| THE SON of a prominent member of the Palestinian Islamic organisation Hamas has converted to Christianity and is living in penury in California.
Marab Yousef (above), who has adopted the name Joseph, is the son of the Hamas MP Shaikh Hassan Yousef, from Ramallah in the West Bank. He spoke about his conversion in a long interview with the leading Israeli daily Haaretz.
Marab Yousef says that he became a Hamas activist when he was in his teens. In 1996, at the age of 18, he was arrested by the Israeli army because he was head of the Islamic society in his high school.
But during his 16 months in prison he says he was “exposed to the true face of Hamas. It’s a negative organisation. As simple as that. A fundamentally bad organisation.” He alleges that Hamas leaders, while outwardly maintaining a simple lifestyle, are as corrupt as many other Palestinian officials.
His interest in Christianity began about eight years ago. While in Jerusalem, “I received an invitation to come and hear about Christianity. Out of curiosity I went. I was very enthusiastic about what I heard.”
Mr Yousef says that he began reading the Bible, and continued, in secret, with religious lessons. “A verse like ‘Love thine enemy’ had a great influence on me.” Though still a Muslim at this time, “every day I saw the terrible things being done in the name of religion by those who considered themselves ‘great believers’.”
Four years ago Mr Yousef converted, and took the name Joseph, but did not tell any of his family. Today, he is in California — but with little money and no permanent place of abode. His chances of returning to his homeland now that his conversion to Christianity has been made public seem remote. He accepts, too, that he might have lost his father and put his own life in danger because of his actions.
“I miss Ramallah,” he tells Haaretz. “I have many friends there whom I would like to see. I mainly miss my mother, my brothers, and my sisters, but I know that it will be very difficult for me to return to Ramallah soon.”
He says he hopes that one day his father will understand and accept what he has done. His wish is that: “God will give him and my family the patience and willingness to open their eyes to Jesus and to Christianity.”
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