He was nicknamed the "Butcher" during the time of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Tass Saada said he earned that nickname for his exploits as a sniper for Arafat's Fatah movement, targeting Israeli soldiers.
Several years later, Saada has turned from being an Islamic extremist into a follower of Jesus Christ, CBN News reports.
Saada said he was born in Gaza and joined the anti-Israel Fatah liberation movement when he was just 17 after getting "mesmerised" by Arafat whom he considered a "hero."
Aside from being a sniper, Saada said he also worked as Arafat's personal driver.
He said at that time he was one of the Palestinian revolutionaries who believed that Palestinians had the right to attack Israel and "push it into the sea" for having stolen Palestinian land.
However, Saada said he had a sudden change of mind in the 1970s at the height of the Palestinian uprising. Leaving all behind, he flew to the United States to start a new life.
In America, he said he heard the Gospel for the first time in his life and was deeply touched. He subsequently converted to Christianity at the age of 42.
Saada has come out with a new book titled "The Mind of Terror: A Former Muslim Sniper Explores What Motivates ISIS and Other Extremist Groups (and how best to respond)."
In the book, Saada examines the minds of terrorists, explaining what motivates them. Aside from describing the motivations and objectives of Islamic extremists, he also provides a peaceful solution to the raging conflict in the Middle East.
Saada shared an excerpt from the book in a post he made on his Facebook page last Friday, July 8. The excerpt provides a glimpse of what goes on inside the mind of an extremist.
"If you're sitting in the hot sun day after day with little to do, the notion of striking back against the dominant power—even if you know you won't succeed—carries a tantalizing appeal. It is simply unrealistic to put human beings in confinement and tell them to 'behave.' Some of them are going to misbehave, and out of this reaction comes terrorism."
In a succeeding post, Saada quoted Matthew 5:9 when the Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God."
Saada said Jesus is inviting people to a "radically different mind-set" and "calling us to reach out to others and teach them the way of peace."
