Update: Pastor Benny Hinn and Christian Leaders Meet with Arab Ambassadors

NEW YORK, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- In a historic meeting that marked a new era between Christian and Arab leaders, a select group of ambassadors and advisors from Middle Eastern nations met with a contingent of well-known religious figures in a meeting organized by religious leader Pastor Benny Hinn. Pastor Hinn, born in Israel and fluent in Arabic worked with the Egyptian ambassador to organize the event.

These meetings represent the beginning of productive and positive dialogue between Arab and Christian leaders, and this meeting will represent the beginning meeting of other private, confidential meetings to be hosted by Pastor Hinn and Arab Ambassadors.

The prestigious group met July 2, 2007, at the Washington, D.C., home of His Excellency Nabil Fahmy, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United States. Ambassador Fahmy, a career diplomat, has played an active role in numerous efforts to bring peace and understanding to the Middle East.

In addition to the gracious host, other Middle Eastern representatives included His Excellency Farid Abboud (Ambassador of Lebanon), His Excellency Hussein Hassouna (Ambassador of the League of Arab States), His Excellency Nasser Al Belooshi (Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain), His Excellency Amine Kherbi (Ambassador of Algeria), His Excellency Ali Aujali (Ambassador of Libya), His Excellency Samir Sumaid'ie (Ambassador of Iraq), Mr. Nabil El- Dakheel (Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the State of Kuwait), Mr. Abdel Hakim Al-Eryani (Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Yemen), Mahmoour Al- Hinaei (Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Sultan of Oman), Ms. Laila Alaoui (PR Counselor, Embassy of the King of Morocco), and Mr. Ashraf Salama (Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt).

Christian leaders included Pastor Benny Hinn (Founder of Benny Hinn Ministries), Gordon Robertson (Vice President of Internet Media for the Christian Broadcasting Network and co-host of the 700 Club), Rev. Jonathan Falwell (Executive Vice President of Spiritual Affairs at Liberty University and Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church), Rev. Reinhardt Bonnke (Founder of Christ for All Nations), Dr. Ron Godwin (Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Liberty University), Dr. Don Argue (President of Northwest University), Ralph E. Reed, Jr. (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Century Strategies), Paul Crouch, Jr. (Vice President of Administration for Trinity Broadcasting Network), Dr. Roger Breland (Dean of the Center for Performing Arts at the University of Mobile), Rev. Vernon Brewer (Founder and President of World Help), The Honorable Robert Keith Gray (Chairman of Gray and Company II), Rev. Richard Cizik (Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals), Rev. Tommy Reid (Senior Pastor of The Tabernacle in Buffalo, New York, and founding member of Churches United In Global Mission), and Rev. Joshua Youssef (Executive Vice President of Leading The Way Ministries).

"The meeting was extremely productive. We had a candid exchange of ideas. The Christian leaders who met with the Middle Eastern ambassadors and advisors represented many factions of the religious community, from evangelicals to Pentecostals and more traditional denominations, and from educators to political insiders. "It was a very positive event with real potential for good," stated Rev. Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents sixty-one denominations and 45,000 congregations in the United States, with a service constituency of millions.

He added, "None of us should want conflict between our two faiths, which would only serve the cause of terrorists such as Osama bin Laden. We all need moral imagination and biblical wisdom to see our way through the current difficulties in relations between Christians-particularly evangelical Christians-and Muslims. It could well be the most important thing we set our minds to at this time in history."

Stated CBN's Gordon Robertson, "Now more than ever Christians need to reach out with love and compassion to the people of the Middle East. I join with Pastor Benny Hinn in reaching out to Israel with one arm and the Arab nations with the other. May God allow these efforts to grow and prosper so that one day the Middle East will no longer be a place of conflict but a place of peace."

Said Liberty University's Rev. Jonathan Falwell, "We all agreed that this would not be the last meeting. We promised that this dialogue would continue, that we were willing to visit their countries, meet their people, and attempt to continue the conversation to build a more peaceful future for our children and theirs.... This truly was a historic meeting."

Pastor Benny Hinn, the international evangelist who worked with the Egyptian ambassador to organize the cooperative event, reported, "The meeting was extremely productive. We had a candid exchange of ideas. The Christian leaders who met with the Middle Eastern ambassadors and advisors represented many factions of the religious community, from evangelicals to Pentecostals and more traditional denominations, and from educators to political insiders."

Further information on Pastor Hinn is available at http://www.bennyhinn.org/ or by calling 212-999-5585.

Contact Ronn Torossian, 212-999-5585