read this book: son of hamas review

in high school, i had to read a short story that has stuck with me over the course of these many (many!) years. unfortunately, the title and the author have not stuck with me, and google has not come to my rescue so you will just have to take my word for it.

during some routine war exercises performed by the armed forces, it is discovered that someone has been shot down. over the course of deliberations, the reader learns that this "someone" is an angel. after more deliberations, the whole incident is hushed up and made to go away. unfortunately, the world will never learn the truth about the message the angel had from God for the world: "love one another."

i think that son of hamas is the true-to-life version of this story.  hearing about his experience growing up in the maelstrom of middle east politics, one wonders how peace can ever come to a land troubled by such a violent and turbulent past and present.

mosab hassan yousef (for those of you as ignorant as i am) is the oldest son of sheikh hassan yousef, one of the founding members of hamas, one of several muslim terrorist groups fighting the israelis for control of palestine.  many of the suicide bombings in and around israel can be attributed to the military wing of hamas.

as the son of the founder and respected leader, mosab was on a fast track not only to follow in his father's footsteps but even to seek greater and more violent attacks against the israelis.  oddly enough, his face-to-face experience with torturers from his own people and a more peaceable and agreeable experience with the israelis, caused him to change his thinking and alter his course.

in the book, mosab promises to provide the solution to middle east problems.  like the angel of the short story, the answer is to love one another.  the only way peace can come to the middle east is if everyone agrees to love their enemies.

if you have always been confused, as i have been, about the situation in the middle east, or if you would just love to have an insider's view of the political intricacies, this is definitely a book not to be missed.  i will be telling everyone i know to read this book.

i received a free copy of this book from tyndale publishers.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.  there is a chance i could earn a few pennies if you buy this book using the link i have here.