Son of Hamas - a Tyndale Review

Son of Hamas, the story of Mosab Hassan Yousef, is a gripping story of the eldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding leader of Hamas.

Mosab starts his story with a little history of Islam and the founding of Hamas. He talks about being raised under his father’s belief in and devotion to Allah and his care for the people. Mosab has a high respect for his father, a caring man whose love and compassion for others rubbed off on Mosab. However, as Hamas’ reputation for violence grew, Mosab became more accepting of that violence. As a young man, he praised Saddam Hussein’s war efforts and celebrated the loss of life.

The book divulges history of the strife between the Palestinians and the Israelis and Mosab’s involvement with both–as the middleman. As an adult, Mosab became more disenchanted with Hamas’ role in terrorism. Mosab became a “collaborator” with an Israeli group, in an effort to stop the killing. Through his efforts, Mosab was able to spare many lives while risking his own life in the process. During his time working with them, Mosab also became friends with some Christians. After having been given a New Testament, Mosab’s mind began opening to the truth of Jesus’ words, and over six years’ time, Mosab began to realize that Jesus’ focus on loving our neighbors is more important than who owns a piece of land.

I loved reading Mosab’s account of his life. It was such a blessing to read of his coming to Christ after having dealt with all he had during his young life. I highly recommend this book. You won’t be able to put it down! The danger, the frustration, and the seeming hopelessness of Mosab’s story will grip you.

Here’s the run-down of what I think of the book:

Ease of reading ………………… 5/5
Supporting Details ……………. 5/5
Sufficient Length ………………. 5/5
Ability to hold my interest … 5/5
*Organization of material ….. 5/5
Overall Impression …….. 5/5

*Specific to non-fiction reviews.

If you’re interested in reading a teaser, go to Tyndale’s website to read the first chapter. You won’t be disappointed!

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