The Rev. Franklin Graham responded to Monday's terror attack in a New York City subway by stating that the U.S. is still under attack by radical Islam and praising President Trump for his travel ban.
Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi man, faces a number of federal and state terrorism charges after he detonated a potentially deadly device during the busy morning commute on Monday, injuring five people.
In an interview with investigators, Ullah admitted that he built and detonated the device and said he was inspired to do so by ISIS.
"I did it for the Islamic State," he said.
On Facebook, evangelist Graham wrote, "Once again our nation has been attacked by radical Islam."
"The battle against radical Islam is far from over," he asserted. "I'm thankful that the Supreme Court agreed with and upheld President Trump's travel ban which is so important for the security of our country."
The leader of Samaritan's Purse urged prayers for those affected by the terror attack as well as U.S. lawmakers.
"Pray for those injured this morning," he said. "Let's also pray for President Donald J. Trump and our leaders in Washington-both Democrat and Republican-that God would give them wisdom and they would listen to His voice."
According to CNN, Ullah, who was seriously injured in the explosion, has been living in the US since 2011 on an F43 family immigrant visa. He is a lawful permanent resident who lives in Brooklyn and has no criminal record in the US, according to a preliminary background check.
He had pledged allegiance to ISIS and said he acted in response to Israeli actions in Gaza, according to authorities. His ISIS radicalization began in 2014, and began researching how to build improvised explosive devices about a year ago. Ullah began collecting the necessary items two to three weeks ago, and built the bomb in his home a week ago.
"One of Ullah's goals in carrying out the December 11 attack was to terrorize as many people as possible," said a criminal complaint filed Tuesday. "He chose to carry out the attack on a workday because he believed that they would be more people.'
Hour before the attack, he directed a message to President Trump on his Facebook page: "Trump you failed to protect your nation," the post said.
President Trump's controversial travel ban, which prohibits immigration from terror-prone Middle Eastern countries, was nearly fully reinstated by the United States Supreme Court last week.
The administration can fully enforce its new restrictions on travel from eight nations, six of them predominantly Muslim. Most citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea will be barred from entering the United States, along with some groups of people from Venezuela.
In a statement Monday, Republican Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Judge Roy Moore condemned the failed terrorist attack reiterated the need for the proper implementation of the travel ban.
"As we get news this morning of yet another radical Islamic terrorist attack, I am grateful that it appears no one was critically injured, and, as always, I am thankful for the quick action of law enforcement who have the suspect in custody," Moore said in a statement. "This incident underscores the continued threats our nation faces from those who want nothing more than to destroy the freedoms we enjoy."
"In the United States Senate I will fight with President Trump for the increased safety of the American people and I will not mince words when it comes to calling out radical Islamic terrorism for the threat that it is," he continued. "I am committed to implementing the President's travel ban, putting an end to sanctuary cities, building the wall and making America safer."
