Mosab begins his book with a letter to his family, acknowledging the pain, deep wounds, and separation he has caused by his choices. Had he stayed and become a terrorist, he would have gained the status of hero, dedicated to his faith, family and nation. But he does not think he would have been much of a hero, based on the Lord's commands he now holds dearly. Instead, he is now considered a traitor in their eyes, bringing shame instead of pride. Once a royal prince, he is now a stranger in a foreign country, fighting loneliness and darkness. But saving even one innocent human life brings him hope.

Son of Hamas is a compelling, first-person account of young Mosab's touching, difficult life as he watched his father being imprisoned over and over while he was still a young child, and his subsequent responsibility as the eldest son to care for the family. He always held a deep love and respect for his father's ideology at the 'bottom rung of the ladder.'

Mosab describes what life is like in what is considered Israeli-occupied territories—the horrors of terrorist activities, suicide bombings, imprisonment, etc., with very real and very raw emotions. He divulges his own behind-the-scenes involvement with Hamas, starting out innocently by throwing rocks. His vivid descriptions about dealings with top Middle Eastern leaders give the reader the impression of being there with him, yet sitting safely at home. He goes on to elaborates about the difficult choices he had to make as a young teen and young man, and how it changed his life, family, history, and nation—heart-wrenching decisions.

Mosab exposes information known only by a few individuals, but he does it for the greater good of all nations involved. That takes courage, but he did it because he believed in Jesus' teaching of "loving your enemies."

As a wife/mother, I can hardly imagine the turmoil of not only watching my husband sent to prison, but to watch my son endure the fear of and engagement in terrorist activities, all the while keeping things secret.

In his postscript, he admonishes Christians to love people unconditionally in order to represent Jesus to the world. A deep longing for this freedom is at the heart of his story.

I believe this is a book that should be read by our top government officials (our President on down) to help them understand the Middle Eastern mindset, as well as assist in working through the terrorism issues throughout this section of the world and worldwide.

I greatly appreciated his glossary and time line at the end of his book. To learn more information, news and updates from Mosab Hassan Yousef, please visit here.

This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., in exchange for my honest review.

Son of Hamas, written by Mosab Hassan Yousef, guarantees readers a roller coaster ride of emotions. Yousef, the son of one of the founding leaders of Hamas, reveals his personal knowledge and experiences as part of the organization responsible for countless terror attacks. He also discloses his life as a double agent and how God used it to show him that the Israelis were not his enemies. Yousef goes on to share his own Damascus Road experience of coming to love and follow the Jesus of the Biblebecause of Jesus teachings on loving your enemies and those who persecute you.

For American readers living after the 9/11 attacks, this book sheds light on the mindset behind such attacks, and yet shares hope that God can change hearts and lives just as He did Yousefs.

The book certainly revealed my lack of knowledge concerning the geography and history of what we often call the Holy LandIsrael and Palestine and the surrounding countries. For that reason I sometimes found the events hard to follow. At the same time, I learned so much, because I began to get a picture of the worldview from which so many approach lifea worldview so opposed to my own.

All in all, I came away with a new love, a new compassion, for those whom many would consider to be enemies. More than ever, I hope and pray that many more will come to know and follow Jesus as Yousef has. Knowing that his father has disowned him only gives me more respect for Yousef since he is from a culture in which honor and family are highly valued. Yet, he was willing to give up all to follow Jesus. It has challenged me to consider my own faith. What am I willing to do, to give up for Jesus? Does Jesus mean all to me?

About the Author

Mosab Hassan Yousef was born in Ramallah, in the Palestinian West Bank in 1978. His father, Sheikh Hassan Yousef, is a founding leader of Hamas, internationally recognized as a terrorist organization and responsible for countless suicide bombings and other deadly attacks against Israel. In Son of Hamas, Yousef reveals new information about this dangerous terrorist organization and unveils the truth behind his own secret role. He describes his surreal journey to a new faith that instructed him to love his enemies. And he tells the story of the agonizing decisions that led him to walk away from his family, friends and homeland.

* I received a copy of the book from Tyndale House for this review.

This man's story is nothing short of astonishing. To read how the Lord moved, in his complicated and dangerous life, to lead him to Him was thrilling to read. He was granted Political Asylum in the U.S. (God bless America!) and, as far as I know, is still residing there in relative safety (there are many who wish to see him dead). I pray this man's story would reach many, and that many hearts would be changed.

It was very interesting to read how he first viewed things and then how God moved and worked in his life and changed his viewpoint. Very interesting to read.

This was a shocking, eye opener for me to read. This is a book which gives a different insight into the Israeli Palestinian conflict currently going on in the Middle East. I doubt most people know who Mosab Hassan Yousef is, but for anyone who wants to learn more about the current Middle Eastern conflict through a more credible witness, this is a must read! Son of Hamas is not a just a fancy name for a book, Mr. Yousef is actually the son of one of Hamas' founders. When reading this, he gave me a feel of what it is like to live in the Palestinian side and erased the false notion that this current situation is a simple black and white issue: both sides have some innocence and blame.

He begins by talking about his childhood, his friends, his family, the pain and suffering, his former Muslim faith, the treatment of Palestinians, the treatment of Jews, the culture, the attitude and feelings of many Palestinians, the importance of Islam for many Palestinians, etc. He later talks about the former Ottoman Empire, Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian figures/organizations, the early foundation of the terrorist organization Hamas, what turned Mr. Yousef away from killing Jews himself, prison life, his defection into Shin Bet as the Green Prince, Middle Eastern Politics, his conversion to Christianity, etc. Though this book will not talk about everything one could learn about Israel and Palestinians, it is certainly a very detailed wake up call for those who think the Israeli Palestinian Conflict is easily resolvable as both politics and religion are heavy factors for all that has happened. I highly recommend this autobiography!

Disclaimer: Ben Umnus was given a free copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishing, but he was neither paid for his review nor was he commanded by Tyndale House Publishing to write a positive review. This review is the personal, written opinion of Ben Umnus. This disclaimer is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."