Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani criticized media coverage of recent terror attacks during an interview with Ed Henry, accusing major outlets of downplaying incidents tied to radical Islamist ideology while deflecting responsibility onto U.S. foreign policy.

Henry opened the discussion by referencing commentary circulating on television following recent terror incidents.

“CNN is now letting some people say, Well, look, we're, you know, we started the Gulf War, so we got hit on 9/11,” Henry said.

Giuliani responded by criticizing how the network frames terrorism and the motivations behind attacks.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

“Oh, I mean, Al Jazeera is actually more fair and balanced than CNN, even if they are biased. That's a totally ridiculous concept. But of course, it's meant to block a very, very startling, dramatic fact that we're not really recognizing. In the last five or six days, we've had three major attempts in the Name of Allah, in a literal interpretation of the teachings of Mohammed and based on things that are securely and absolutely written in the Quran to commit mass murder,” Giuliani said.

He compared the incidents to organized crime violence to illustrate the frequency of the attacks.

“This would be as if the mafia carried out three mass murders in five days, or attempted to, yeah, and, and it's as if, as it's as if it didn't happen. Overall, afraid to say anything about it,” Giuliani said.

Giuliani argued that discussions about terrorism often avoid examining religious motivations.

FREE Gun Law Map: Laws Don't Pause During Social Unrest

“The religion they are talking about has for 1400 years been unlike what President Bush said, not a religion of peace, but a religion of war. Yes, you can write the history of the dark and middle ages about the wars conducted by the Muslims,” Giuliani said.

He continued by contrasting the spread of Islam with the historical spread of other religions.

“Unlike Judaism and Catholicism and other religions, they didn't spread by preaching. They spread by terroristic warfare, even even Persia, Iran wasn't Muslim, it was Zoroastrian. The descendants of Mohammed, the second and third caliph, conducted genocide in Iran, destroyed Zorro Zoroaster and forced them to be Muslims,” Giuliani said.

Henry then shifted the conversation to security concerns and immigration policy.

“So what do we do now? Because, you know, Mr. Mayor, Joe Biden's open border policy seemed to be coming home to roost all these terror attacks as you're laying them out,” Henry said.

Henry also referenced recent incidents and political debates surrounding homeland security funding and immigration enforcement.

“I mean, let's talk about Austin, Texas as well. The guy had a t shirt about Iran on it last weekend in New York City, and New York Senator Chuck Schumer is blocking the full money for Homeland Security. And the guy who's got your job now, Zoran Mamdani, said he's worried about Muslim bigotry and Islamophobia. What in the world is going on?” Henry asked.

Giuliani said he believes ideological motivations are driving the conflict.

“They're trying to take over. That's what's going on. Precisely. One of the failures of America is we don't read we never read Hitler. We never read Marx. What's going on with China is they're trying to take, take over the world. They're trying to do what Karl Marx told them to do in in 1848,” Giuliani said.

He then argued that extremist interpretations of Islamic texts are motivating some attackers.

“What are the Muslims trying to do what's driving mandami, what he reads in the Quran, to take over the world for the Muslim religion, to not be friends with Jews and Christians. That's Sauron number five, by the way. Follow two paragraphs later by slitting their throats,” Giuliani said.

Henry later pressed Giuliani about how authorities should respond to the issue, noting concerns raised by Missouri Senator Eric Schmidt regarding immigration enforcement and terrorism cases.

“So what do we do now, Mr. Mayor, because Senator Eric Schmidt is saying President Trump was right about targeting illegal immigration and building the wall and the rest, but now we have a legal immigration problem,” Henry said.

“These terrorists now are naturalized citizens. The one at Old Dominion was from Sierra Leone, but was here legally, but then went to prison for material help to ISIS, and a lenient judge said, Well, you completed a drug program, so you're back out on the streets, and he does a terror attack,” Henry said.

Giuliani responded that the issue goes beyond immigration policy and involves deeper ideological challenges.

“Well, it's a problem, but that's not that's not the core of the problem, that if you solve the major problem, you solve the small one. What's the smaller? The actual attempt to get the good Muslim people, of which there are many, to come to terms with the fact that their religion has never had a Protestant Reformation,” Giuliani said.

“The religion needs to be changed, and it has to be acknowledged that it's changed if they want to practice it, because the way it is now, it's too ambiguous, and it's been captured by the by the by the terrorists,” he added.

Henry questioned whether such a reform could realistically occur.

“But what are we going to do? Pardon me, Mr. Mayor, but we're not going to get them to change your religion. And it feels like maybe we're sitting ducks here because we don't know about these sleeper cells,” Henry said.

Giuliani said he believes religious changes are already taking place in parts of the Middle East.

“They are changing their religion, maybe not fast enough, but the religion is growing the fastest in Iran is Roman Catholicism. The Catholic Church doesn't know how to get priests there. The second, the second biggest religion growing there is evangelical Christianity,” Giuliani said.

Later in the interview, Henry referenced a recent Ramadan celebration at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor where Giuliani once lived.

“He had his big Ramadan fest at Gracie Mansion where you lived,” Henry said.

Giuliani said his decades of work dealing with terrorism have shaped how he views the issue.

“Ramadan, I mean, I've been doing this terrorism stuff forever. Ramadan was the day you had to worry about a lot of extra murders because it was either beginning or ending. I'm talking about 30 years ago. How the Hell is this a religious feast?” Giuliani said.

He compared concerns about attacks during Ramadan with the absence of similar fears during other religious holidays.

“We don't worry about murder by Christians on Easter or murder by Jews on the High Holy Days, but we do have to worry about murder. And by the way, the last three things I just mentioned, the last murders, are attempted murders in five days by Muslims. All happened during the end of Ramadan,” Giuliani said.

Henry concluded the segment by referencing an attack at Old Dominion University.

“Yeah, and Allah Akbar was shouted at Old Dominion University by that terrorist. So everything you're saying is on point tonight, Mr. Mayor, we appreciate your time. We'll have you back soon,” Henry said.

Giuliani closed by reiterating his criticism of media coverage of terrorism.

“The other two are equally as clear, except for a lying media I can show you the proof I have it. One comes his family with Hezbollah, and the other has been a dedicated Muslim for all his life, and all you got to go is go look and not hide it the way our media does,” Giuliani said.

WATCH:

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Objectivist. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.