BOOK REVIEW: “Once An Arafat Man,” by Tass Saada with Dean Merrill
Review by Dr. Dennis Ginoza
August 7, 2010
Every so often, a book lands in my lap and as I turn the pages, it is hard to put down. This is one of those books. It is fascinating. It is adventurous. It is hopeful.
Our world is filled with conflict, hate, war, and killings. We wonder at times, how will things change, is there a way out of the mire of violence, is the human character so flawed, are we heading toward a collision course? Then, comes along a story such as this with a fresh wind blowing upon us.
In that small Palestinian enclave called the Gaza City, in a refugee tent, Tass Saada was born. Many of the young are so entrenched in hate and violence, the only pathway out seemed the same, more violence. Those were the early steps of Tass.
At age 17, Tass left home with his friend to join the cause, the movement of Yassar Arafat. He was a Palestinian who hated Jews, who was out to destroy the Israelis. He joined the Fatah, was trained to be a sniper. He was willing to die for the cause, his Palestinian people. His story in this writing begins with an ambush on the Israeli army. Tass had no difficulty killing; it became for him the greater cause.
His family moved from Gaza, to Saudi Arabia, and eventually to Qatar. HIs father was a mechanic and had business even from King Saud of Saudi Arabia. This unfolding story is about the human character, the shaping of a young man who became the chauffeur of Yassar Arafat, believing in his political views.
Tass Saada was given the name, Jazzar, which means “the butcher,” in Arabic. He quickly learned to use the Ak47, then the Simonov, a weapon used for assassinations. As a young recruit, he became the instructor of young Palestinian boys, ages 9-13, in a six month program. He taught karate, judo, and the use of weapons. He reflects later that he did not understand the psychological damage he was causing those young boys.
The political movement he was in was responsible for killing the eleven Israeli wrestlers at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. This day was known as Black September, the year 1972.
This is a story of a life journey. His circumstances took a turn when he was told his mother was very ill and his father wanted him to come home to Qatar. His father confiscated his passport so he couldn’t return to his post. His father wanted him to be educated and become an engineer. He was forced to stay home and study. His father got tired of him and told him, he either would have to study in Egypt or in Great Britain. He chose to come to the United States.
On February 12, 1974, he was on a plane to see his friend in Columbia, Missouri. It was winter and terribly cold. Everything was a shocking white. He had never seen anything like Missouri’s winter snow.
He found Americans friendly, no one was out to kill him, and he wasn’t dodging bullets. His friend told him, if he wanted to remain in America, he should marry an American citizen. He studied English and received his GED. While in Qatar, for six months he studied French, because he was attracted to a French teacher. What he didn’t realize then, his life was being re-shaped.
He went out to a club to find a wife. He didn’t have honest intentions at first. He met a Roman Catholic woman with whom he developed a relationship. It turned into romance and more. On October 4, 1974, before a justice of the peace in Kansas City, they were married.
His Arabic name was “Taysir” but people had trouble pronouncing it so he became known as Tass Saada. He told his family about the marriage and his father said, “No more money. I have cut you from my will.”
HIs friend told him about a job as a dishwasher at a French restaurant called, The Mediterranee. His work pleased the owners of the restaurant. They taught him to wait on tables. Eventually he was trained to be a chef. In 1977 his father came to visit him and was impressed. Tass lived in a nice duplex, owned two cars, and lived in a respectable suburb of Kansas City. His father came again in 1981 and told him, “I’m proud of you.”
His mother became ill so in 1983, he and his wife, with a son and daughter, decided to move to Qatar. With a friend they opened an import-export business. But something was missing. His family was miserable. Women were not allowed to speak out openly and the children stayed close to home. His mother realized how unhappy they were and gave them the blessing to return to America.
They returned to Kansas City and the owners of Le Mediterranee were happy to have him back. Later he was offered a job at a restaurant called, “The Brasserie,” at Kansas City’s Big Western Crown Center. He became the manager and not long after, the restaurant received the Silver Spoon Award. A series of business ventures followed.
Now Tass was in the restaurant business. One of the customers he met at the French restaurant was Charles Sharpe, an insurance man. They had developed a friendship for 19 years. Charles told Tass, he could help him in his business. He had connections.
This was another tipping point in his life. Charles invited him to his home one Sunday. Charles began talking to him about Jesus Christ. Tass was interested for the Muslims held Jesus in high regard as a prophet. When Charles brought out a Bible, Tass stepped back and said, “I must not touch that book!”
Charles began to read, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God.” Tass began to shake. He fell on his knees. Then he began to cry. A light came into his vision and he heard the voice, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He found he was forgiven of his sins, even all those he killed as a sniper. He felt a rush of peace and joy in his heart.
His life had made a complete change. He told his wife Karen he was now a Christian, and she laughed. She didn’t believe him. The next day he prayed, “Bless Israel. Lead them back to the Promised Land.” In 45 days he read through the entire Bible. He learned that Ishmael, the son of Abraham was blessed just as Abraham blessed Isaac. Ishmael was the father of the Arab people. He read about the beautiful creation at the hand of God in the book of Genesis. See Genesis 15-17 for the story of Abraham’s son Ishmael with Hagar.
One day Karen was in the kitchen cooking. Tass went up to her and said, “I really love you.” She saw such change, she now believed him. On April 18, 1993, they went to the New Life Community Church and together, they committed their lives to Christ.
This incredible story helps us to see the power of Christ’s spirit moving in the hearts even of those that have turned to stone. Tass began to move within the Christian, Jewish, and Arab communities to tell his story. He has traveled across this country and the Middle East to tell about his heart of change and the new way in which to live--not by hate, but love.
In 2006, Tass and Karen returned to the Gaza Strip. Gaza is a small territory, 34 miles long, 5 miles wide, with a population of 1.6 million Palestinians. They decided to teach young childlren about hope. They founded the Hope Kindergarten and the Seeds of Hope Cultural Center for young people. They teach the youth computer skills, English, a course on Democracy, Tolerance, and Peace. One August they baptized 5 new believers in the Mediterranean Sea. They offer Bible classes in their home. He and Karen began to work in Jericho to bring a new understanding of hope between Jews and Palestinians, and amongst all peoples.
In all this, Tass and Karen could feel the nudging of God’s spirit. The Gaza Strip became more and more difficult to move in and out. They decided to open a parallel kindergarten and cultural center in Jericho. This was not far from Al-Karameh where in March, 1968, Tass was involved in the ambush against the Israelis as a sniper. Now he was working to bring out the better life, not destruction.
Tass says, “The truth is, God loves both Arabs and Jews—and wants to bring us both to a higher perspective. He is not “anti” either one of us. He wants the peoples of the Middle East, all of us, to realize that Jesus is our Savior and Reconciler.” In our time, this is a powerful testimony.
This review captures just some of the fascinating episodes, events, and encounters of one who once was an Arafat man. It is worth your reading. It is a human story from the bleakest to the most violent, ending with such grace and hope—one can only have hope for the future. There is a Light that is leading us into our days ahead.
