U.S. Should Not Deport “Son of Hamas”

U.S.SHOULD NOT DEPORT "SON OF HAMAS"

Mosab Hasan Yousef will speak to the 2010 Epicenter Conference next week via video. But we need to pray for him now.


By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., June 15, 2010) -- Mosab Hasan Yousef, author of the New York Times best-selling non-fiction book, Son of Hamas, will be speaking by videotape at the 2010 Epicenter Conference next week. But I can't wait until then to tell you the latest that is happening with him. He needs our prayers.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security may soon deport Mosab back to the West Bank where he very well could be assassinated. He is scheduled for a DHS hearing on June 30th that could decide his fate. U.S. officials believe his previous leadership role in Hamas is too great a risk to give him political asylum here in the States. But they are not properly assessing the totality of his story and the situation.

Here are the facts. Yes, Mosab is the son of one of the founders of Hamas and was a rising leader in the terrorist organization - he described his role in detail in his book. That said, Mosab renounced Hamas and risked his life to become a double agent working for the Israeli secret service (Shin Bet) against Hamas. In so doing, Mosab helped to stop scores of terrorist attacks and helping Israel arrest scores of jihadists. Then, Mosab renounced Islam and became a follower of Jesus Christ. His story was first revealed through the Haaretz, one of Israel's leading and most credible newspapers. The Haaretz team carefully vetted his story and have done numerous follow up stories. The Israeli government has not denounced him as a liar - to the contrary, Mosab's Shin Bet handlers affirm his story and say that he is telling the truth. Mosab has lived in the U.S. for the two years and is actively speaking out here and around the world through the media and in speeches against Hamas, against Radical Islam, and in favor of the U.S., Israel and most importantly his Savior and Lord Jesus Christ

The U.S. has given political asylum to people who have done far less for the U.S. and the cause of freedom than Mosab - he deserves and should receive the right to stay in this country and become an American citizen

I have gotten to know Mosab over the last 18 months and am convinced he is the real deal. I am, therefore, asking you to pray faithfully and consistently for him.

* Pray for Mosab to have Christ's peace and joy during such turmoil and stress

* Pray for Judge Rico J. Bartolomei on June 30th to truly hear and understand all the facts and come to the proper conclusion that Mosab has truly renounced Islam and Hamas, that he is not a threat to U.S. national security in any way, shape, or form, that he should stay in the U.S., and that he would be in grave danger if he were sent back to the West Bank

* Pray for Members of Congress to take up Mosab's case and intervene on his behalf with the Department of Homeland Security (my colleagues and I are currently working on this, as are other friends and allies of Mosab)

* Pray that the Epicenter Conference will give his case more exposure so more people can pray - we will be showing video excerpts of my recent interview with him and this will be broadcast on more than 1,000 Christian radio stations, 5 Christian TV networks, in all 50 states and in more than 200 countries around the world

* Pray, too, that the media will raise the profile of Mosab's case so still more people can learn about it and begin to pray

(Photo: Mosab and Joel having coffee at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville in March 2010.)

LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter on Joel's weblog (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com), please click here

PRAY: Sign up for Joel's email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests.

GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here and visiting our new website, www.joshuafund.net.

GO: Join Joel's "Epicenter Team" on Facebook.

GO: To learn more about -- and/or register for -- the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here (www.epicenterconference.com) 

Son of Hamas Leader to Address 2010 Epicenter Conference

SON OF HAMAS TO ADDRESS 2010 EPICENTER CONFERENCE 

Register today to join us in Philly on June 25-26.
Also: Update coming on The Joshua Fund's humanitarian relief efforts.
By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., March 11, 2010) -- Today, it my honor to announce that Mosab Hassan Yousef will address the 2010 Epicenter Conference this summer in Philadelphia.

Mosab will share the inside story of how he went from being the eldest son of one of the founders of the Hamas terrorist movement to a double agent working for the Israeli secret services to protect Jews and Arabs from terrorism. You'll hear first-hand how he made his stunning decision to renounce Islam and become a baptized follower of Jesus Christ, what it has cost him, as well as his powerful vision for true peace and reconciliation in the epicenter. [Note: for security reasons, Mosab will not physically be on site at the Kimmel Performing Arts Center where the conference will be held. He will address the event either by videotape or by satellite.]

Please register today at www.epicenterconference.com to make sure you can be there in person for this remarkable two-day event. Other featured speakers include Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Jerry Boykin, the former Delta force commander; Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Fellowship in California; Kay Arthur, the internationally respected Bible teacher; and Janet Parshall, one of the leading nationally syndicated Christian radio broadcasters.

ALSO ON THE WEBLOG:
* Shots fired in an evangelical Christian church in a Muslim country in the Middle East
* Updates on Vice President Biden's trip to the epicenter
* Updates on Israel's efforts to encourage more evangelical Christians to visit the Holy Land
* The remarkably peaceful elections in Iraq last Sunday

COMING SOON:
* A report on the exciting developments with The Joshua Fund's warehouse in Israel and efforts to care for the poor and needy in the Holy Land, as well as stockpile food and relief supplies for the future. Stay tuned.

(PHOTO: Joel and Mosab sharing coffee at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville in March 2010.)

LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter, please click here

PRAY: Sign up for Joel's email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests.

GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here.

GO: Join Joel's "Epicenter Team" on Facebook.

GO: To learn more about -- and/or register for -- the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here.

