The son of a top Hamas leader has converted to Christianity and prays someday his family will also accept Jesus Christ as their savior, an Israeli newspaper reported.
Masab Yousef, son of West Bank Hamas leader Sheik Hassan Yousef, revealed for the first time in an exclusive interview with Haaretz newspaper that he has left Islam and is now a Christian. Prior to the interview’s publication last Thursday, Yousef’s family did not know of his faith conversion even though he is in regular contact with them.
“[T]his interview will open many people's eyes, it will shake Islam from the roots, and I'm not exaggerating,” Yousef, who now resides in the United States, said. “What other case do you know where a son of a Hamas leader, who was raised on the tenets of extremist Islam, comes out against it?”
Yousef, who is now 30-years-old, was first exposed to Christianity eight years ago while in Jerusalem where out of curiosity he accepted an invitation to hear about Christianity. Afterwards, he became “enthusiastic” about what he heard and would secretly read the Bible every day.
“A verse like ‘Love thine enemy’ had a great influence on me,” Yousef recalled. “At this stage I was still a Muslim and I thought that I would remain one. But every day I saw the terrible things done in the name of religion by those who considered themselves ‘great believers.’
“I studied Islam more thoroughly and found no answers there. I re-examined the Koran and the principals of the faith and found how it is mistaken and misleading.”
But with Christianity, Yousef said he could understand God as revealed through Jesus Christ. He said he could talk about God and Jesus for days, but Muslims are not able to say anything about God.
“I consider Islam a big lie,” said the son of one of Hamas’ founders. “The people who supposedly represent the religion admired Mohammed more than God, killed innocent people in the name of Islam, beat their wives and don’t have any idea what God is.
“I have no doubt that they’ll go to hell. I have a message for them: There is only one way to Paradise – the way of Jesus who sacrificed himself on the cross for all of us.”
Four years ago, Yousef decided to convert to Christianity but did not let his family know. He still helped his father with his political activities, and his father only knew his son had Christian friends.
“I felt responsible. It was better for me to be there rather than a gang of fools who would poison his mind,” Yousef explained. “I tried to understand those people, their thoughts, in order to change them from inside by means of a strong person like my father, who admitted to me in the past that he does not support suicide attacks.”
Yousef described his father as a moderate Hamas leader.
But even before his encounter with Christianity, Yousef had already become disenchanted with Hamas and Islam while being imprisoned at the age of 18 years old for heading a youth Islamic movement at his high school.
He described the Hamas leaders he met in prison as people with “no morals” and “no integrity,” although they hide their corruption better than Fatah party members.
“Nobody knows them and how they operate as well as I do,” Yousef said, recalling how the family of Hamas members killed by Israel were forced to beg for financial assistance while the leadership “abandoned” them and “wasted” tens of thousands of dollars a month only on security for themselves. Continue >>
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What wonderful news! All Glory to our Saviour and Lord JESUS THE CHRIST. This is amazing 'cause it moves us to pray even more for those who have heard about JESUS but don't know him personally.
Prais God that he bacame a Protestant. So that he may know the truth, and have true freedom, not incumbered by religious fallacies and errant tradtions and tenets. Now he has the chance to know God in His true power and glory. His heart and mind will not be polluted with false doctrines. I'm glad he is saved and going to heaven. That's one more for God and His Church.
Praise God! God has a mighty work in store for this individual. It was not by accident Masab Yousef, son of West Bank Hamas leader Sheik Hassan Yousef,converted. I pray God's protection for this young man.
I another lost sheep has been found!! I pray that this sheep will lead other lost ones back to the fold.
While Europe and America are getting into the idol worship of materialism, millions of people from Hindu,
Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist and other religious background
are coming to the Christian faith. God is going to bless
those nations where the people are coming to the Christian faith, and we Americans are just started to
feel the hand of God. Who can fix the economy?
While Europe and America are getting into the idol worship of materialism, millions of people from Hindu,
Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist and other religious background
are coming to the Christian faith. God is going to bless
those nations where the people are coming to the Christian faith, and we Americans are just started to
feel the hand of God. Who can fix the economy?
To jsaljsalj:
You are very right. Thank you for your eye-opening comments. And I, not being an American, yet having been to America (and having an American wife) am quite aware of your description of this 'modern, smooth cross.' We find evidence of this deception up here in the great, white north as well.
It is true, God is love.
It is true, God loves the world.
It is true, God is interested in you personally.
But
The God of the Bible; the God of the Heavens and the Earth, is a Consuming Fire. Holy, Holy, Holy is His name. His judgment and wrath upon the wicked (more than the majority of the population of the earth - past present and future combined (conservatively)) is imminent. The non-repentant, false teachers, non-believers: the unsaved by the blood of the Cross - stand condemmed to hell.
We wait for His return like a bride waiting for her groom on the day of the wedding... NO ONE else will satisfy. There is NOTHING we can do without Him. There is NOTHING we can do to earn the GIFT of Salvation. His extension - Our trust.
We are His adopted sons and daughters; justified before Him; Saved unto grace forever amen.
My God is to be feared, loved, revered and worshipped.
Praise God! Praise Him for this soul won over to the arms of the one true God. Our Father in Heaven, Holy is your name, bless thee O my Lord, and bless your saints here on earth... My prayer also is that Masab Yousef is used in a mighty way to bring in other Muslims back to their true Father, and that he and others are protected from Satan by letting no false teachings enter their ears... May they be beacons of light in this ever-darkening world. In Jesus Name, amen.
He made a brave move. He is one of the few Muslims who have converted to Christianity that have not become Catholic. The vast majority do become Catholic because as Palestinian Muslim they know that Palestinian Catholics are the first Christians.
I'm so thankful he became Christian irregardless of denomination, because now he may be saved.
In the west bank as in all Muslim families usually closest family members are urged to first talk to Masab and if that dont work then they look for ways to kill him to preserve honor of the family.
Let us pray for Masab so that the Spirit of the Lord protect him and his family.
Pray for this fellow. By Muslim law, he must be killed by any good Muslim. I was in a Muslim-Christian dialogue group for several years and Muslim students explained that it is not true that all unbelievers must die, but it is true that anyone forsaking the faith must die. With the things he is saying, any Muslim would agree he must die.
wbmoore
Thanks for the website "More Than Dreams", http://www.morethandreams.tv/
May God protect Masab Yousef as he is going public. May God use his testimony to reach many.
praise the LORD.MAY THIS BROTHER MATURE IN CHRIST AND BE A SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR OTHER MUSLIMS.ONE MORE CITIZEN OF HEAVEN.SEE U UP THERE BROTHER.
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