Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices
by Mosab Hassan Yousef, Ron Brackin (Author)
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Biography & Autobiography. Politics. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:Since he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status . . . and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and show more violence, and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader. In Son of Hamas, Mosab Yousef—now called “Joseph”—reveals new information about the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization and unveils the truth about his own role, his agonizing separation from family and homeland, the dangerous decision to make his newfound faith public, and his belief that the Christian mandate to “love your enemies” is the only way to peace in the Middle East. show lessTags
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krazy4katz This book has a similar view of Islam as Son of Hamas, so it does not balance, but is also a very intense perspective of life in a culture that does not permit diverse thought.
krazy4katz A view of Islam from a woman who grew up in a Muslim family in the West. She describes her difficult experiences as a woman in Saudi Arabia. Unlike Yousef, she does not find hate and violence in the Koran. Instead she finds love and tolerance, which she hopes will influence policy in the more restrictive Islamic countries.
Member Reviews
Fascinating spy memoir of Palestinian Yousef, son of a Hamas founder. His undercover life included being a convert to Christianity, Shin Bet (Israeli) agent, father, employee, business owner and more. I understand much of this is questioned. Who knows? The spy and turncoat stuff largely rings true, to me.
Interestingly, looking back and looking on, Yousef seems to see "peace in the Middle East" as an unobtainable willo-the-wisp.
Interestingly, looking back and looking on, Yousef seems to see "peace in the Middle East" as an unobtainable willo-the-wisp.
This is an autobiography Mosab, Hassan Yousef the eldest son of the father of Hamas. It is riveting, dramatic and clearly gives the reader a look into the heart of both the Israelis and Palestinians. Mosab grew up in an Islamic home with devout but not radical parents. Mosab clearly adored his father who is Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its's most popular leader. His father was respected, being dedicated to self rule, and was like a Martin Luthor King to fellow men. According to Mosab, his dad wanted peace, justice and had the ability to make his enemies , into friends. He is depicted so Godly, I thought , this must be a ruse... his dad is probably behind all the suicide bombings. I was wrong. However, Masab at show more the age of 17, was becoming more radical with every Israeli raid where Palestinians were killed. He and his friend started throwing rocks at Military vehicles and were actually being shot at but not caught... until one day, Masab was captured, beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers at a prison. It is lawful to pick up people on suspicion to "interrogate" them and hold them until their captors are sure the prisoner is not involved in the suspected crime. When reading the account, it was easy to see why hatred would well up in the Palestinian's mind from unfair and inhumane treatment which seems very cruel.... but from the Israeli point of view, they are avoiding another massacre of innocents by, arresting and asking questions first, then release months later, so ... good.
He was put in prison with other Hammas members and he saw how the organization treated it's members. Hammas ruled the prison with terror and rigorous hypocrisy. The strongest leader in the prison, could accuse anyone on a whim, no evidence, take them too a "secret" tent, and interrogate /torture them until they confessed to sins of collaborating with Israel for which they deserved to be tortured. One of Masab's friends, of which he had few in the prison, was accused such collaboration and was taken to the tent and had needles shoved up his fingernails, beaten etc until he "confessed" to having sex with everything and everyone, then Hamas would send a tape of his confession to all his relatives and he would be shunned and denounced by his family. The poor man was innocent and Mosab saw the horrible hypocrisy within his own organization and indeed , within Islam.
These events he witnessed set his feet on a path to the true light, a relationship with Jesus Christ. It took several years and more adventures as he was recruited after prison by the secret investigative police in the Israeli government. His code name was , The Green Prince. He worked as a double agent for about 10 years, all the while negotiating with the Israelis the safety of his peaceful father. Mosab no longer supported Hamas and saw how an eye for an eye left them , as we heard in Fiddler on the Roof, all blind and toothless. That's what was happening as the Palestinian body count mounted and the terror attacks continued. Mosab had to get off the ride and get his life back. Mosab was introduced to the New Testament, the words of Jesus, and found that Jesus's words were very different than Mohammad's. He later met a Christian girl who offered to Baptize him, and Mosab became not just a follower of the teacher Jesus, but of the Messiah Jesus. He clearly states that Jesus is God and publicly shares his new faith. He tells his father who weeps and bemoans Mosab's decision, but true to his core values, he won't ostracize his son. Wonderful book. show less
He was put in prison with other Hammas members and he saw how the organization treated it's members. Hammas ruled the prison with terror and rigorous hypocrisy. The strongest leader in the prison, could accuse anyone on a whim, no evidence, take them too a "secret" tent, and interrogate /torture them until they confessed to sins of collaborating with Israel for which they deserved to be tortured. One of Masab's friends, of which he had few in the prison, was accused such collaboration and was taken to the tent and had needles shoved up his fingernails, beaten etc until he "confessed" to having sex with everything and everyone, then Hamas would send a tape of his confession to all his relatives and he would be shunned and denounced by his family. The poor man was innocent and Mosab saw the horrible hypocrisy within his own organization and indeed , within Islam.
