Christianity and Islam Have a Long and Bitter History

Tucker Carlson's promotion of Islam on the American Right is an act of intellectual dishonesty, says columnist Josh Hammer.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 7:00am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A dimly lit, cinematic painting of an empty church interior, with warm sunlight streaming through the windows and deep shadows cast across the pews, conveying a sense of the complex and often troubled relationship between the two faiths.The complex and often contentious history between Christianity and Islam is reflected in the solitary, shadowed interior of an abandoned church.San Bernardino Today

Columnist Josh Hammer criticizes Tucker Carlson's efforts to normalize and promote Islam within the American conservative movement, arguing that the history between Christianity and Islam is one of 'conflict, competition and occasional outright persecution.' Hammer cites examples from the Crusades to modern-day jihadist attacks to illustrate the incompatibility between biblical and sharia worldviews.

Why it matters

Hammer's column challenges Carlson's controversial stance, which he says reflects a 'broader confusion on the Right about where Christianity's natural religious alliance lies.' The author argues that the historical record shows Christianity's natural alliance is with Judaism, not Islam.

The details

Hammer accuses Carlson of leading a 'conscientious effort to aggressively promote Islam on the American Right,' citing Carlson's praise for sharia law, his visits to Arab countries, and his downplaying of Islamist violence against Americans. Hammer says Carlson's motives are unclear, but the result is 'flaming garbage' that must be rejected.

  • The Crusades took place in the early centuries of Islam's expansion.
  • The Battle of Vienna in the 17th century halted the Ottoman Empire's advance into Europe.
  • The First and Second Barbary Wars in the early American republic confronted North African Muslim pirates.
  • The 9/11 attacks, the 2009 Fort Hood Massacre, the 2015 San Bernardino shooting, and the 2025 Bourbon Street Massacre were carried out in the name of Islamist ideology.
  • In 2025, 93% of the estimated 4,849 Christians murdered worldwide for their faith were killed by Islamist fanatics.

The players

Tucker Carlson

A former cable news host who has been promoting Islam and sharia law within the American conservative movement.

Josh Hammer

A columnist who is criticizing Carlson's efforts to normalize Islam on the American Right.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Carlson is now leading a conscientious effort to aggressively promote Islam on the American Right.”

— Josh Hammer, Columnist

“To dismiss such acts as somehow wholly unrelated to Islam, as Carlson and his fellow propagandists do, is to lie and deceive — to engage in their very own form of taqiyya.”

— Josh Hammer, Columnist

The takeaway

Hammer's column argues that the historical record shows Christianity's natural religious alliance is with Judaism, not Islam, and that Carlson's efforts to promote Islam on the American Right are an act of 'profound intellectual dishonesty' that must be rejected.