Once an Arafat Man: The True Story of How a PLO Sniper Found a New Life

This book has great personal meaning for me. There was a time when I knew Tass only as Ben's dad. Ben was the boyfriend, then husband, of our youngest daughter's best friend. Ben was a bright, dedicated member of our church. He now serves as worship pastor at a local church we helped to start some years ago. I also knew Tass, as did many in Kansas City, as a highly respected restaurateur. We knew that Tass was of Palestinian origin, but he had lived for many years in our city and seemed perfectly adapted to his new homeland. Little did we know that Tass had a past as a Palestinian warrior/sniper and former aide to Yasser Arafat. This book is the story of how he came to faith only a few months after his son Ben, on a separate but parallel track under the supernatural guidance of a loving God. When Ben came to Christ in his late teens, he was naturally fearful of how his Muslim dad would react. Some in our church started a 24/7 prayer chain for him, and three months later Tass experienced a truly amazing encounter with Jesus that you can read about in this book. Once I started this book I literally could not put it down. The first part of the book is candid and can be disturbing as Tass shares his background as a displaced Palestinian and the resulting build up of anger and bitterness that pushed him into his life as a terrorist. Like Saul of Tarsus, he sincerely thought he was doing God and his people a favor by killing the enemy. As interesting as you might find this section of the story, the account of his journey to faith in Christ is even more so. If you are a resident of Kansas City, you will immediately be drawn to places and people you know. The story will leap with life off the pages. Anyone, though, will find this book an emotional, educational and edifying read. Though I read an early release of the book, I have waited until today to write this review. This morning in our church services we had a homecoming with Tass and his family. Tass and Karen now minister in Israel, and it has been a number of years since we have seen them. I can only tell you that his testimony is genuine, authentic and anointed. He is no slick, professional "Christian" celebrity or superstar with a a personal agenda and inflated ego. Tass is the real deal. You must read this book. His transformation is as genuine as that of Saul of Tarsus.

I bought this book immediately after hearing the author (Tass Saada) speak in person at a messianic congregation up in Dallas. I had no idea who the guest speaker was that day. Within 5 minutes of his talk, I knew something was very different about this man. He spoke with incredible sincerity when he asked the Jewish people present for forgiveness because of what Palestinians like him had done. He talked about about some of his history, the work he had been doing in the Middle East, his message of reconciliation. Tears came to my eyes and many others during the course of his talk. When he mentioned that he had been a sniper and had actually killed people, and how the faces of those he had killed still haunted him to this day; you could hear a pin drop in the room. I was reminded of the Apostle Paul, who once persecuted the Church, but was struck down by a blinding vision and helped change the course of history. Tass had a similar life changing experience, and seeing him in person give his story was an incredible experience. He is genuine, his conversion is sincere. He stood in front of a group of mostly Jewish Christians and asked them for forgiveness, and is now friends with a former Israeli soldier in the congregation. To think that at one point these two people hated each other's guts, but now because of the love of God they have forgiven each other and consider themselves to be brothers, just amazes me. So I bought the book and had Tass sign it, and I just finished reading it. At first I was a little disappointed because the writing style seemed to be very "Reader's Digesty". That is, it was very simple to read, the facts were stated without too much elaboration, etc. The little boxes on the pages highlighting a quote from the same page also reminded me of Reader's Digest. But, I decided to continue reading and to ignore that. Trust me, the book gets extremely interesting very fast, so don't put it down. He has an incredibly testimony. I realized that first, his first language is not English. Second, this book was originally published in the German language, and was translated from German to English with a little bit of journalistic revision. It was written for a very broad audience (hence the easy reading style), which is very good because everyone needs to hear this story. It will touch and inspire you. To summarize the entire book, it is simply this: Only Christ can bring true reconciliation between groups of people that have hated each other for ages. The only times I have seen sincere repentance, shedding of tears, embracing, between Jews and Arabs, is when both parties have accepted Christ into their hearts. He is the Prince of Peace, and only He can bring about true peace. This is the greatest truth of this book.

Once an Arafat Man by Tass Saada and Dean Merrill is the kind of powerful book that makes you re-evaluate your life, how you view the world, and your faith. And then you want to share the story with everyone you know. Tass Saada was born in the Gaza Strip shortly before his family was forcibly removed first to Saudi Arabia and then Qatar. He was angry, even as a young child, at the unfairness in the treatment to his family and their fellow Palestinians. As a child and young man, he was impetuous, bullying, and violent. As soon as he was able to slip away from his protective family, he joined forces with Yasser Arafat's Fatah and was trained as a sniper. Saada was everything that Jews and Christians fear about Palestinians: driven, angry, and without remorse about what he had to do to restore his people to their land. His life began to change when he came to the US to live with a cousin. He quickly married an American woman to get her green card and raised her son as his own. Saada worked his way up through several high-priced restaurants and hotels, but his family life suffered, and he felt a hole deep inside. Until a business associate talked to him about Jesus, and overnight Saada was changed into a force for spreading the truth about love and forgiveness and reconciliation in Israel. Saada writes uncompromisingly, never pulling any punches when it comes to the sins and crimes he's committed. God has brought him to an amazing faith that leads him to bring his wife and children to God, testifying to the dangers of Islam in the United States, speaking with groups around the world, and ultimately, moving his family back to the Gaza Strip and creating a humanitarian organization to serve the people there. Saada has a strong understanding of both the Bible and the Koran, so he is able to discuss both intelligently and without malice. He reminds readers that the Muslim people are also descendants of Abraham, through his son Ishmael, and that God has a plan and a promise of love for them, just as much as for Jews and Christians. This is a message that needs to be heard! I have no idea how Saada and Merrill managed to pack this much story in such a small package, but I was left breathless and stunned by Saada's love for God, his humility, and his vision for the Arabic people. Impossible to put down once you pick it up, you'll find yourself talking about it for days after you're finished with it. God has done an astounding work in this man, and this book testifies to that here.

My husband grabbed "Once An Arafat Man" from my to be read pile as soon as I received the book. Tass Saada and Dean Merrill tell a gripping and insightful story about how a Muslim on the inside of the PLO came to faith in Christ. Although more insight into the organization and belief system would have been appreciated, this novel was still an incredible read! It brought my husband to a greater understanding of Ishmael's contribution to the world as we know it today. I highly recommend this book!