Summary:

Former Congressman and Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Mark D. Siljander takes us on an eye-opening journey of personal, religious, and political discovery. In the 1980s, Siljander was a newly minted Reagan Republican from Michigan who joined Congress in the same generation as Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay, ready to remake the world. A staunch member of the Religious Right, he once walked out of the National Prayer Breakfast when a speaker quoted from the Qur'an.

But after losing reelection, Siljander dove into the Bible to look for the passage in which the Bible says it is our job as Christians to convert others in order to save them from eternal damnation. He couldn't find it; in fact, he couldn't even find a passage saying that Jesus set out to form a new religion. This discovery was the first step on a spiritual and political journey that started with an in-depth linguistic study of the Bible and led to the discovery that Christianity and Islam share many base words and concepts. In his role as ambassador to the United Nations Siljander began sharing his insights on the connections between Islam and Christianity, with surprising results.

A Deadly Misunderstanding recounts Siljander's amazing discoveries as he travels to some of the most remote and hostile places in the world—deep into Libya, Sudan, Pakistan, and India—forging deep ties with both heads of state and religious leaders. What he has learned could radically shift the contemporary religious landscape and help heal the rift between Islam and the West. No Christian or Muslim will be unaffected after reading this book.

Endorsements:

To view all endorsements, visit www.adeadlymisunderstanding.com.

H.E. Ban Ki Moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations
"Mr. Siljander builds a compelling case that any faithful reading of religion and its teachings should serve to unite, not to divide. He documents what many of us instinctively believe: that people of the great faith traditions all share the same core beliefs and ideals. That compassion, solidarity, respect for life, and kindness towards others are but some of the many common threads tying together men and women of faith."

Hon. James A. Baker III
61st U.S. Secretary of State & Chairman Iraq Group
"As President George W. Bush has said, the West has no quarrel with the faithful followers of Islam, but rather with radical fundamentalists who have distorted a well-respected religion and, as a result, want to do us harm. Mark Siljander's insightful book offers a sensible and compassionate explanation for this deadly discord between cultures. Recognizing that there is controversy surrounding Mr. Siljander and this book, does not diminish the importance of his central theme: a key to reconciling the East and West is to clear up the historic misunderstandings that define the Muslim-Christian divide. His book offers a blueprint for breaking this logjam of dissention that contributes to so much conflict today."

Hon. Edwin Meese
Former U.S. Attorney General and Fellow at the Heritage Foundation
"I cannot overstate the importance of Mark’s strategic efforts to defuse the activities of radical Muslims worldwide. Many are convinced that he is on the cusp of what will prove literally to be the tipping point in realigning radical terrorist enemies… These unique activities, which are crucial to our national security, have received enthusiastic support from Members of Congress, the Vatican, Oxford University, the UN Secretary General and a host of others. His acceptance and favorable response is derived in large measure from a mastery of the Muslim mind and culture."