Mark A. Gabriel
Encyclopedia
Mark A. Gabriel, born 30 December 1957, is a writer on Islam
ic affairs, who lives in the United States
under "religious asylum". He is the author of five books critical of Islam, including Islam and the Jews: The Unfinished Battle and Journey into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist.
parents in Upper Egypt
. His name back then was Mustafa. His parents, wealthy owners of a clothing factory, as well as his six brothers and one sister, were all devout Muslims. Early fears by relatives that Mustafa would grow up as a Christian because he had been nursed by a Christian woman resulted in him being given a thorough Islamic education.
Mustafa grew up immersed in Islamic culture and was sent to Al Azhar
school at the age of six. By the time he was twelve years of age, he had completely memorized the Qur'an
. After graduating from Al-Azhar University with a Master's degree
in 1990, with a graduation thesis
on The reign of the heir over the Islamic kingdom in the period of Ammaweya, he was subsequently offered a position as a lecturer
at the university. During his research, which involved travel to Eastern and Western countries, Mustafa became more distant from Islam
. In his book, he wrote about his view of Islam
stating:
On hearing that Mustafa had "forsaken Islamic teachings", the authorities of Al Azhar expelled him from the University on 17 December 1991, and asked for him to be released from the post of Imam
in the mosque
of Anas Ebn Malek in the city of Giza. The Egyptian secret police
then seized Mustafa and placed him in a cell without food and water for three days, after which he was tortured and interrogated for four days before being transferred to the Khalifa prison in Cairo
. He was released without charge a week later. Following these events, Mustafa lost his faith and went to work as a sales director in his father's factory. However, after a year of reflection on religious texts and discussions with a Christian
woman, he "gave his heart to Jesus
".
On 4 August 1994, Mustafa was sent by his father to South Africa
to establish connections in the clothing materials business. In Durban
, he met a Christian family from India
with whom he stayed for three days and lived a Christian life for the first time. After returning to Cairo
, Mustafa wore a Christian crucifix
around his neck for ten days before his father noticed it and demanded an explanation. Mustafa explained: "I received Jesus Christ as my God and Saviour
, and I pray for you and the rest of my family to also accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour". Mustafa writes that his father collapsed, but on recovering cried out to his other sons saying: "Your brother is a convert! I must kill him today!". Mustafa escaped to his sister's house. On 28 August 1994, he traveled through Northern Egypt
, Libya
, Chad
and Cameroon
, finally stopping in the Congo
, where he was struck down by malaria
. Following a "miraculous recovery from certain death", Mustafa left the hospital five days later "to tell the people everywhere what Jesus did for him in Africa
".
Mustafa subsequently changed his name, taking the Christian name of Mark Gabriel.
, Gabriel has a doctorate in Christian education and a master's in world religion from Florida Christian University in Orlando. He describes himself as founder and president of Hope for the Nations, a "missions organization dedicated to bringing the Good News
to the entire world, including Muslims". Gabriel prays "for the entire world, including Muslims, to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ"
Gabriel's website was run by Bradlee Sargent, an American-born computer programmer who "saw the vital need of evangelizing Muslims in 1983, when he lived in Saudi Arabia
." Sargent is a member of the Arabic Evangelical Church, organized by Syria
n-born Christian Peter Shadid, which aims to guide the Muslims of Central Florida
"away from the teachings of Mohammed and toward Christianity". Gabriel is listed as the owner of the new website established on 24 July 2006.
The books published by Gabriel are promoted by Stephen Strang's Strang Communications. Strang believes that "Y'eshua is getting us ready for his return". He believes that "Y'eshua is getting us ready, all of us, the Gentile church included, for the great influx of believers."
Some Muslim critics believe that Gabriel does not actually exist and that a body-double is being used in his videos. Among these are Basim Ghozlan, a former imam for the Islamic Association of Oslo and editor of islam.no, who denounced Gabriel and his book Islam and Terrorism.
conducted two television interviews with Mark Gabriel. In 2006 the two interviews were edited together and Lamb & Lion Ministries
produced a new DVD called "The Mark Gabriel Story." The DVD covers his life and experiences and draws heavily on the book, Islam and Terrorism.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic affairs, who lives in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
under "religious asylum". He is the author of five books critical of Islam, including Islam and the Jews: The Unfinished Battle and Journey into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist.
Biography
In his first book written in 1997, Against the Tides in the Middle East: The true story of Mustafa, former teacher of Islamic history, Gabriel tells of his birth on 30 December 1957 to MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
parents in Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
. His name back then was Mustafa. His parents, wealthy owners of a clothing factory, as well as his six brothers and one sister, were all devout Muslims. Early fears by relatives that Mustafa would grow up as a Christian because he had been nursed by a Christian woman resulted in him being given a thorough Islamic education.
