Bassam of Middle East

I (Bassam) live in the Middle East. I was born a Muslim, and at the age of eighteen, I became a member of the Islamic group, because I have a brother who is one of the leaders of this group. I thought I had done all I could for God because I knew Him at this point.

After some time, I was taught to use weapons and make bombs. I felt very uncomfortable with what I was doing - namely hurting other people for the sake of Allah. I thought if it wasn't me then this group would have misunderstood God's teaching. I started studying the Qur'an and Hadith thoroughly (with the help of one of the group leaders, without telling him my real reason why I studied them), namely to see what things had been missed. After several years, I too became amazed at what I found. I found that Islam is not a peaceful path to God, as I have always believed. In contrast, this religion is so cruel and full of violence.

I never considered myself leaving Islam for anything else, but at this point I believe that this too did not lead me to God. After a while I discovered that everything I believed was not true; so I started getting involved with drugs, and no longer talked about God at all.

Then I met a Christian who didn't know much about Christian theology, but whose heart was full of love for others, whatever and whoever they were.One of his friends (who is a member of a group I belong to) told me that the man should be killed because he is a Christian and does not pay Jiziah (a tax imposed on Christians and Jews in an Islamic country, according to the rules of the Quran). But that didn't stop this person from loving her or connecting with her professionally. At first I didn't know he was a Christian, and when I found out, I was amazed; all the things that I have read in Islamic writings about Christianity throughout my life and also Muhammad's views on them, are completely unproven. Then I asked this friend, can I get a Bible.

After starting to read the Bible, I found a big difference between what was written in the Bible and what I had heard from Muslims or from Christian KTPs about them.

I was really struck by one thing that is written in the Bible, which is the teaching that no one is true except Jesus. When compared with those who are called God's prophets such as David, Jacob, Abraham, the twelve disciples, they all actually made mistakes. The Bible is full of sins and mistakes committed by everyone except Jesus. He himself said to his enemies, "Which of you proves that I am sinful?" (John 8:46), and nobody answered.Even Judas Iscariot, who presented Him to the authorities for trial, said: "I have sinned by giving up the life of an innocent person." (Matthew 27: 4)

My father then handed me over to the authorities and they arrested me and put me in prison for leaving Islam.I had very dark times there, because they tortured me so cruelly that I would return to Islam again. They shocked and beat me, and left me hanging on my arm all night long. After they had been doing these things for several weeks, I was put in solitary confinement for nearly a year. But I cannot deny the One who has guaranteed me eternal life. Now I have come out of prison and I have left my country. But I have a deep desire to return there to bring my fellow countrymen so that they will leave Islam.

[Source: http://pedson.blogspot.com/2014/07/kesaksian-muslim-jadi-kristen-bassam.html]