(New York City) — With my new political thriller, The Persian Gamble, now finished and fully edited, I’ve been in Manhattan this week for meetings on the sidelines of the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly.
Countering the threat posed by radical Islamists — the ayatollahs of Iran chief among them — has been the main topic of our discussions. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need to advance religious freedom in the region have been key themes, as well.
Among the leaders I’ve met with are Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba, and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The longest and most in-depth meeting was with Egyptian President el-Sisi, whom I first met in Washington last April and who invited me to bring a delegation of Evangelical leaders to Cairo to get to know him last November. It was great to see him again. He couldn’t have been more warm or more open to talking candidly about these and other critical issues.
It was also fun to present him a copy of my recent novel, Without Warning, and to tell him that in the novel, an Egyptian president plays a critical role in working with the U.S., Israel, Jordan and the UAE to hunt down the world’s most wanted terrorist. He loved it and asked me to personally sign it for him. Given that his English is excellent, I’m hoping he’ll have some time to read it soon, perhaps on the flight home.
That said, here is the press release our group issued describing our meeting….
EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT EL-SISI MEETS WITH EVANGELICAL DELEGATION FOR A FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION IN NYC DURING U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Provides Update on Progress Since Historic First Meeting In Cairo Last Year, Including Fight Against Terrorism & Extremism and Protect Religious Freedom
NEW YORK CITY, September 28, 2018 – Amidst meetings with world leaders this week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with a delegation of American Evangelical leaders for a follow-up meeting in his New York hotel on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Sisi is in Manhattan for the opening of the 73rd session of the U.N. General Assembly.
President el-Sisi wanted to continue the conversation he began with Evangelicals at the Presidential Palace in suburban Cairo last November. During the 90-minute meeting, he provided an update on progress since that historic first-ever meeting with the Christian leaders.
Among the topics discussed — the government’s increasingly successful efforts to:
- counter terrorism and religious and ideological extremism
- protect churches from terrorist attack
- protect freedom of religion for people of all faiths
- quietly assist in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and
- strengthen Egypt’s strategic alliance with the United States.
Participating in the meeting was Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Director General for General Intelligence Abbas Kamel, and presidential spokesman Bassam Rady.
The President said he was encouraged by the improving level of coordination and consultation between Egypt and the U.S. at various levels on security and economic matters, and said Egyptians are seeing the fruit of the government’s reform efforts, including improved economic growth, lower unemployment, and increased tourism.
“Mr. President, you are defeating the terrorists and the dangerous ideology that fuels them,” said Dr. Mike Evans, who was a member of the delegation who traveled to Cairo last Fall. “Fighting terrorism is a human right. You liberated Egypt from the tyranny of the Muslim Brotherhood. You’re making Egypt safer and more prosperous for everyone, and we applaud you for it.”
“We’re making progress, but don’t stop praying for us,” the President replied.
Joel C. Rosenberg, the New York Times best-selling author who led the delegation last year at the President’s invitation, quoted a verse from the New Testament during the discussion.
“Jesus told us, ‘You will know them by their fruits.’ (Matthew 7:16, New American Standard Bible). We as Evangelical Christians are not simply listening to your speeches. We are watching what you do. You’re not claiming to be perfect. But we see you making progress on many fronts. Just this month, you’ve appointed two Christian governors, including the first-ever woman Christian governor. You’re rebuilding churches that were burned or damaged by the Muslim Brotherhood. You’re building a large new church in your new administrative capital. You’re working closely with Israel to fight terrorists in the Sinai. And you’re doing everything possible to improve conditions in Gaza and jump-start the stalled peace process. This isn’t rhetoric. These are specific and positive actions. You’ve got an important story to tell, but more people need to hear it.”
President el-Sisi thanked the delegation for their words of reassurance and support, opining that, other than discussions with President Trump and Vice President Pence, “this was the most encouraging discussion of the many meetings I have had since arriving in the United States this week.”
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Dr. Evans (founder of the Jerusalem Prayer Team and the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem) and Mr. Rosenberg (New York Times best-selling author) organized the delegation of American Evangelical leaders.
Others included:
- Hon. Michele Bachmann, former U.S. Member of Congress
- Michael Little, former President and COO of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and Board Chair of the National Religious Broadcasters
- Jay Strack, President and Founder of Student Leadership University
- A. Larry Ross, President of A. Larry Ross Communications
- Wayne Pederson, Reach Beyond Global Ambassador
(Photo credit: Office of the Egyptian President)
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REMINDER: On Saturday evening, October 6th, I will speak in the Denver, Colorado area. The topic of my address will be, “FLASH POINTS: WHERE WILL THE NEXT MAJOR WAR BREAK OUT?” Please register today to join us. It’s the only other public speaking event I’ll be doing on this visit to the U.S., and I’d love to see you there.
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- PRE-ORDER — To pre-order a copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE on Amazon, please click here. (Note: Right now, Amazon is the only place I can find online that is pre-selling the novel. I will post links to others sales options when they become available.)
- To order a copy of The Kremlin Conspiracy — the New York Times best-selling political thriller, now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats — please click here, or order from any of your favorite general market or Christian bookstores.
- To order copies of the new mass market paperbacks of the J.B. Collins novels — my most recent trilogy of novels about ISIS plotting attacks on the U.S., Israel, Jordan and Egypt — please click here.
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