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

by Tass Saada (Author), Dean Merrill (With)

The incredible true story of a violent revolutionary who collided with Jesus and was transformed forever.

At age seventeen, Tass Saada was carrying a high-powered Simonov rifle. He had run away from home and become a PLO sniper and chauffer for Arafat. His experience growing up as a Palestinian refugee in Saudi Arabia had taught him to hate. And like many other Palestinians, he had his hatred--and his rifle--aimed squarely at Israel.

Tass Saada's story could have ended tragically, another casualty of the centuries of hatred brewing in the Middle East. But Tass was destined for better things. His memoir will give you an intimate look at:

• The world of Yasser Arafat
• The life, struggles, and heart of a Palestinian refugee
• A Muslim who converted to Christianity and faced retribution at the hands of his relatives for his faith
• The transformation of hatred into love and hope

This is more than the story of a Palestinian refugee making something good of his life in America. It's a story of the ultimate triumph of love over hatred, reconciliation over persistent divisions. It's a redemption story that can inspire us all to overcome the divisions and conflicts in our own lives.

Back Jacket

At age seventeen, Tass Saada was carrying a high-powered Simonov rifle. He had run away from home and become a PLO sniper and chauffeur for Arafat.
His experience growing up as a Palestinian refugee in Saudi Arabia had taught him to hate. And like many other Palestinians, he had his hatred--and his rifle--aimed squarely at Israel.
Tass Saada's story could have ended tragically, another casualty of the centuries of hatred brewing in the Middle East. But Tass was destined for better things. His story will give you an intimate look at

• the world of Yasser Arafat;
• the life, struggles, and heart of a Palestinian refugee;
• a Muslim who converted to Christianity and faced retribution at the hands of his relatives; and
• the transformation of hatred into love and hope.

This is more than the story of a Palestinian refugee making something good of his life in America. It's a story of the ultimate triumph of love over hatred, reconciliation over persistent divisions. It's a story that can inspire us all to overcome the divisions and conflicts in our own lives.

Author Biography

Tass Saada is a former Muslim and the founder of Hope for Ishmael, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reconcile Arabs and Jews. Born in 1951 in the Gaza Strip, Saada grew up in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He worked under Yasser Arafat as a Fatah fighter and sniper. Years after immigrating to America, he became a Christian. He and his wife, Karen, now spend much of each year in the Middle East guiding a ministry to children.

Dean Merrill has been published in over forty Christian magazines and is the award-winning author or coauthor of more than thirty books. His career has included editorships at Campus Life, David C. Cook, Leadership Journal, Christian Herald, and Focus on the Family. He now writes full-time from his home in Colorado Springs. Visit him online at deanmerrill.com.