“For the first time, I began to question the things I had always believed in.”
Summary - 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 violence, and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader. In Son of Hamas, Mosab reveals new information about the worlds 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.
There is so much to learn about this – an we extremely long history of struggles, oppression, occupation, genocide, and more. Even as someone who has read quite a few books on the subject – my understanding or knowledge about Hamas was lacking so when I saw this book shared on bookstagram I knew I wanted to read it (also, the audio is available on @hoop and the author narrates). His first few chapters break down the history of the conflict and explains the religion in the most clear and understandable way I have ever come across. For that alone I recommend this book but to be able to learn about his life, where he came from, and what he ultimately chose for his life is fascinating. You won’t get a more objective outlook than Mosab’s so if you are looking to further your education about a topic you probably don’t know too much about, I highly recommend this book.
Other books I have read and highly recommend: Mornings in Jenin Against the Loveless World Salt Houses A Woman is No Man The Lemon Tree The Arsonists’ City
Next up for me is Minor Detail by Adania Shibli and then The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi.
Find Son of Hamas at the publisher →
Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
