The elder Graham said at an evangelistic meeting in Toronto, Canada, his son, a 27-year-old West Point graduate, sustained shrapnel wounds to his arms, legs and back this month in Iraq. No details were given about the apparent attack.
However, "We know that he is fine and he asked for prayers for his men," said Franklin Graham’s spokesman, Jeremy Blume. Glenn Wilcox, a close friend of the Graham family, told reporters that Edward Graham is serving his second tour in Iraq and that his father is "extremely" proud of him.
"He’s a very fine, outstanding young man, but very tough and very sure of himself," Wilcox said. "I’ve never met anyone I was more impressed with than Edward. And he loves it — he’s really committed to the United States, to West Point and to doing his job the very best he can."
FOUR CHILDREN
Edward Graham is one of four children of Franklin Graham and one of 19 grandchildren of his father, the world famous evangelist Billy Graham. Officials refused to say in which hospital he was treated for his injuries, citing security concerns.
The news came amid reports that other Christians expressed concern to the United Nations about the situation of an estimated two million refugees who have fled Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.
In a statement delivered Friday, March 23, at a session of the United Nations Human Rights
Council in Geneva, Switzerland, the Dominicans for Justice and Peace, Pax Christi International and four partner organizations urged Britain and the US "to open their doors to them," reported Ekklesia, a UK-based Christian think tank.
CHRISTIANS FLEE
About 100,000 Iraqis reportedly leave their country each month, including many of Iraq’s best-educated professionals. There are many Christians among them, BosNewsLife monitored. Syria has taken in 1,000,000 Iraqis, Jordan, 750,000, Egypt, 80,000-130,000, according to UN estimates. The US reportedly said in February that it would grant asylum for up to 7000 refugees over the next year.
President George W. Bush has said his new security plan for Baghdad, including extra reinforcements, will eventually bring more peace to Iraq. As the US Senate opened debate Monday, March 26, on a $122 billion Iraq spending bill, Republicans vowed not to allow Congress to impose a withdrawal date for American troops.
They said they would rely on Bush’s veto pen rather than procedural maneuvers to block it. President Bush has vowed to veto any legislation that establishes a specific timetable to remove combat troops from Iraq. (With BosNewsLife reporting and reports from Washington, Geneva, London and Iraq).