Mustafa grew up immersed in Islamic culture and was sent to Al Azhar
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
school at the age of six. By the time he was twelve years of age, he had completely memorized the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. After graduating from Al-Azhar University with a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1990, with a graduation thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
on The reign of the heir over the Islamic kingdom in the period of Ammaweya, he was subsequently offered a position as a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at the university. During his research, which involved travel to Eastern and Western countries, Mustafa became more distant from Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. In his book, he wrote about his view of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
stating:
On hearing that Mustafa had "forsaken Islamic teachings", the authorities of Al Azhar expelled him from the University on 17 December 1991, and asked for him to be released from the post of Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
in the mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
of Anas Ebn Malek in the city of Giza. The Egyptian secret police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
then seized Mustafa and placed him in a cell without food and water for three days, after which he was tortured and interrogated for four days before being transferred to the Khalifa prison in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. He was released without charge a week later. Following these events, Mustafa lost his faith and went to work as a sales director in his father's factory. However, after a year of reflection on religious texts and discussions with a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
woman, he "gave his heart to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
".
On 4 August 1994, Mustafa was sent by his father to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to establish connections in the clothing materials business. In Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, he met a Christian family from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
with whom he stayed for three days and lived a Christian life for the first time. After returning to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Mustafa wore a Christian crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
around his neck for ten days before his father noticed it and demanded an explanation. Mustafa explained: "I received Jesus Christ as my God and Saviour
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
, and I pray for you and the rest of my family to also accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour". Mustafa writes that his father collapsed, but on recovering cried out to his other sons saying: "Your brother is a convert! I must kill him today!". Mustafa escaped to his sister's house. On 28 August 1994, he traveled through Northern Egypt
Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
and Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, finally stopping in the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
, where he was struck down by malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. Following a "miraculous recovery from certain death", Mustafa left the hospital five days later "to tell the people everywhere what Jesus did for him in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
".
Mustafa subsequently changed his name, taking the Christian name of Mark Gabriel.
Mission
In addition to what he claims about his qualifications from Al-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
, Gabriel has a doctorate in Christian education and a master's in world religion from Florida Christian University in Orlando. He describes himself as founder and president of Hope for the Nations, a "missions organization dedicated to bringing the Good News
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
to the entire world, including Muslims". Gabriel prays "for the entire world, including Muslims, to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ"
Gabriel's website was run by Bradlee Sargent, an American-born computer programmer who "saw the vital need of evangelizing Muslims in 1983, when he lived in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
." Sargent is a member of the Arabic Evangelical Church, organized by Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n-born Christian Peter Shadid, which aims to guide the Muslims of Central Florida
Central Florida
Central Florida is a regional designation for the area surrounding Orlando in east central Florida, United States. The area represents the third largest population concentration in Florida, after the South Florida and Tampa Bay regions, respectively....
"away from the teachings of Mohammed and toward Christianity". Gabriel is listed as the owner of the new website established on 24 July 2006.
The books published by Gabriel are promoted by Stephen Strang's Strang Communications. Strang believes that "Y'eshua is getting us ready for his return". He believes that "Y'eshua is getting us ready, all of us, the Gentile church included, for the great influx of believers."
Some Muslim critics believe that Gabriel does not actually exist and that a body-double is being used in his videos. Among these are Basim Ghozlan, a former imam for the Islamic Association of Oslo and editor of islam.no, who denounced Gabriel and his book Islam and Terrorism.
Documentaries
In the summer of 2004, David R. Reagan of Lamb & Lion MinistriesLamb & Lion Ministries
Lamb & Lion Ministries, founded 1980, is a McKinney, Texas based outreach, non-denominational, independent ministry.-Location:The Ministry is based on of land in a rural area near Princeton, Texas.-Leadership:...
conducted two television interviews with Mark Gabriel. In 2006 the two interviews were edited together and Lamb & Lion Ministries
Lamb & Lion Ministries
Lamb & Lion Ministries, founded 1980, is a McKinney, Texas based outreach, non-denominational, independent ministry.-Location:The Ministry is based on of land in a rural area near Princeton, Texas.-Leadership:...
produced a new DVD called "The Mark Gabriel Story." The DVD covers his life and experiences and draws heavily on the book, Islam and Terrorism.
Works
- Against the Tides in the Middle East, International Academic Centre for Muslim Evangelism in South Africa, 1997 (published under the name "Mustafa").
- Islam and Terrorism: What the Qur'an really teaches about Christianity, violence and the goals of the Islamic jihad. 2002, ISBN 0-88419-884-7
- Islam and the Jews: The Unfinished Battle. 2003, ISBN 0-88419-956-8
- Jesus and Muhammad: Profound Differences and Surprising Similarities. 2004, ISBN 1-59185-291-9
- Journey into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist. 2006, ISBN 1-59185-713-9
- Culture ClashCulture ClashCulture Clash may refer to:* Culture Clash , American performance troupe* Culture Clash , British band which plays Harare Jit music...
- Coffee with the Prophet: 21st Century Conversations with Muhammad