Finding Refuge – 60 Minutes Special

Scott Gustafson

Highly recommend viewing this CBS 60 minutes special ‘Finding Refuge.’ It details stories of resettled refugees including interviews with US State Department officials and refugees in Zaatari Camp Jordan who were resettled to the US. Pastor Bryant Wright of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, in deep Republican Marietta, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, was also interviewed. He shares the story of his church’s involvement with one family, and challenges:

Isn’t it better to reach out and love these folks than to give them the cold shoulder? Which approach do you think might cause a Muslim refugee to be more sympathetic to Islamic terrorism?”

Many stereotypes and fear exist surrounding this issue. This special cuts right to the sources and people involved in the crisis.

Click here to watch.

You can read the full transcript of this this article which was originally posted at CBS News by 60 Minutes.

About Scott Gustafson

Scott Gustafson has extensive experience in the Middle East as a practitioner and consultant with faith-based charities and churches in humanitarian relief and mission work. He earned his PhD in Religion and Theology from the Vrije Universteit and researched the religious conversion phenomenon among former Muslim refugees in the Levant and the de-radicalization of some violent extremists among them. He is a member of the Extreme Beliefs/Strong Religion working group at the VU, funded by the European Research Council and is the Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow at Churches for Middle East Peace. He earned an MA in Intercultural Studies/Middle East Studies from Moody Graduate School, and a BA in Nursing and Biology from Western Michigan University. He studied Arabic at the University of Jordan and holds a certification through the Cultural Intelligence Centre as a CQ Certified Facilitator. Scott advises large funding agencies as well as indigenous organizations in the Middle East and is an advocate for peace. He speaks to groups about mission, Islam, the Middle East and countering extremism and radicalization. He also helps run a non-profit cycling team. Scott and his wife have 2 children and they live in Grand Rapids, MI. Follow his Substack.
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