NORTHUMBERLAND - On the run and in hiding in Turkey after being made an enemy of the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini, former radical Muslim Dr. Daniel Shayestah started attending a church with a group of Iranian Christians.
At first, he tried his best not to listen, but it was different than anything he had ever been taught or exposed to.
"The people outside do not know you (Christians) are nice people. They (radical Muslims) think you are full of hatred and burn the Quran. I listened and I was amazed. I never knew the philosophies of Jesus Christ. It's different than any other religion," said Shayestah Sunday morning to the Sunbury Bible Church congregation.
He described being astounded that Christianity taught about a personal God rather than one who would not commune with the human race.
"It was so powerful," he said.
One day, the man had a dream in which Jesus told him to leave his father's house and the following message the next Sunday described his dream. Eventually, he made the decision to convert.
Shayestah is a native of Iran who could recite the Quran in Arabic by age 9. He eventually became a member of Hezbollah, teaching the hatred and killing of American and Jews, and helped Khomeini overthrow the government, the same Ayatollah who would later sentence him to death.
Today, he lives in Australia and established the Exodus from Darkness organization. He travels the world and has delivered his message and testimony over 900 times.
"Isn't it amazing that the Lord Jesus changed a radical Muslim and his family and uses them?" he said.
He was at Sunbury Bible Church as part of an invitation by the Rev. James Gross. On Saturday, he held a seminar at the church to discuss the differences between the Bible and the Quran. On Sunday, he presented an hour-long message to the congregation.
His visit however was not completely met with support. On Saturday, dozens of community members from Sunbury Islamic Center and Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Northumberland protested the reformed Muslim's message, saying it was one of hate.
While Gross and Shayestah would disagree with the notion, Shayestah at times said Islam was not a religion of peace.
"When you open the door, they (Muslims) come in and destroy. You have to wake up. This is a horrible religion. It wants to destroy other religions in the world," he said.
He said that many Muslims are raised to only recite the words of the Quran, but not to interpret their meanings. He described how Muslims are not allowed to touch anyone outside their religion and if they do, they must wash themselves clean. He described how followers of other religions are called various animal names in the text and must be converted or killed. He said how women as well are treated like animals and property.
"You believe in freedom. I admire that. Islam says that's wonderful. Islam uses that to destroy the country from the inside," said Shayestah.
Gross disagreed that the church was promoting hate, saying he and the congregation wanted to know what it was about Christianity that inspired him to change.
"I don't see how that communicates hate," he said.
He was surprised to see the protesters, who were not there Sunday for the church service.
"I'm sad for the negative publicity because those (negative) motivations weren't there on our part," said Gross.
Their goal, said Gross, is to bring people to Christ and was not intended to be hostile.
A representative of the protesters were not able to be reached Sunday.