These events he witnessed set his feet on a path to the true light, a relationship with Jesus Christ. It took several years and more adventures as he was recruited after prison by the secret investigative police in the Israeli government. His code name was , The Green Prince. He worked as a double agent for about 10 years, all the while negotiating with the Israelis the safety of his peaceful father. Mosab no longer supported Hamas and saw how an eye for an eye left them , as we heard in Fiddler on the Roof, all blind and toothless. That's what was happening as the Palestinian body count mounted and the terror attacks continued. Mosab had to get off the ride and get his life back. Mosab was introduced to the New Testament, the words of Jesus, and found that Jesus's words were very different than Mohammad's. He later met a Christian girl who offered to Baptize him, and Mosab became not just a follower of the teacher Jesus, but of the Messiah Jesus. He clearly states that Jesus is God and publicly shares his new faith. He tells his father who weeps and bemoans Mosab's decision, but true to his core values, he won't ostracize his son. Wonderful book. show less
Gripping true account! Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of a beloved Hamas leader in Palestine. He is being groomed to someday take his father's place, but is arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and tricked into becoming an Israeli collaborator. He has a dangerous double life as a member of the Hamas inner circle and an Israeli spy, but comes to realize that the goal of Hamas is not peaceful settlement or negotiation, but the total destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. The reader gets an insight into the many factions at play in the Arab-Israel conflict. While Israel has the upper hand, both sides use cruel and brutal tactic because they are fighting for their existence. One day while in Jerusalem, Mosab meets a British tourist who show more invites him to attend a Bible-study class. He goes out of curiosity and discovers a whole new ethic in the teachings of Jesus. Mosab finds himself becoming gradually converted and decides he can no longer lead a double life that supports the continuing cycle of killing and hatred. After embracing Christianity, at great personal cost, he is left no choice but to apply for political asylum in the United States. show less
This book was one of the best biographies I have read in a long time. First, it helped me understand the massive complexities in the Middle East. Understanding the history and motivations of groups like Hamas, the PLO, and the PA make the news more understandable, and reveal a very gray situation with good and bad on both sides of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
But the book is about more than politics. It is also about a boy who becomes a man, caught up in events bigger than himself, all the while unsure of his conflicted feelings about his father, Hamas, and the people he is supposed to hate. All of this is compounded by his exposure to the teaching of Jesus which also begin to transform his thinking and character, show more while he is simultaneously serving as a leader to his people and a spy to Israel Shin Bet, trying to save lives on both sides.
Overall, a gripping tale that is more interesting than most works of fiction. show less
But the book is about more than politics. It is also about a boy who becomes a man, caught up in events bigger than himself, all the while unsure of his conflicted feelings about his father, Hamas, and the people he is supposed to hate. All of this is compounded by his exposure to the teaching of Jesus which also begin to transform his thinking and character, show more while he is simultaneously serving as a leader to his people and a spy to Israel Shin Bet, trying to save lives on both sides.
Overall, a gripping tale that is more interesting than most works of fiction. show less
I do not know how to rate this book. The story is gripping and the author paints what I suspect is a true picture of the complex ties between different factions among the Israelis and the Palestinians, as well as their supporters in Arab nations and in the U.S. The violence and waste of humanity is clearly set out. The IDF does one thing, the Shin Bet another. The CIA does one thing, the PLO does another, Hamas does another. Such a waste of money, effort and humanity. Yousef's story of working for Shin Bet is so amazing that it is difficult to believe, but I know of no evidence to discredit it. His conversion to Christianity is not well-described, but appears to be genuine. Alas, I fear cloaking oneself in another religion will not show more help. His perspective on Islam seems to be similar to that of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Being Jewish, I know very little about Islam, but I know many Muslims would disagree with his perspective, which is entirely the Hamas perspective. I have always felt that every religion has been used as a weapon at one time or another. The level of damage is simply proportional to the amount of power that religion happens to have at that time. But back to the subject: I really, really enjoyed reading this book. Yes, the historical details may not be quite accurate, as some have pointed out, but digging out the historically accurate picture is not easy. The details about current events in the occupied territories are better explained, probably because they were directly experienced by the author. Overall, I guess I hope this book is true and that the author finds peace in his life. As for the Israelis and Palestinians, I hope peace comes someday, but no one can predict when that will happen.
