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"While there have been scattered condemnations from editorials here and there, there has been silence from the White House and most mainstream political and religious leaders," Zakaria wrote. "Commentators who froth at the mouth when they read of one crackpot mullah in Egypt saying noxious things about Christians or Jews are now silent."

Actually, the White House hasn't been completely silent on Falwell's comments. In an August 9 press briefing, Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer said, "Assuming, of course, that that's an accurate quote — I haven't read it, myself — the President's views on Islam are well known. The President has said many times in his visits to mosques and his visits with Muslim leaders and his invitations for Muslim leaders to come here, as an important signal of America's openness and welcoming of Muslims, that Islam is a religion of peace. … There should be no misunderstanding, you've all seen it with your own eyes, you've traveled on the trips the President has taken to these mosques and to these visits. It's a very important part of America's openness and tradition of tolerance."

Political Fallout
Some observers claim that Falwell's comments may have consequences beyond interfaith relations or religious tolerance.

"Most Muslims will ignore this, but the Islamists, the fundamentalists, the militants will weave this as a scenario between Falwell and Bush," Abdullahi An-Na'im, the former head of Human Rights Watch-Africa, told Newhouse News Service. "Instead of reporting this as the comment of a bigoted, ignorant American, it will be presented as a national conspiracy in which the highest ranks of American government are implicated."

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Falwell's remarks may have contributed to Islamic parties winning more than 50 seats in the Pakistani parliament last week.

An Islamic expert at American University told the paper, "All the predictions were that the mullahs would not get more than their usual four or five seats. Suddenly you get these [Falwell] statements on the front pages. People are outraged. Ordinary Pakistanis say, 'A vote for the religious parties is a vote against the Americans.'"

The article also said that the comments may have hurt U.S. chances of finding support from Islamic countries for its war on terrorism. But immediate effects of the 60 Minutes program were felt across the globe.

Protests, riots, and death
"When I saw the broadcast in Britain which contained Falwell's outburst against Islam, I prayed that the broadcast would not reach India and the subcontinent," said Joseph D'Souza, president of the All India Christian Council (AICC). "As soon as we heard some cable channels broadcasted Falwell's statement, we knew there would be trouble."

Muslims in India, Iran, and Pakistan responded to Falwell's comments with worker strikes, protests, and some reported attacks on Christian churches.

In India's mainly Muslim state of Jammu-Kashmir, thousands demonstrated in the streets, shouted anti-U.S. slogans, and threw rocks. The October 7 protests and worker strikes, especially in the main city of Srinagar, added to pre-existing tensions surrounding contested state elections scheduled for the next day. Over 600 have died in the state since the election was announced in August. Fourteen died on October 7.

In the city of Solapur, in Maharastra state, at least 10 people have been killed and more than 140 injured in what began on October 11 as protests against Falwell. AICC's D'Souza said that when protesting Muslims found shops not on strike, they attacked the businesses. The demonstrations then sparked communal violence between Hindu and Muslim mobs that continued this week. On Tuesday, authorities said Solapur was under control.

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October (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46