USA (ACLJ) — U.S. President Obama met with American Pastor Saeed Abedini’s wife, Naghmeh, and two young children, Jacob and Rebekka, in a private meeting Wednesday in Pastor Saeed’s hometown of Boise, Idaho
The meeting lasted about 10 minutes, and President Obama assured Naghmeh that Pastor Saeed’s freedom is a “top priority” for him and his administration.
This was the first time that President Obama met or spoke with Pastor Saeed’s family, and Naghmeh left the meeting with a “renewed sense of hope.”
As Naghmeh described their meeting:
President Obama came in and shook our hands and talked to the kids for a moment. Then he sat right in front of me and started speaking of how much of a priority Saeed’s case was and that he was working on getting Saeed home to our family. He mentioned his first call several months ago to Iran’s president Rouhani and how Saeed was mentioned in that call.
He again reiterated that Saeed’s case was a “top priority” and getting him back to the U.S., to our family, was a top priority. He also said that he meets with Secretary of State Kerry regularly and follows up on Saeed’s case. He also said that Secretary Kerry brings up Saeed every time he meets with the Iranians.
I told him how appreciative I was that he was willing to meet with my family and for everything he was doing to bring my husband home. I told him that I was praying for him and had been praying for months I would have the opportunity to meet with him. He took my hand, squeezed it, and smiled. I could tell by the look in his eyes he cared.
As the meeting ended, I said, “My son, Jacob, has something to say. Jacob said, “Mr. President, can you please bring daddy home for my birthday?” President Obama asked, “When is your birthday?” Jacob said March 17th, and the President said he would try very hard. He smiled, got up, hugged me again, and said goodbye. He shook the kids hands and left.
Meeting with the President of the United States of America and seeing how much he cares about Saeed’s case has given me a renewed sense of hope. I want to thank everyone who has been praying for this meeting to take place and for my husband’s freedom.
ACLJ is grateful that President Obama took the time to meet with Naghmeh and speak with her and the children.
Pastor Saeed has been wrongly imprisoned for nearly two and a half years. He has been separated from his wife and children; the pain experienced by the Abedini family is impossible to imagine.
The meeting between President Obama and the Abedini family is a very welcomed development. It demonstrates the President’s concern and compassion for this family. It also underscores the importance of Pastor Saeed’s case, a U.S. citizen imprisoned in Iran merely because of his Christian faith.
The face-to-face meeting elevates Pastor Saeed’s plight on the world stage and should send a powerful message to the Iranians: it is time to release Pastor Saeed so he can return home to his family.
Also today, Pastor Saeed’s family in Iran was able to visit with Pastor Saeed and give him updates about how Naghmeh and his children are doing.
Like Naghmeh, they are hopeful that President Obama’s direct involvement in this case will lead to Pastor Saeed’s freedom. Please continue to pray for Pastor Saeed, his family, and his swift release.
.jpg)
Praising the Lord for this development. Continued prayers.
We do praise the Lord for this step in the right direction, but much prayer is still needed.
Thank you, President Obama, for your compassion! May the Lord grant your request that Saeed be released!
I am thrilled [and thank GOD from the bottom of my heart] that Pastor Saeed’s wife and her children had the opportunity to meet with and consult with President Obama. They are very blessed to have this opportunity provided and orchestrated by GOD.
I am going to criticize the person’s rhetoric and her presentation in reporting this incident on the afternoon news blip that I just heard. The remarks, rather than offering thanks to GOD that the opportunity arose, Rather, this women stated that President Obama “FINALLY” met with the Pastor’s wife and that the meeting lasted for “ONLY 10 MINUTES.”. How can anyone be proud to trivialize this?????
Please offer thanks to GOD for this happening, rather than trying to illustrate that President Obama is not very concerned.
I heard the remarks of the Pastor’s wife in that she is aware that the folks in the President’s group were all aware and all have great concern for this issue.
Get a GRIP and pray that GOD will further intervene to bring this Pastor home to his family and that this will happen in time for their son’s birthday.
One has to realize that this event has to truly touch the President’s heart, as he grew up without his father’s presence and surely can relate.
GOD’s Blessings on all of you. I pray: Father GOD I ask in Jesus Holy name that the Pastor timely be reunited with his family. AMEN
Why do we contribute to this foolishness? Good grief, if Saeed was a “top priority” for Obama, then …
Is there anything Obama has said or done which lends a whit of credence that Saeed was any priority at all to him? Of course not!
So why do we fawn before the faux messiah and treat him as some divine royalty?
He hasn’t done a thing and if he ever does, it will only be because it first fits a need of his own or benefits him somehow.
Why allow that evil man into our presence?
Let God work this out. Let us pray to God and be excited at how he will give Saeed, his family and all believers comfort in whichever way He chooses to glorify Himself in this.
Let us stop stooping to a minion of Satan! Come on now, let’s smarten up!
One’s heart, in order to respond in such a manner to my post, i.e., to expound so on your personal dislike for President Obama, particularly at this juncture, IMO is also a criticism of GOD’s timing/will. Please realize and be thankful for the working of Father GOD our true and only GOD. The BIBLE tells us judge ye not one another.
It is time for all to soften our hearts and to give thanks in all things, my brother. How much more it is pleasing to GOD for his children to praise HIM and JESUS. Please pray with me, my brother.
Father GOD, we praise YOU and magnify YOUR holy name. We continue our steadfast prayers for the release of our beloved brother Pastor Saeed. Please help President Obama in his endeavors in working with the Iranian Government, especially for the release of this dear husband, father and Pastor, Pastor Saeed. GOD we ask this prayer in the name of YOUR only son, JESUS CHRIST, our dear savior who from the beginnings of the the OLD Testament Christian BIBLE it is foretold that he shall come to save us all. AMEN
JESUS is HE whose genealogy is traceable throughout the OLD Testament from the beginnings of genealogical accounts and unto the NEW Testament. Who when HE died on the cross for all our sins declared that “It is finished.” Since he came and hence ascended into heaven, the steadfast theme in the prophecies recorded in the OLD Testament BIBLE concerning GOD’s sending a savior for his people are complete.
Why was it so important that JESUS be born of a Virgin? JESUS is he who does not have DNA of an earthly father, being that he was born of a virgin [absent earthly male DNA], a virgin whose lineage is traceable back to King David a Jewish King– a member of a nation of people that exists to this day.
This is stark testimony of the validity of JESUS’. This is all within the written WORD/BIBLE.
GOD’s Blessings be on you all.
Jay, I wasn’t responding to you. I was responding to the article and the overall situation.
Respectfully, your understanding of “do not judge” – as with so many nowadays – is not reflective of the biblical injunction.
You saw in my comments “dislike” for Obama. It’s not dislike; it’s proper and necessary discernment. How does that preclude what you admonished; i.e, being thankful for God’s workings?
We ARE supposed to judge! Obama’s actions and stances on the issues are pure evil. As long as Christians believe they’re supposed to ignore that and partner with/rely upon/look for help from … or whatever from people who comport themselves as minions of Satan, we will continue to grieve the Holy Spirit.
Your theology reminder/lesson is spot on and appreciated. But we need to look to God, not Obama. If a family member of mine was in this predicament, I would politely decline Obama’s self-serving photo-op and exploitation of me and the situation and simply respond that my trust and faith are in God. I will not stand next to, smile, shake hands with, and thank a man who is working for Satan and against God.
One man’s humble opinion.
2Co 5:17
Also, see this link from my website:
http://www.newcreationservantry.com/pages/pos6a-god_holds_us_responsible.pdf