Dr. Mark Christian is the President and Executive Director of the Global Faith Institute (GFI), which is based in Omaha, Nebraska and dedicated to “the proclamation and pursuit of truth as it relates Middle Eastern history and current happenings.” He is an Egyptian-born Christian convert from Sunni Islam and is related to high-ranking leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. He is currently organizing an event in Omaha called “Israel in the Heartland,” a night on March 19 to honor Israel, the first ever pro-Zionist event to be held in the United States heartland and the state of Nebraska.
FP: Dr. Christian welcome to Frontpage Interview.
I would like to discuss the pro-Israel event you are hosting in Omaha on March 19, 2015.
But first, let’s begin with you giving us a bit of background about yourself. It is not every day that a former Islamic Imam organizes a pro-Israel event.
Christian: Thanks Jamie.
I think it would be best to begin with me telling you about my father. He fought bitterly against Israel, not once, but twice. As an Egyptian and Sunni Muslim, he passed to me his hatred of the Jews and their state. I later joined the Egyptian military like my father, but I began to question Islam, and ultimately abandoned it in favor of Christianity.
After my conversion, I learned the truth about the battles my father described to me as a child, and I learned that Israel was not the aggressor, but merely defending itself against an unreasoning hatred from Muslim Arabs, fueled by notions of Islamic supremacism.
FP: Share with us your own journey in terms of your thoughts about Jewish people – especially after having been brought up in Islamic Jew-Hatred.
Christian: Over the years, since leaving Islam, I have developed a deep respect for the Jewish people and for the successful nation they have built in their ancestral home. I have come to know the truth about their struggles throughout the centuries, and have wept over the raw brutality of the Holocaust. I have been blessed to meet and become friends with many survivors of that horrid stain on mankind.
While my background prepared me to hate Jews, my God has enabled me to love them, to learn from them and to defend them against the growing threat of anti-Semitism that once again rises in the minds of men, darkening their hearts and poisoning their immortal souls.
FP: Your thoughts on the state of Israel?
Christian: Israel is a beacon to all those who have suffered. They are the shining example of what a people can do when they refuse to allow their enemies to define them. They are an invaluable strategic partner for every nation that values liberty over labels, and respect over violent assault.
Israel is not a religious institution. Israel is a nation; one that has endured for millennia despite countless attempts to extinguish her flame.
In the last century, Israel became a country once again, established by the blood and sacrifice of great men who believed in their people, and refused to let their heritage and history pass from this earth.
Now – more than a half-century later – the Nation of Israel is still fighting the same battle while so-called allies question even their right to self-defense.
This isn’t a religious war for Israel. It is a political war, like any other. Israel is defending its right to exist as a nation, unmolested and secure in its borders.
FP: So tell us about this event you are hosting and why.
Christian: Jamie, I am proud to say that I am “pro-Zionist,” and I want to share my admiration for Israel and her people in a commemoration of their bitter sacrifices and a celebration of their indomitable will and inspirational story.
I am a former devout Sunni Muslim who was raised to harbor an unquenchable hatred for Israel. And now I am hosting a truly miraculous event. It is called “Israel in the Heartland.” It is a night to honor Israel, the first ever pro-Zionist event to be held in the United States heartland and in the state of Nebraska.
FP: Who will be speaking?
Christian: The President of the Zionists of America, Morton Klein, will be a featured speaker, as will Elly Gross, survivor of the Holocaust and acclaimed author, poet and lecturer.
The Keynote speech will be given by The Honorable Roey Gilad, the Israeli Consul General to the Midwest, and we will be joined by many other honored guests. For instance, Eugene Lebovitz, a survivor of Auschwitz and a hero of the founding of Israel, will be there, as will Gaza native Nonie Darwis, an internationally-known author and the founder of Arabs for Israel.
FP: Kindly give us the details about place, date and time please.
Christian: Israel in the Heartland will take place on March 19, 2015 from 6-9 pm at the Champions Country Club in Omaha, Nebraska.
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FP:** Final thoughts?
Christian: Jamie, my entire childhood and early adult years were leading me toward jihad and hatred. God intervened on my behalf, as he has done for so many survivors of the countless attacks on the Jewish people, and He saved me.
In a way, I feel that my life has been preparing me for this celebration, a long and arduous odyssey to be sure, but with a gleaming hope guiding the way.
I welcome everyone to join me, an Egyptian-born former Muslim as I honor Israel and her people in a one-of-a-kind event in Omaha, Nebraska.
FP: Mark Christian, thank you for joining us and we wish you the best of luck with your historic event. Thank you for organizing it.
For all those interested in attending “Israel in the Heartland,” get all the information HERE.
Contact Mark Christian at [email protected].
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Don’t miss Dr. Christian on The Glazov Gang discuss Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood in the American Heartland, in which he explains his battle to stop Muslim Brotherhood front groups’ malicious plans within the “Tri-Faith Initiative” in Omaha, Nebraska.
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