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Christianity Today, February, 2008 |

The Peacebuilding Prince

One Jordanian leader shares his deep desire to preserve the Arab Christian world.

Interview by Cornelis Hulsman | posted 2/13/2008 08:50AM

Prince Hassan bin Talal, brother of the late King Hussein of Jordan, is worried about the future of Christians all over the Arab world, including the Holy Land—the name he gives to the combined area ...

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Muneer -The Jordanian

Posted: February 24, 2008 5:39 PM

The events and actions taken following the issuance of the Compass Direct report speak it all. Government is so mad at Evangelicals in Jordan, Traditional Churches [ mostly motivated by govermnent] issued a statement denouncing Evangelicals and accused them of destabilizing the Middle East by their preaching and asking King and government to close down their university [www.jets.edu] because, they add, University is pulling jobless and poor people and teach them to transmit hate all over the middle east !Moreover, Traditional churches [understand] the deportation of some evangelicals[ without trials or lawyers represented].

Sue	Posted: February 23, 2008 1:48 PM


Try reading Joel Richardson's insightful book, Antichrist: Islam's Awaited Messiah for Islam's own eschatology. Does it match rather eerily close to HbT? I think so.

Charlie

Posted: February 22, 2008 7:17 AM

This week in front of the Jordanian Parliament - Information Minister Nasser Judeh mocked the well document report by Compass Direct which outlines the deportation of dozens of evangelical pastors. Nasser happens to be Prince Hassan's son-in-law. Nasser also read the insulting response to these deportations (signed by some bishops). A government sponsored document which challenges the legitimacy of the evangelical denominations which have a great heritage in Jordan. When the Prince says he believes in 'conversation not conversion', I think we can say that he believes in this very forcefully.

Shawn

Posted: February 14, 2008 3:35 PM

Philip is correct in noting how the leaders of the region preach human rights and interfaith understanding to the West, then return home to egregious human rights violations and do next to nothing to rein in their own. They are masters at playing to the good heartedness and openness of the West, while going to any and all lengths to remain in power. We should not allow ourselves to be hoodwinked. The Prince is a senior member of an autocratic regime. Had his own brother, on his death bed, not summarily fired him from his Crown Prince position for spreading falsehoods and slander about others and for his duplicitousness, he would be a dictator of his nation. As it is, the "honor" went to his nephew. El Hassan holds no earned doctorates. His terminal degree is a master's. His is not the only family that can prove descendence from the Prophet. Any sharif or sharifa (and its comparables in non Arab speaking countries) is, by definition, also a descendent. They are numerous.

Claudia Gerwin

Posted: February 14, 2008 3:32 PM

Amazing! I'm glad to see that someone of power in the Muslim world has given deep thought to the place of Christianity, and Judaism, for that matter, in the Mideast, and calls for peaceful conversation rather than confrontation. If people ever start practicing this, they'll realize that the situation in the Holy Land is not one of religious differences, but one of avarice and selfishness - Satan's tools to try to disrupt God's plan. But, God will triumph - and in the meantime, we need to foster all the communication between groups we are able to.

Philip Snow

Posted: February 14, 2008 2:20 PM

Prince El Hasan is a world leader in Interfaith dialogue - & very clever deception. His Islamic, Koranic beliefs are obviously paramount in all he does, & his main aim is the false 'peace & security' the Bible warns us will be one of the main deceptions prior to the Lord's return. El Hasan is certainly one of the leaders of the current 'Little Horn' [out of the eastern '4 Kings' of Dan 8] of the 2-horned 'Lamb-like' Antichrist 'Beast' of Rev 13:11, the other 'Little Horn' [out of the Western '10 kings' of Dan 7], being Papal. Both of which arose to full political & 'spiritual' power at exactly the same time - 610AD. Both claim to be above God, both persecute the saints, both are great deceivers... yet 'He is coming quickly'

David L. Miller

Posted: February 14, 2008 11:30 AM

Certain Moslem prophecies predict a final Mahdi who shall be a man of intellect and peace. He will rescue (take over) world government during a time of international turmoil. He will reign for ten years after which Allah will judge the world. He will be a direct descendent of The Prophet. He will have an unusally large forehead and pronounced nose. (There is no record as to why the nose and forehead are important.) Prince Hassan, a Hasemite, is of the only remaining family who can prove descendence from The Prophet - via Mohammed's daughter Fatima. Check Prince Hassan's doctorates (some honorary, but many earned). Check a picture of him in profile.

