Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani rejected descriptions of Islam as a “religion of peace” during a weekend television appearance, arguing that history tells a different story and warning about what he views as threats facing Western civilization.
Giuliani made the comments during an interview on Newsmax’s “Saturday Report,” where he characterized Islam as an “ideology that is 1,600 years of mass murder and infanticide.”
“When people like to say Islam is a religion of peace, please. I don’t want to attack all of Islam, but don’t tell me it’s a religion of peace,” Giuliani said. “I know history too well for you to say that to me.”
Giuliani added that Islam “has elements of mass homicide in it,” while acknowledging that he believes most Muslims avoid those elements.
The former attorney for President Donald Trump made the remarks after host Rita Crosby asked him about reports concerning the mother of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
According to the reports cited during the interview, El-Sayed’s mother worked for a designated “global terrorist” organization that provided money to Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban and Hamas.
Crosby asked Giuliani whether he believed those reports were “troubling” and raised “red flags” about the Senate candidate.
“Of course it’s troubling!” Giuliani responded.
The former mayor said El-Sayed should not automatically be judged as being the same as his mother, but argued that the reports provided a reason to examine the candidate more closely.
“We’re not going to say he’s the same as his mother, but it’s going to make us want to take a look at him,” Giuliani said.
Giuliani then claimed that after examining El-Sayed, “it sounds like he’s the same as his mother.”
He argued that El-Sayed was not publicly promoting what Giuliani described as American patriotism or condemning the ideology that Giuliani alleged his mother followed.
Giuliani later claimed that El-Sayed’s mother did not appear to be among the “good people” he said follow Islam while avoiding its violent elements. He also alleged that El-Sayed “sympathizes with mom’s aims.”
Giuliani served as mayor of New York City when Osama Bin Laden and other Muslim terrorists orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks.
The former mayor broadened his warning during the interview, claiming that the United States faces potential sabotage from both communists and radical Muslims.
Giuliani concluded by warning that he believes the stakes extend beyond American politics and could threaten Western society itself.
“We are at risk of having our Western civilization destroyed by them,” Giuliani said. “And we’re not going to let it happen.”
