Saudi Sheikh Who Taught ISIS Fighters 'Jihad 101' Asks for Bible After Growing 'Sick of the Killing,' Missionary Claims
Islamic State Fighter Also Reportedly Converts to Christianity After Experiencing Vision of the Cross
The Christian Post reported last month on another missionary account of an Islamic State militant wanting to follow Jesus after purportedly dreaming of a man in white. That report also presented other accounts by Muslims who converted to Christianity after experiencing what they believe were dreams of Jesus. Read that report: Report: ISIS Fighter Who 'Enjoyed' Killing Christians Wants to Follow Jesus After Dreaming of Man in White Who Told Him 'You Are Killing My People.'
Although CP's readers responded positively to the report about the ISIS militant and other Muslims turning to Christianity after having these dreams, some readers also expressed skepticism about the conversion stories in their comments.
CP reached out to Nettleton, the VOM Radio host and also the nonprofit's public relations and media director, about his interview with the Christian missionary Julian and other missionaries. Read the brief Q&A, conducted via email, below:
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CP: How did you get in touch with Julian?
Nettleton: "Julian" is a worker for Operation Mobilization (OM), a ministry organization with which The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) has an ongoing partnership to serve Christians and spread the Gospel in hostile and restricted nations. Julian recently visited our offices as a part of that partnership work, to meet with some of our international staff and discuss those ongoing projects.
CP: Do you try to verify accounts that missionaries share like this? Why/why not?
Nettleton: Because of the ongoing partnership VOM has with OM, and because they have staff with long history in the Middle East who speak the language and understand the culture, we have a level of trust with their staff and their reporting. With reports that VOM staff generate from hostile and restricted nations, we do seek to verify stories through our contacts in the nations where we work.
CP: Are you ever skeptical of these missionary accounts?
Nettleton: Of course I have heard reports that I was skeptical about, but I am not skeptical of the reports in this week's episode of VOM Radio, and frankly if I was skeptical I would not have included them in the broadcast.
The interesting thing is that these reports are consistent with what we hear from our own staff and our Christian contacts in the Muslim world. There are many Muslims who are coming to faith after seeing Jesus in a dream or a vision; those stories are not uncommon. I have personally interviewed Muslims with similar stories. There are also, we know, many Muslims who look at what ISIS is doing and it causes them to think about their own faith and consider if they really believe Muhammad's [sic] message.
And when we look in the Scripture, this isn't the first time this has happened. A man named Saul was on his way to Damascus to hunt down Christians and persecute them when he had an amazing encounter with Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that God is still having those kind of encounters — even with those persecuting His children — in the Middle East today, and I am thrilled to be a small part of sharing these great stories with the wider Christian community.
CP: What do you say to readers/listeners who are skeptical?
Nettleton: I understand the skepticism. It's difficult to see pictures of masked figures cutting off peoples' heads and then think about any of them genuinely repenting and choosing to follow Christ. I think I would encourage skeptics to listen to the VOM Radio broadcast and pray for Christians in the Middle East, and for Muslims there to come to know Christ. And I would encourage them to look into the stories that others are telling from the Muslim world that are consistent with these conversion stories; God is truly doing something special among Muslims in the Middle East. Being skeptical of the messenger or of a particular story is one thing, but let us never be skeptical of God's power to reach people with His love and transform their hearts.
Listen to the full Voice of the Martyrs radio interview that features Julian here, or in the audio player below (skip to the 14-minute mark for Julian's account of the Islamic militant and the sheik):
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