Son of Hamas

While the book, Son of Hamas, isn't your typical "persecution" type of book, I found it to be a very helpful read. The author, Mosab Hassan Yousef, is the son of one of the original seven founders of the terrorist organization, Hamas.

Mr. Yousef shines a light into the very center of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He shows the extreme hate on both sides and then goes on to explain the only way for peace in the Middle East. Mosab found himself wrapped up a never ending circle of hate, death, and pain when he started into Hamas. As a son of a founder, he was able to go far with Hamas, but during his time in an Israeli prison, he became disillusioned with "the cause". He then became a collaborator with Israel and saved many innocent lives.

During this time, Mosab began reading the Bible. The teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) really grabbed hold of him. At first he tried reconciling Islam and Christianity, but soon realized it was impossible to do so. One can not take the violent teachings of Islam and try to put Jesus' teachings of love and peace with it. As Mosab said, "Islamic life is like a ladder, with prayer and praising Allah as the bottom rung. The higher rungs represent helping the poor and needy, establishing schools, and supporting charities. The highest rung is jihad." The very nature of Islam promotes violence and Mosab saw at very close range, just what that meant.

It took quite some time, but the truth finally broke through to Mosab Hassan Yousef. he repented and was born again. When his family finally found out they were ashamed of him. However, he has since been granted political asylum in the USA. He still has a deep love for his people and wishes that they may be set free from the lies that Islam teaches. You can read his blog by clicking here.

This book helped me to understand more of what is at the heart of the Middle East conflict and why the Muslims kill innocent people like Christians and Israelis. For an insider's view on what is happening in the Middle East, try reading, Son of Hamas.