Son of Hamas Leader Comes to Faith in Jesus Christ (Pt2)

* * * * FLASH TRAFFIC: WASHINGTON UPDATE * * * *

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: HOW THE SON OF THE HAMAS LEADER CAME TO FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST -- PART TWO By Joel C. Rosenberg (Washington, D.C., March 3, 2010) -- The following is an interview I did with Mosab Hassan Yousef, author of the new book, Son of Hamas. JOEL: How has your life changed since becoming a born again Christian? Specifically, how have your attitudes towards Israel changed since your dramatic conversion? MOSAB: My conscience is not the same. This doesn't mean that I became a perfect person but at least when I do a mistake I know how to fix it and avoid it in the future. Today, I am free from sin because I am the son of the King. When I first understood how religion is imperfect in general - and in Islam in particular - and allowed myself to accept Christ as my personal Savior and get out of the box of religion, not only did Israel look different to me, I started to see everything differently. I remember one day walking in Jerusalem right after I studied the Scripture that says give to those who ask you. [Jesus said in Matthew 5:42, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."] There was a homeless Jew in the Jewish side of Jerusalem, and I answered the call of the Lord to share with him some of the change in my pocket. Then I sat down and cried because I had the chance to understand the unconditional love God has for everybody. It was shocking to me that I never felt sorry for a homeless Jew. Then gradually - through God's grace and mercy, through the years - all humans became equal to me. My people see the sun every day but they never ask themselves why the sun shines on both east and west Jerusalem. The easiest thing to me was to hate my enemy but the real challenge was to love them. Later on I realized my enemy was not man anymore - not Israeli, not Palestinian - but sin and darkness within us. JOEL: What can followers of Jesus do in real and practical ways to love the Palestinian people and reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ? MOSAB: This is an excellent question, thank you. Christians have a huge duty to love his neighbor and his enemy. Every Christian needs to carry this heavy cross. Loving Muslims and Palestinians is our responsibility. And our duty as Christians to show God's love toward Muslims is more important than governments, the United Nations and the international community. All of those don't have a clue how to deal with the Islamic problem. We know as Christians that the conflict is spiritual and ideological. You can't kill an idea. You have to replace it. Governments can send troops to change a regime or kill terrorists, but they don't have the type of weapons that we have - love and hope and grace. Today, I need from my Christian brothers and sisters to.... [TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW, PLEASE CLICK TO MY WEBLOG] **** Please join us at the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26. To find more details -- and to register on-line -- please go to www.epicenterconference.com. **** LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter, please click here PRAY: Sign up for Joel's email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests. GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here. GO: Join Joel's "Epicenter Team" on Facebook. GO: To learn more about the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here.

Son of Hamas Leader Comes to Faith in Jesus Christ

* * * * FLASH TRAFFIC: WASHINGTON UPDATE * * * *

EXCLUSIVE: HOW THE SON OF THE HAMAS LEADER CAME TO FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST -- PART ONE Also: Mosab to appear on CNN, Fox and Today Show. See weblog for details. By Joel C. Rosenberg (Nashville, Tennessee, March 1, 2010) -- This morning, a colleague and I will meet Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of the founder and leader of the Hamas terrorist movement, for coffee. Later, I will have the joy of introducing Mosab to participants of the National Religious Broadcasters convention here in Nashville when I address the group at the "International Luncheon." My remarks are entitled, "Israel, The Iran Threat, and Modern Day Lessons From The Book of Esther." I believe the Lord is building a global movement of followers of Jesus Christ who will pray and fast for the Lord to save and bless Israel, the Palestinians, Iran and all the peoples of the epicenter. And just as the Lord had strategically positioned two believers - Mordechai and Esther - close to the leader of Persia to do His will at "such a time as this," so, too, the Lord placed Mosab right next to the leader of Hamas to serve Christ at a critical moment. Beginning in 1996, Mosab became a spy for Israel's secret service, helping the Israelis to stop scores of terrorist attacks and arrest scores of terrorists from Hamas and other Palestinian jihadist groups. In 2005, after a long spiritual journey, Mosab renounced Islam, received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord, and was baptized in the Mediterranean sea.The extraordinary story of how this all happened is the basis of Mosab's must-read new book, Son of Hamas (co-written by journalist Ron Brackin), which releases nationwide on Tuesday, March 2. Mosab and Tyndale House Publishers have put an embargo on the book until tomorrow, meaning no journalist is allowed to publish excerpts from the book until then. But they have graciously give me exclusive permission to publish excerpts first. Here are a few of the extraordinary passages: [SEE WEBLOG FOR EXCLUSIVE EXCERPTS] Is Mosab's story of conversion to Christ an isolated story, or part of a movement of God in the Middle East? Is there hope for top officials in Iran, Syria, Hezbollah to come to faith in Jesus Christ and renounce their hatred of Israel? What can you do to bless Israel and her neighbors and advance the kingdom of God in the epicenter? We'll explore these and other critical questions at the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26. Please join us! We will provide you with the very latest geopolitical updates from the Middle East, in-depth Bible teaching and practical training on how to help mobilize your family, friends and neighbors to "learn, pray, give and go" to the Lord's work in the epicenter. Among my guests will be Lt.-General (ret.) Jerry Boykin, fmr. commander of Delta Force and fmr. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence; Kay Arthur, the internationally renowned Bible teacher; Greg Laurie, the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California who has preached the good news of Jesus Christ to more than 3.8 million people around the world; Janet Parshall, the nationally syndicated radio talk show host; and other wonderful guests we will announce as we get closer to the event. Find more details -- and register on-line -- at www.epicenterconference.com. LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter, please click here PRAY: Sign up for Joel's email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests. GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here. GO: Join Joel's "Epicenter Team" on Facebook. GO: To learn more about the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here.