Aminah* was raised in a devout Muslim family and from a very young age she was taught to despise the Jewish people and that Israel belongs to the Palestinians. Just the image of the Star of David and the word Zionist would fill her heart with hate.
At the tender age of 8, Aminah witnessed unspeakable atrocities, such as a public beheading and the stoning of a woman. As she held her father’s hand and watched in horror, he told her that this is what would happen if she did not please Allah. So, Aminah certainly feared a God like that and wanted to please him. The God of Islam scared her to death!
Aminah and her family came to the United States for a vacation. During this time, Saddam Hussein invaded and destroyed Kuwait, so they could not return to the home they once knew. Aminah and her family continued to live their lives as devout Muslims in America where everything was foreign to them, especially the religion and the culture.
When Aminah’s beloved grandmother died suddenly, a woman at work saw her despair, comforted her, gave her a Bible, and invited her to church. This was the first time anyone had invited her to church in the eight years she lived in the United States. Aminah was so touched by Jesus’ message of hope and freedom that from that point on, she went to church and read the Bible in hiding. After two and a half years, Aminah accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.
As Aminah continued to study the Bible, it became clear to her that the God of the Bible saw the Jewish people far differently than she had been taught. She read about how much He loved the Jewish people, blessed them, and even performed miracles for them throughout history.
When Aminah realized that the Jewish people were God’s chosen people and His special possession and that the nation of Israel was His heartbeat, her heart began to break. From then on, each time she read the Scriptures, she wept when she saw how much God loved His people.
One day she got down on her knees and asked the Lord to forgive her for hating His people. From that day on, God began to develop His love for Jewish people in her repentant heart. At first, she didn’t know how He wanted her to express this profound love to them. Then, she was given an opportunity to travel to Israel to share her story with some Holocaust survivors. This was a pivotal point in her life because the Holy Spirit gave her the desire to reach out to these precious people who had suffered so greatly. Aminah also believes that her traumatic experiences as a child help Holocaust survivors connect with her story since the ones who are alive now experienced the Holocaust as very young children.
She shared her own story about how Jesus came into her life, took away her hatred for the Jewish people, and then replaced her life-long hatred with His great love. As the Holy Spirit spoke through her, she asked them to forgive her people (Arab Muslims) for their hatred of the Jewish people. She explained that they were so blinded to the truth because unlike her, they have not been transformed by the love of Jesus.
As she spoke, the survivors were touched and deeply moved by her powerful message. After Aminah shared her story, many in the audience were weeping. They got up from their seats and, using their canes and walkers, slowly made their way to the front. She met them there and with tears in her eyes, she embraced them all. It was a day of celebration watching the phenomenal God of the universe restore and mend broken hearts as only He can do.
After she returned to America, to her joy, Aminah was told that seven Holocaust survivors had accepted Yeshua as their Messiah that day!
Since then, Aminah has been to Israel several times and has also traveled to Berlin, Germany to visit Holocaust survivors in their homes. Please agree in prayer with Aminah that the God of Israel will open wide many opportunities to share the message of hope and salvation in Yeshua and for many hearts to be receptive! Aminah says “The time is short for them on earth, and I am glad to be chosen by God to go for Him.”
*name changed