538 See “CIA Helps Defuse al Qaeda Bomb Plot in Morocco,” CNN, June 16, 2002.
539 See “Morocco Makes More Al Qaeda Arrests,” CBS News, June 25, 2002; “Morocco Dismantles ‘Terrorist Network’: Police,” Agence France-Presse, August 29, 2008; “Morocco Arrests 17 Terror Suspects,” Associated Press, November 20, 2005; “Morocco Arrests Four Female Terrorist Suspects,” Deutsche Presse Agentur, September 1, 2006; “Dozens Held Over Morocco Plot,” Aljazeera, February 21, 2008.
540 See “Morocco Holds 14 over Suspected al Qaeda Links,” Reuters, October 27, 2006.
541 Dr. Ahmed Abaddi, interview with author, May 2006; see also Joel C. Rosenberg, “A Different Sort of Radical Muslim: Ahmed Abaddi Is Helping Muslims to Understand the West,” National Review, May 9, 2006; Joseph Loconte, “The Moroccan Model: A Beacon of Hope in the Islamic World,” The Weekly Standard, May 16, 2006; James Morrison and Julia Duin, “Moroccan Model,” Washington Times, April 27, 2006.
542 Khalid Zerouali, interview with the author, January 16, 2008.
543 “Maghreb” is an Arab and French term generally referring to the Western half of North Africa, including Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.
544 See “Morocco Hails Formation of Interim Government in Afghanistan,” Arab News, December 24, 2001; see also “A List of Foreign Diplomats Attacked in Iraq,” Associated Press, October 3, 2007; “Moroccan Suspect [in Iraq] Named in 60 Shiite Deaths,” Associated Press, November 1, 2005; “Moroccan Charged with Helping al-Qaida,” Associated Press, December 20, 2007.
545 Morocco actually applied in 1987 to join the European Communities, the precursor to the E.U., but was turned down.
546 See “Morocco Waits Its Turn Following Turkey’s EU Membership,” Turkish Weekly, March 31, 2005; “Morocco’s Quest to be European,” BBC, April 3, 2000; “Morocco Wants Closer Ties to the E.U.,” EU Business, October 4, 2007; “Morocco ‘to Strongly Adhere to Mr. Sarkozy’s Mediterranean Union Initiative,’ Minister,” Maghreb Arab Presse, June 7, 2008; “Paris Summit for the Mediterranean,” fact sheet, July 2008, http://www.ue2008.fr/webdav/site/PFUE/shared/import/07/0713_sommet_mediterranee/Press%20Kit%20Paris%20Summit_EN.pdf.
547 Dr. Ahmed Khamlichi, interview with the author, January 14, 2008.
548 See Scott MacLeod, “An interview with King Mohammed VI of Morocco,” Time magazine, June 26, 2000.
549 Ibid.
550 MP Fatiha Layadi, interview with the author, January 2008.
551 See Ahmed El Amraoui, “Jewish Woman in Morocco Poll Fray,” Aljazeera, September 7, 2007; see also “Jewish Woman Runs for Moroccan Parliament,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, September 7, 2007.
552 A portion of Sura 4:3 reads, “When you marry the orphan girls (in your custody), you can marry, from among other women (who are permitted to you in marriage and) who seem good to you, two, three, and four.” Muhammad had multiple wives, and this verse is believed to be a justification for it. But those Islamic scholars who oppose polygamy (or who severely discourage its practice) note that the very next portion of the very same verse says, “However, if you fear that (in mutual obligations) you will not be able to observe justice among them, then content yourselves with only one.”
553 See “King of Morocco Calls for Fundamental Reform in Family Law,” MEMRI Special Dispatch Series - No. 604, November 7, 2003, http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD60403.
554 See MacLeod, Time magazine.
555 See “FACTBOX: Morocco’s Economy: Trade, Tourism Check Poverty,” Reuters, September 7, 2007; CIA World Fact Book; and World Bank data.
556 Serge Berdugo, interview with the author, November 2005.
557 Author interview with senior Moroccan official who requested anonymity, January 2008.
558 See “King Abdullah of Jordan Participates in U.S. ‘National Prayer Breakfast’ Events,” press release, Embassy of Jordan, February 1, 2006, http://www.jordanembassyus.org/new/pr/pr02022006.shtml; see also “Jordan’s king urges moderates to unite,” Washington Times, February 2, 2006.