Roger

Posted: February 14, 2008 12:06 AM

It was good to highlight that there are Arab Christians who coexisted (and continue to exist) with Arab Muslims in harmony throughout the centuries. This reality is contrary to the view among Western Christians that Arab Christians are persecuted by Arab Muslims. Immigration of Arab Christians (e.g., Palestinian Christians) to Australia, the Americas, and elsewhere in the West is due to political factors such as the Israeli occupation and confiscation of Arab land rather than to religious factors.

Hib McCaan

Posted: February 13, 2008 9:10 PM


This is interesting because in 2003 Joe Van Koevering said HbT meets all the criteria of the Anti-Christ according to his research. I saw the evidence laid out in Dr Van Koevering's video and it is pretty compelling.

Philip

Posted: February 13, 2008 7:38 PM

What is happening in Arab countries is typical of ALL Muslim-majority countries or regions within a country. In Muslim-majority south Thailand about 3000 Buddhists have been killed by Muslims. A commonly occurring event is Muslims on motor-bikes randomly shooting Thai Buddhists. What have these Buddhists to do with Palestine or cartoons of Mohammad? Nothing. Islam is a violent ideology that preaches "convert or be humiliated and killed off". Muslims are hypocrites. In the West they preach human rights, but in places where they are a majority, they kill off not only Christians but non-Muslim religion. When only Muslims are left, they fight among themselves and kill each other, like in Iraq, Pakistan, etc. Prince Hassan is not a different Muslim, he is just a better actor and good at hiding his real intentions, a hypocrite as is commonly known.

The G

Posted: February 13, 2008 3:41 PM


What Denny said! Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Him only! Christianity is exclusive. Jesus insists we disciple all people by immersing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them all of Christ's commands.

denny

Posted: February 13, 2008 12:37 PM

The prince's proposal is flawed for several obvious Biblical reasons. He calls for ecumenism while Jesus calls for evangelism. He calls for people limiting their religion to the one they were born into wheras Jesus says we must be born again into Christianity & Jesus died once for all, not just those of a Christian heritage. Christians are called to turn the other cheek while practicing Muslims are called to destroy the infidel or at best, force him to pay the jizya (religios tax charged to non-muslims). The Prince dpesn't speak about the evangelical church forced to close down in Aqaba, his own country, or the recent deportation of 27 missionaries from Jordan. The Quran also allows Muslims, such as the Prince, to disseminate falsehoods until a later date when they clearly have the upper hand & then speak the truth. It would behoove the readers of this article to visit International Christian Concerns excellent website www.persecution.org or read Brigette Gabriels Because They Hate.

FRAN	Posted: February 13, 2008 12:00 PM

This prince makes his career promoting interfaith dialog and understanding, which is all well and good, except that he doesn't walk the talk in his own country or in his personal life, which leads to major sincerity problems. Many in Jordan have witnessed his wife suddenly go off without provocation, yelling, pushing, shoving, generally creating unpleasant scenes and sometimes lasting consequences for those involved. And Prince Hassan has willfully refused to make peace with those who were wronged. Peacebuilding prince? I think not. We should not be looking up to him. Before he preaches to the rest of us, he should get his own house in order.

Bill Bray

Posted: February 13, 2008 11:51 AM


Very informative. Hope you'll run more stories about Arab leaders who are promoting respect, dialogue and protection of Christian freedoms in the Muslim nations. Especially because we live in an age of growing Jihadist power, not just from Muslims but Hindus, we need to know about those who are promoting peace and dialogue.

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