President
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
EGYPT
President
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Egypt
For a spectacular and unprecedented two hours and 40 minutes, a dozen of us evangelicals sat with President al-Sisi in his Cairo, Egypt palace discussing religious liberty (for which he is a champion), terrorism, and other topics. A Muslim himself, he strongly believes that people should be able to worship as they choose – Christian, Jewish or Muslim- and has led the government in rebuilding many of the Christian churches that were destroyed during the horrific reign of the terroristic Muslim brotherhood. (The photo of the President is a stock photo.)
A dozen evangelicals (Jim Garlow – middle on the left side) met with Egyptian President al-Sisi
Our small evangelical delegation to Egypt enjoyed a majestic dinner with a rather fascinating group: top financial leaders, a military leader, a famous actor, a nationally prominent talk show host (the “Larry King of Egypt”), the U.S. Ambassador, two Egyptologist – a rather remarkable group – in the room that was built for the purpose of dedicating the Suez Canal.
By the way, if you desire, you can climb a tiny passageway inside the pyramids up to the actual burial chamber. It is so small, you cannot stand up in the ascending – then descending – passageway. It is very crowded because the people going up are in the same tiny tunnel as the people coming back down. And it is hot. I did it once. I won’t do it again.
These pyramids were designed as the burial chambers for the Pharoahs.
These pyramids were designed as the burial chambers for the Pharoahs.
Our evangelical delegation met with Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, the Grand Mufti of Egypt.
Mukhtar Jumu’ah who oversees 120,000 mosques in Egypt
A group of 15 of evangelicals meeting with the Minister of Religious Affairs & Endowments (a governmental cabinet level post) Muhammad Mukhtar Jumu’ah who oversees 120,000 mosques in Egypt- and who is working hard against the violent Muslim Brotherhood
Our evangelical delegation met with Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, the Grand Mufti of Egypt.
Mukhtar Jumu’ah who oversees 120,000 mosques in Egypt
When a dozen evangelicals (Jim Garlow – middle on the left side) met with Egyptian President al-Sisi, I was the last one to share, so I chose to share a Scripture (that Rosemary Schindler Garlow had read to me that morning):
Isaiah 19:23-25.
(A passage known as “The Highway of Hope”)
23) In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.
24) In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth.
25) The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”
Isaiah 19:23-25.
(A passage known as “The Highway of Hope”)
23) In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.
24) In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth.
25) The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”
I shared that this was prophetic and was someday coming. The three would someday worship the Lord together. But I wanted him to know that in verse 25, God speaks tenderly of Egypt with the phrase “my people.” (Egypt is mentioned more times in the Bible than any other country except Israel.)
The fact that God calls Egypt “my people” demonstrates His tenderness towards Egypt. Thus we also want to express a tenderness towards Egypt.
The President smiled big, looked directly at me, and – reiterating my point – switched from speaking Arabic through a translator, but spoke perfect English, and said, “If God loves Egypt, then you must love Egypt.”
Then he used a line that he had spoken only one other time during our more than 2 1/2 hour meeting, when he responded to a question re: Iran from (ret) Lt. General (3 Star) Jerry Boykin. He stated (referring to his response): “Did you get that? Did you get that?”
We got it! God loves Egypt. And so do we.
The fact that God calls Egypt “my people” demonstrates His tenderness towards Egypt. Thus we also want to express a tenderness towards Egypt.
The President smiled big, looked directly at me, and – reiterating my point – switched from speaking Arabic through a translator, but spoke perfect English, and said, “If God loves Egypt, then you must love Egypt.”
Then he used a line that he had spoken only one other time during our more than 2 1/2 hour meeting, when he responded to a question re: Iran from (ret) Lt. General (3 Star) Jerry Boykin. He stated (referring to his response): “Did you get that? Did you get that?”
We got it! God loves Egypt. And so do we.
Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat from the 1970s, hanging in the
home of his widow.
home of his widow.
Anwar & Jehan Sadat, hanging in the home of his widow.
On October 6, 1981, Jehan Sadat became a widow. A dozen of us had the privilege of meeting with her in her home in Cairo, Egypt in November 2017.