Rick Warren and Maher Hathout

Pastor Rick Warren is well-known around the United States. He is the pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California and the author of "The Purpose Driven Life". His ministry is wide spread, and his mega church has a number of worthy activities including family therapy and overseas aid missions to poor places like Africa. I am personal friends with a couple who went on such an aid mission to Africa.

Maher Hathout is less known in the US, but quite prominent among US Muslims. He is a high-ranking official of the Muslim Public Affairs Council and is heavily involved in inter-faith activities. He is considered a moderate by many. I have had the opportunity to hear him speak on a number of occasions and have spoken with him myself. In December 2012, I spoke with him at the MPAC annual convention at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, where I asked him about signing the Freedom Pledge letter issued by Former Muslims United in 2009 and 2012 asking 200 top Muslim leaders in this country to sign a letter that Muslim apostates should not be harmed, a copy of which I had previously given to him in June, 2000 in Los Angeles. Hathout, like every one of the addressees save two, has refused to sign it.

Though Hathout says many things that are welcome to the ears of those who want to believe in a moderate and peaceful Islam, others, like me, have doubts about him just as we have doubts about  MPAC, an organization that has many questionable ties to radical elements overseas. Hathout was a speaker at the October 2000 Al Quds Day protest  against Israel in Washington DC. More than his words, I questioned his appearing on the same stage with some truly despicable characters, particularly Abdul Alim Musa, a radical, anti-US, pro-Iran imam from Washington DC.

Now comes word that Hathout, who is in his 80s, has been diagnosed with liver cancer. It appears the prognosis is not good. I have noted that he appears to be greatly weakened and ill in this recent video he has put out.

Pastor Warren, who is a friend of Hathout and who has been involved with him in inter-faith activities, has put out this video in tribute to him.

At this difficult time, I have no wish to take issue with Pastor Warren in regards to Mr. Hathout. Nor do I have ill will towards Hathout. To me, he is an enigmatic figure. I wish him health, recovery, and peace during this holiday season as any Christian should do. I would also wish, however, that Pastor Warren take a closer look at many of the inter-faith endeavors going on around the country. While many are sincere and worthy, others are not so worthy and, in my view, do great harm as they are a vehicle to mislead and misinform the public when it comes to a great threat against us and our freedoms.

I have e-mailed this post to Pastor Warren, and immediately received this reply as have others who have written about this matter.

Thanks for writing to me. Even though I’m unable to respond at the moment, your note is important to me, so I’ve asked my team to respond to you personally.

Thank you again.  May God bless you today.

Rick

Rick Warren

Saddleback Church

Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan

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Pastor Warren is a busy man.