WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., criticized the Army’s decision to rescind an invitation for Reverend Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon’s National Prayer Day event on May 6, 2010. Sen. Wicker issued the following statement:

"Franklin Graham is being barred from the Army's National Day of Prayer for publicly stating nothing more than Christian Evangelists have preached for centuries.  To ban from an ecumenical service every person who believes their faith is the true religion is taking political correctness several steps too far. Ministers who have fervently advocated their own religious beliefs in an entirely different context should not be prohibited from participating in ecumenical events," said Sen. Wicker.

The Army announced on Thursday, April 22, that it had withdrawn its request for Rev. Graham to speak at the Pentagon’s National Prayer Day event.  Outside groups, including The Military Religious Freedom Foundation and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), objected to Rev. Graham’s participation due to their disagreement with previous statements he has made on Islam.

Sen. Wicker is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

###