By the way, some of the 1- and 2-star reviews on Amazon fault him for being too pro-Palestinian, while others accuse him of being too pro-Israeli. Maybe that makes his book balanced. show less
By the way, some of the 1- and 2-star reviews on Amazon fault him for being too pro-Palestinian, while others accuse him of being too pro-Israeli. Maybe that makes his book balanced. show less
A wild story, but it comes across as quite self-serving, leaving a lot of doubt as to the veracity of some of the events depicted and the author's role in them. Of course everyone wants to be the hero of their own story, but reality isn't always quite so accommodating.
The writing is a bit rough around the edges, which I would normally forgive for a non-native English speaker with no writing experience, but there is a co-author listed who should have done a better job at translating and conveying the story.
The other thing that irked me was the self-righteousness of the newly converted. I get it, he found solace in embracing Jesus the Messiah as his own Personal Path to Salvation, but repeating it a dozen more times doesn't make it any show more more meaningful for the reader. A better use of the space would have been to examine his thoughts on what impact his conversion would have on his family, and/or the political ramifications. But he seems too excited and self-centered to look past his own experience to see how his decisions affect anyone else. show less
The writing is a bit rough around the edges, which I would normally forgive for a non-native English speaker with no writing experience, but there is a co-author listed who should have done a better job at translating and conveying the story.
The other thing that irked me was the self-righteousness of the newly converted. I get it, he found solace in embracing Jesus the Messiah as his own Personal Path to Salvation, but repeating it a dozen more times doesn't make it any show more more meaningful for the reader. A better use of the space would have been to examine his thoughts on what impact his conversion would have on his family, and/or the political ramifications. But he seems too excited and self-centered to look past his own experience to see how his decisions affect anyone else. show less
This is a true story of a Palestinian boy whose father was one of the founders of Hamas. As a young man, he becomes disillusioned by the violence he sees Hamas perpetrating on other Palestinians. He also is introduced to Christianity and Jesus's message of Love Thy Neighbour resonates strongly with him. The book tells of the author's time as a spy for the Israeli government. It is a gripping, fascinating story. As the focus is the harm Hamas did in the West Bank, it doesn't provide a picture of the actions Israel has taken, and continues to take, in the region, such as restrictions of movement, large-scale Jewish settlements beyond the 1967 state borders, etc. None of which detracts from Hamas's actions, and the right of Israel to show more defend itself is necessary for its survival. I just would have appreciated a bit more context to the story. show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Sohn der Hamas
- Original publication date
- 2010
- People/Characters
- Mosab Hassan Yousef
- Important places
- Israel; Palestine
- Important events
- Second Intifada
- Related movies
- The Green Prince (2014)
- Dedication
- To my beloved father and my wounded family
To the victims of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
To every human life my Lord has saved
To my family, I am very proud of you; only my God can understand what you... (show all) have been through. I realize that what I have done has caused another deep wound that might not heal in this life and that you may have to live with its shame forever.
I could have been a hero and made my people proud of me. I knew what kind of hero they were looking for: a fighter who dedicated his life and family to the cause of a nation. Even if I was killed, they would have told my story for generations to come and been proud of me forever, but in reality, I would not have been much of a hero.
Instead, I became a traitor in the eyes of my people. Although I once brought pride to you, I now bring you only shame. Although I was once the royal prince, I am now a stranger in a foreign country fighting against the enemy of loneliness and darkness.
I know you see me as a traitor; please understand it was not you I chose to betray, but your understanding of what it means to be a hero. When Middle Eastern nations--Jews and Arabs alike--start to understand some of what I understand, only then will there be peace. And if my Lord was rejected for saving the world from the punishment of hell, I don't mind being a reject!
I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that I am not afraid. And now I want to give you something that has helped me to survive so far: all the guilt and shame I have carried for all these years is a small price to pay if it saves even one innocent human life.
How many people appreciate what I have done? Not so many. But that's okay. I believed in what I did and I still believe, which is my only fuel for this long journey. Every drop of innocent blood that has been saved gives me hope to carry on to the last day.
I paid, you paid, and yet the bills of war and peace continue to come. God be with us all and give us what we need to carry this heavy weight.
With love,
Your son - First words
- Peace in the Middle East has been the holy grail of diplomats, prime ministers, and presidents for more than five decades.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Truth and forgiveness are the only solution for the Middle East. The challenge, especially between Israelis and Palestinians, is not to find the solution. The challenge is to be the first courageous enough to embrace it.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Biography & Memoir, Religion & Spirituality, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
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- 248.246092 — Religion Christian practice & observance Christian experience, practice, life Religious experience Conversion Conversion from non-Christianity
- LCC
- BV2626.4 .Y68 .A3 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Practical Theology Practical Theology Missions Special types of missions
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