Daughter of Hamas founding member becomes Christian after dream encounter with Jesus

By Toyin Adeniyi

Juman Al Qawasmi, daughter of a founding member of Hamas, has publicly renounced Islam and embraced Christ

Hamas is an Arabic acronym for the Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah, which translates to “Islamic Resistance Movement”. In Arabic, the word ḥamās also means “zeal,” “strength,” or “bravery”. 

Founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas is a Sunni Islamist Palestinian nationalist political organization that has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. 

Growing up as a Muslim

Al Qawasmi says her decision to become a Christian was inspired by a vivid vision of Jesus during the 2014 Israel-Hamas war.

Born and raised in Qatar within a family deeply rooted in Hamas ideology, Al-Qawasmi said she was taught from childhood to view Israel, Jews, and even Christians as enemies.

Her father, Muhammad Al Qawasmi referred to as Abu Jaafar, was among the group’s early leaders.

“My parents raised us to hate Israel, hate Jews, hate Christians and even hate Shia Muslims,” she recalled in an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network monitored by Church Times Nigeria..

She continued, “We were taught that the Quran commands us to kill Jews, that even trees and rocks would call out, ‘Oh Muslim, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill.’”

After marrying a Hamas member and moving to Gaza in 2002, Al Qawasmi spent more than a decade living under the group’s rule.

But over time, her loyalty began to erode. “They promised equality and prosperity,” Rather than live out what they promised, they killed Palestinians who opposed them. “If you weren’t part of Hamas, you lived in fear.” she said.

By 2012, disillusionment had turned into a spiritual crisis. Struggling with anxiety over salvation and feeling trapped in a cycle of fear, she began to question her beliefs.

“There was no peace, no certainty of paradise only fear of hell and punishment,” she said. “So I prayed, God, if You exist, I want to know You.”

Dream encounter and conversion

That prayer, according to her was answered two years later.

During intense Israeli airstrikes in July 2014, Al Qawasmi during a dream encounter said, “I saw my late mother and I standing on a balcony. The moon became huge and bright, and suddenly, the face of Jesus appeared,

“He spoke in Arabic ‘I am the God Jesus. You are my daughter. Do not be afraid. When I woke up, the room was filled with light. For the first time in my life, I felt loved.”

Having never met a Christian or heard the gospel before, Al Qawasmi turned to the internet for answers.

She soon connected with an Egyptian Christian ministry, where she encountered her first Bible verse ‘Love your enemies.’

“That verse broke me,” she said. “In the Quran, we’re told to fight unbelievers. But here was a God who commands love even for enemies. That changed everything.”

Today, Al Qawasmi is an outspoken critic of Hamas, accusing the group of betraying the very people it claims to defend.

“Hamas fires rockets to provoke Israel, then hides in tunnels built with aid money meant for rebuilding homes,” she alleged.

“There are no bomb shelters for children only underground cities for fighters. They use civilians as human shields. Hamas doesn’t care about Palestinian lives; it cares about power.”

She also challenged long-held narratives about the region. “My grandmother lived peacefully alongside Jewish neighbors before Hamas spread hatred,” she said adding, “Even the Quran never mentions Palestine, it calls the land, the inheritance of the Children of Israel.”

Al Qawasmi now urges Muslims to think critically about what they’ve been taught. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she says while also adding, “Use the mind God gave you. Hamas is not protecting Gaza, it’s destroying it from within.”

She said further, “I do believe that Jesus loves Muslims so much. He wants us to be free from fear. He does not want us to be afraid anymore. We should just put our eyes on Jesus and believe. He is he way. He is the only way. He is the greatest man ever. No one else.”

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