559 This section is adapted from the foreword I wrote for Once an Arafat Man: The True Story of How a PLO Sniper Found a New Life, written by Saada and Dean Merrill. It is based on my conversations and e-mails with Saada and material drawn from his book.
560 Sura 4:171.
561 Author interview in the spring of 2008. Salim is a pseudonym.
562 Sheikh Salman Al-Odeh, “Christian Missionaries Sweeping the Islamic World,” transcript, Lesson 66, Monday 12th of Safar, 1413 Hijra (1993), from www.islamworld.net/tanseer.htm, accessed February 3, 2006.
563 Al-Odeh was apparently citing the 1982 edition of the World Christian Encyclopedia. The updated figures in the 2001 edition found that the number of Christians in Africa had jumped from 9.9 million in 1900 to 360 million in 2000, still an enormous growth and a significant percentage of it from Muslim converts. See David B. Barrett et al, World Christian Encyclopedia (New York: Oxford Press, 2001), p. 5.
564 Interview with Sheikh Ahmad Al Qataani on Aljazeera, December 12, 2000. Transcript available from Ali Sina, Iranian dissident, on his Web site, www.faithfreedom.org/oped/sina31103.htm, accessed February 3, 2006.
565 Author interview with a senior Mideast Christian leader, spring 2008. Taheer is a pseudonym.
566 Author interview with an Iranian Christian leader on the condition of anonymity, 2007.
567 Author interview with an Iranian Christian leader on the condition of anonymity, 2007.
568 Author interview with Iranian pastor, name and date withheld.
569 Cited by Julian Lukins, “Behind the Black Veil,” Charisma, June 2004 issue.
570 Patrick Johnstone et al., Operation World (Waynesboro: Authentic Media, 2001), p. 353.
571 Author interview with Iranian evangelical leader, name and date withheld.
572 Author interview with Iranian political dissident on the condition of anonymity, summer of 2008.
573 Author interview with senior Iranian ministry leader on the condition of anonymity, fall of 2007.
574 Ramin Mostaghim, “Ruling Shiites Influence Eroded by Other Faiths,” Inter Press Service, May 5, 2004.
575 See “Government Officials Admit Christianity ‘Out of Control,’” Compass Direct, October 7, 2004.
576 See “Iran: Convert Stabbed to Death,” Compass Direct, November 28, 2005; see also World Watch List 2006, Open Doors, http://www.opendoorsuk.org/downloads/wwl_downloads/WorldWatchList.pdf, accessed April 3, 2006.
577 See “Iran Convert Stabbed,” Compass Direct. See also Nina Shea, “The Real War on Christmas: Being a Christian Can Be Deadly,” National Review, December 19, 2005. Shea cited Rev. Keith Roderick, an Episcopal priest representing Christian Solidarity International. The Voice of the Martyrs news agency also reported Ahmadinejad’s quote.
578 Author interview with an Iranian pastor on the condition of anonymity, 2007.
579 Author interviews with Egyptian pastors and ministry leaders beginning in 2005 and continuing through the fall of 2008.
580 1 Corinthians 4:13.
581 Author interview with an Arab pastor, name and date of interview withheld.
582 “Algeria Bans Muslims from Learning about Christianity,” www.ArabicNews.com, March 21, 2006.
583 Other Moroccan publications, including Attajdid, Le Journal Hebdomadaire, Le Matin, and La Gazette Du Maroc, have run similar stories.
584 Isa is the Arabic name for Jesus.
585 Author interview with a Sudanese evangelical leader, name and date withheld.
586 Author interviews with numerous Sudanese Christian leaders, 2008.
587 See Stan Guthrie, “Hope amid the Ruins: Anglican Bishop Sees Massive Church Growth,” Christianity Today, January 2004.
588 Interviews with Iraqi and Jordanian Christian leaders, 2008.
589 Author interview with an Iraqi pastor, name and date withheld.
590 Author interview with Iraqi evangelical leader, name and date withheld.
592 Author interview with a Palestinian evangelist, name and date withheld.
593 Author interview with an Arab Christian leader from Syria on the condition of anonymity, 2007.
594 Interviews with several senior Jordanian Christian leaders on the condition of anonymity, 2008.
595 The story was relayed to me by an Arab ministry leader who has interacted with this woman personally, name and date of interview withheld.
