How Obama’s Spiritual Adviser Finds the Rumor of Meeting Rouhani…

Dr. Joel Hunter is a Senior Pastor of Northland, a Church Distributed, which initially began with a congregation of a few. In such a short while, it managed to bring a manifold increase in its memberships and there is still to come. In addition to his position as Spiritual Adviser of the President of the US, Mr. Barack Obama, Dr. Hunter also maintains a rather intimate friendship with him.

On May 25, 2014, along with a committee consisted of 30 American Muslim and Religious leaders, Dr. Hunter visited Iran upon an invitation from the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communication. The trip was aimed at bringing the committee, Dr. Hunter included, participating in a conference on “a World Devoid of Violence and Extremism in the Eye of Abrahamic Religions”. Once Dr. Hunter returned to the US, a number of media began propagating the notion that he was tasked with carrying a message from President Hassan Rouhani to his US counterpart.

Below, you shall be reading AVA Diplomatic’s Exclusive Interview with Dr. Joel Hunter,
the Spiritual Adviser of President Obama.

Interview by Mohammadreza Nazari

What are your main duties as Mr. Obama’s Spiritual Adviser? 

 President Obama is a believer. I pray with him and help him understand the Bible.

 What are you mostly tasked with to help make the world peace come true as the senior pastor of Northland, a Church Distributed? 

 As senior pastor of Northland, a Church Distributed, in addition to praying for world peace and teaching our congregation from the Bible to work towards that goal, I am a congregational leader who works on an interfaith basis to solve problems in our community, in our nation and beyond.

 What are the objectives you pursue through traveling to Iran? 

We were invited by the Islamic Cooperation and Relations Organization (ICRO) to participate in an interfaith dialogue on “A World Free of Extremism and Violence.”

 Did you consult with Mr. Obama about your trip to Iran? 

 No. We do not discuss politics or foreign affairs. We pray together.

 What was Your Honor’s speech mainly about? 

We had many visits during our time in Iran. We spoke often about the role of religion as a force for peace in the world, and the need for people of faith to work together to stop extremism and violence.

 Did you carry a specific message from Mr. Obama? 

No.

 In your opinion, how much can such consultations between the officials of the two countries lead to the lessening of tensions between them? 

I am not an “official” of the United States. The Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) sponsor many excellent interfaith dialogues among believers of many religious faiths and traditions. I participated in ICRO’s dialogue on extremism and violence in my capacity as a religious leader and pastor. We need more such dialogues. We have much to learn from one another.

 How optimistic are your toward the future of Iran­US diplomatic relations? 

 Jesus said to His disciples: “With God, all things are possible.”

 How much do you believe Mr. Rouhani’s Presidency can contribute to creating a new chapter in Iran­US history? 

I am a pastor. I pray for President Obama, for the Leader and President Rouhani, and for both of our countries.

 What have your activities been to help the dialogue between Muslim and Christian societies come to realization? 

Interfaith dialogue and cooperation between Muslims and Christians in the United States is a common feature of our society. We were honored to be invited to join the dialogue on extremism and violence sponsored by ICRO. We have invited ICRO to join us for a conference in the United States, and pray that we will be able to do so in the near future.

 Is it possible to exercise any cooperative interaction between the two societies while their governments are still expressing hostility? 

 With God, all things are possible.

 How much do you believe that religion should be separate from politics? How much do you believe it shouldn’t? 

 Jesus said: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mk 12:17, NASB).

In interviews with Fox News and the BBC, you were quoted to be carrying a message from President Rouhani to President Obama. Moreover, a Fox News correspondent earlier reported that in addition to President Obama, you would tend to tell the US Congressmen about the message. However, recently you were heard to have denied such comments. What do you really think about this now?

“In recent interviews with the BBC and Fox News, I gave a statement that seemed to indicate that I had met with President Rouhani. Neither I nor anyone in our group met with the President, and I am sorry for the miscommunication that my words caused. Our group had a wonderful visit discussing many vital issues, and I regret creating a distraction from the dialogue and understanding so vital to building a more peaceful relationship between our two countries.”