Once an Arafat Man by Tass Saada

Once an Arafat Man by Tass Saada

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.

Tass Saada is the creator of Hope for Ishmael, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing Arabs and Jews together. Saada was born in the Gaza Strip in 1951 and raised in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. As a Fatah warrior and sniper, he served under Yasser Arafat. He became a Christian after immigrating to the United States for several years. Dean Merrill has been featured in over forty Christian journals and is the award-winning author or coauthor of over forty books. He and his wife, Karen, currently spend much of each year in the Middle East overseeing a children's ministry.

Editorships at Campus Life, David C. Martin, and others have been part of his resume. Cook, Leadership Journal, Christian Herald, and Focus on the Family are some of the publications that have been mentioned. From his home in Colorado Springs, he now writes full-time. Dean Merrill's website is deanmerrill.com.