596 Author interviews with numerous Afghan ministry leaders on the condition of anonymity, summer and fall of 2008.
597 Author interview with Afghan evangelical Christian leader, name and date withheld.
598 “More Christians Arrested in Wake of ‘Apostasy’ Case,” Open Doors USA Web site, http://www.opendoorsusa.org/Display.asp?Page=AfghanArrests, accessed April 3, 2006. See also www.compassdirect.org.
599 Author interview with an Uzbek Christian leader on the condition of anonymity, 2007.
600 Author interview with a Kazakh Christian leader on the condition of anonymity, 2007.
601 Interview with Dr. T. E. Koshy, June 15, 2008.
602 Cited by Raymond Ibrahim, “Islam’s ‘Public Enemy #1,’” National Review, March 25, 2008.
603 Father Zakaria Botros, interview with the author, September 5, 2008.
604 Steve Little, “Talking Truth to the Muslim World,” Christian World News, CBN, September 29, 2006.
605 See “Coptic TV Show Causes Controversy in Egypt,” MEMRI Special Dispatch Series - No. 943, July 27, 2005.
606 See “Coptic TV Show.”
607 Hormoz Shariat, interview with the author, January 2007.
608 See “Iraq: Once-Outlawed Satellite Dishes Sprouting Like Mushrooms on Baghdad’s Rooftops,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, May 28, 2003.
609 Christian channels in the epicenter include: Al Hayat; SAT-7 in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and North African dialects; Miracle TV; Three Angels Broadcasting Network; the God Channel; the Spirit Channel; Smile (a Christian channel for children in the Middle East); and five networks run by the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
610 See “Christian Television Succeeding in Middle East: 9 Million Viewers in Middle East Watch SAT-7 Christian TV According to New Research,” press release, SAT-7, May 3, 2005.
611 Hamid is not his real name; it is a pseudonym to protect this Iranian Christian leader. For security reasons, I cannot disclose when or where I interviewed him, but I can say it was within the last two years.
612 Luke 10:2
613 Samir is not his real name. It is a pseudonym to protect this Iraqi Christian leader. These sections are based on an author interview with Samir in February 2008.
614 Author interview with an Iraqi ministry leader from a Sunni Muslim background, February 2008.
615 Kerem is not his real name. It is a pseudonym to protect this Kurdish Christian leader. These sections are based on a series of author interviews with Kerem in February 2008.
616 Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 5–7.
617 See Romans 10:13-17.
618 Shakir is not his real name. It is a pseudonym to protect this Iraqi pastor. This chapter is based on a series of author interviews with Shakir in February 2008.
619 “Iraq Minister Says Mosul ‘Worse Than Imagined,’” Agence France-Presse, January 28, 2008.
620 For a more detailed and complete analysis of Ezekiel’s prophecies described by Bible scholars as the “War of Gog and Magog,” please see Joel C. Rosenberg’s book Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future (Tyndale, 2006 hardcover edition, or 2008 softcover updated edition).
621 See Joel C. Rosenberg, “Arabs Building New Tower of Babel,” Weblog posting, May 1, 2008, www.joelrosenberg.com.
622 Nahum is actually buried in the Iraqi town of Elkosh, and my Joshua Fund colleague Jeremy Grafman and I have had the privilege of visiting his tomb and seeing the ancient Hebrew writing on the walls of the ancient facility enclosing the tomb.
623 Cited by Yigal Schleifer, “Turkey’s Christians Face Backlash,” Christian Science Monitor, April 25, 2007. See also Suna Erdem, “Christians at Bible Publishers Have Their Throats Cut,” The Times of London, April 19, 2007.
624 See Ethan Cole, “15,000 Iraqi Christians Driven Out of Mosul,” Christian Post, October 20, 2008.
625 Author interview with Daniel—not his real name—October 2008.
626 See Joseph Abrams and Jonathan Passantino, “Foiled Terror Plots Against America Since 9/11,” Fox News, September 11, 2008, http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,335500,00.html.
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