the potential to be radicalised – and they do their killing to honour their religion and Muhammad," he wrote.

CAIR also pointed out that Graham referred to Islam as a "very evil and wicked religion" and suggested that American mosques should be closed.

While Graham had issued harsh statements against Islam, he had also warned people against mocking the religion.

"Muslims are offended when people mock their faith. I disagree with Islam. But just because I disagree, I'm not going to mock them or resort to violence. We need to show respect to people of other races and beliefs. What happened to civility and respect?" Graham said in May 2015, in response to the attack that occurred in Garland during a contest to draw images of Muhammad.

This was not the first time the Muslim civil rights group had attempted to have Graham removed from official Washington functions. In 2010, CAIR had been successful in its efforts to have the evangelist disinvited from The National Day of Prayer at the Pentagon.

Although Graham did not endorse Trump during the campaign period, he had expressed his belief that God had intervened in the election of the business mogul. During the "Thank You" rally in Mobile, Alabama last month, the president-elect credited the evangelist for contributing to his victory.

Graham, who had led a prayer at the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush, will be joining Samuel Rodriguez, Paula White, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Rabbi Marvin Hier and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson to offer prayers and biblical readings at the event.