Controversy Over Franklin Graham's Prayer: Claim That Iran Wants to Annihilate Jews
A single prayer offered by prominent evangelical pastor Franklin Graham at the White House has triggered a wave of controversy and sharp criticism from the public. In his narrative, Graham made strong claims regarding the Iranian regime’s intentions towards the global Jewish community and described President Donald Trump as a divinely chosen figure.
In the prayer delivered publicly, Graham drew historical parallels by referencing the Book of Esther. He stated that historically, the Persian people—now Iran—had planned to destroy all Jews in a single day.
“Father, You tell us in the Book of Esther that the Persians, the Iranians, wanted to kill every Jew—women, children—and do it in one day. But You raised up Esther to save them,” Graham said in an excerpt from his prayer.
He then connected this ancient narrative to the current geopolitical situation, accusing the Iranian government of harbouring similar ambitions using nuclear weapons. “Today the Iranians—this evil regime of government—want to kill every Jew and destroy them with atomic fire,” he added.
In addition to the statements about Iran, the point that drew the most attention was Graham’s assertion that Donald Trump had been raised up by God to face this crisis. Using the biblical phrase “for such a time as this,” Graham prayed for Trump’s victory in confronting the conflict with Iran.
“But You have raised up Donald Trump. You raised him up for such a time as this. Father, we pray that You give him victory,” he said in front of the audience at the White House.
“We pray for our military that You keep and protect them. We pray for the people of Iran who want freedom, that they be set free.”
Graham’s statements immediately provoked strong reactions on social media and among political commentators. Many viewed the use of a prayer platform at the White House to launch war rhetoric and divisive theological claims as inappropriate.
Critics argued that the narrative of atomic fire and labelling the Iranian regime as an entity intent on global genocide could inflame already tense diplomatic relations. To date, the White House has not issued any additional official comments regarding the negative responses emerging online. (Al Jazeera/I-2)