Wednesday, January 30, 2013

A Panel Discussion

National Press Club

Washington, DC 20045

See YouTube video of the conference

Photos of the conference

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Four leading experts and scholars discussed Christian Zionism's relationship with the state of Israel as well as aspects of the evangelical embrace of an Armageddonist world view, and its ongoing campaign to frighten Americans about the alleged imposition of Sharia law.

A major focus of the one-hour seminar was on evangelical Christian Zionism's support for a new war against Muslims, this time with Iran, and its antagonism toward Muslims and Islam.

The topics and speakers are:

Phil Giraldi

Phil Giraldi, Ph.D.

"The Political Impact of Christian Zionism," by Phil Giraldi, Ph.D., Director of the Council for the National Interest. Dr. Giraldi is a contributing editor to The American Conservative and a regular columnist for Antiwar.com. He was formerly a CIA counterterrorism specialist and served as Base Chief in Barcelona. He addressed the real world consequences of the alliance of Christian fundamentalists with the Israel/Likud Lobby in the United States.

Click here for Remarks by Phil Giraldi at the conference.

Jon Utley

Jon Basil Utley.

"Christian Zionism, the Armageddon Lobby, and the Shaping of American Foreign Policy," by Jon Basil Utley, associate publisher of The American Conservative and an advisor to Antiwar.com. He has written extensively on this topic and discussed the Jewish resistance to Likud Zionism, and the push for new wars in the Middle East by evangelical leaders who have changed from forecasting Armageddon to trying to bring it about.

Norton Mezvinsky

Norton Mezvinsky, Ph.D.

"Evangelical Christian Zionism Views Islam," by Norton Mezvinsky, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History (emeritus), Connecticut State University, and the President of the International Council for Middle East Studies (ICMES) in Washington, D.C. His many published writings include articles on Christian Zionism. His book, Jewish Fundamentalism in Israel, co-authored with Israel Shahak, has been published in four languages in addition to English.

Professor Mezvinsky defined evangelical Christian Zionism, briefly pinpoint its position in regard to the state of Israel, and then focused upon its antagonism directed against Islam and Muslims.

Fuad Shaban

Fuad Sha'ban, Ph.D.

"The Cultural and Historical Context of 'Islam in Christian-Zionist thought' in America" by
Fuad Sha'ban, Ph.D., Vice President of Yarmouk Private University in Syria. Professor Shaban is the author, Islam and Arabs in Early American Thought, and For Zion's Sake: The Judeo-Christian Tradition in American Culture. He has taught and lectured at many Arab and American universities, including Duke and James Madison. Professor Shaban surveyed the development of some concepts of Christian Zionism in American history from the pilgrims to the second half of the nineteenth century.

"Rarely reported upon and little understood is the major support group in America for new and unending wars in the Middle East," commented Jon Basil Utley, one of the speakers. "All the learned analyses one may read from American think tanks, academia and business journals are, time and time again, shown to be irrelevant in the formulation of Washington's foreign policy. Rather it is repeatedly made by a mix of military industrial complex interests, the Israeli (Likud) Lobby and evangelical Republicans believing that Israel is part of God's plan. These and related issues were thoroughly discussed at our conference on January 30," Utley said.

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