The American network CBN News spoke with Juman Al Qawasmi, born in Qatar, daughter of one of the founders of Hamas and former wife of a member of the Islamist group in the Gaza Strip. In the interview, the woman recounts how she went from an education marked by religious hatred to finding faith in Jesus Christ after years of inner crisis and violence in Gaza.
A childhood shaped by Islamist indoctrination
Al Qawasmi stated that from a young age she was raised to hate Jews, Christians, and anyone who did not belong to Hamas. She explained that in her religious environment, children were taught that the Quran ordered the killing of Jews and that Jesus—known as ‘Isa in Islam—would return to destroy the cross and support the violent struggle against them.
“We were taught that we had to hate them and curse them”, she affirmed, adding that her family viewed the idea of killing those who did not share their faith as normal. The interviewee indicated that this rigid and belligerent interpretation of Islam instilled in her from childhood a deep fear of God, hell, and eternal punishment.
Disillusionment with Hamas and religious crisis
After marrying a Hamas member and living thirteen years in Gaza, Al Qawasmi assures that the Islamist group's behavior ultimately made her doubt her beliefs. She recounted that Hamas promised equality, but once in power, it only increased repression and internal violence. She also denounced that the movement used international money intended for Gaza's reconstruction to build a network of underground tunnels, while the population remained without shelters or protection.
To this political disappointment were added the atrocities committed by ISIS, which led her to question the true nature of Islam: “I felt that there was something deeply wrong with this religion”, she declared. She acknowledged that she never experienced peace in Islam, but rather a constant fear of not meeting divine demands.
A dream with Jesus that changed her life
The turning point came during the war between Hamas and Israel in 2014. In the midst of a bombing, Al Qawasmi begged God to reveal Himself. That same night, according to her account, she had a dream in which she saw her deceased mother and, upon looking at the moon, contemplated the face of Jesus Christ, who spoke to her in Arabic and said:
“Ana Rabb Yeshúa”, “I am the God Jesus”. “Do not be afraid, you are my daughter”. What I remember is that he said: “Enti binti, ma takhafi”, “You are my daughter, do not be afraid”.
“I felt peace for the first time in my life”, she explained, assuring that she had never heard the name Yeshúa—Jesus in Aramaic—until that moment. From then on, she began to investigate on her own:
I started searching for his name on Google. And I found a Christian page, Egyptian Christians. When I opened that page, the first verse that appeared was: “Love your enemies”. I thought: “Who says ‘love your enemies’?” In the Quran it says that we must kill the Jews, kill the Christians or make them pay the jizya. Who asks to love enemies? It's madness.
“Islam does not let you think; Jesus gives freedom”
In the interview, Al Qawasmi encourages other Muslims not to fear questions or critical thinking. She pointed out that, in her experience, Islam demands blind obedience and prevents the faithful from questioning its foundations, while her encounter with Christ gave her the certainty of being loved and freed from fear.
My advice is: do not be afraid to think, do not be afraid to ask questions, because in Islam you are not allowed to think or ask questions; you must only obey. But God gave us this brain and gave us the Holy Spirit to ask Him and find the way.
“Hamas is our real enemy. It does not care about the lives of Palestinians”, she affirmed emphatically. She also denounced the indoctrination of children from the age of four to instill hatred in them and teach them how to use weapons.
Finally, she expressed her desire for Muslims to discover Jesus:
I believe, I believe that Jesus loves Muslims. He loves us very much, He wants to free us from this fear, He wants to make us free. We don't have to be afraid anymore; we must set our eyes on Jesus and believe that He is the way, the only way.