Rami Ayyad received death threats after store bombing in April.
CT Senior Writer Deann Alford reports:
Rami Ayyad, manager of Gaza's only Christian bookstore, was found dead of multiple stab and gunshot wounds early Sunday, October 7.
Ayyad, 26, was kidnapped at 4:30 p.m. Saturday as he closed The Teacher's Bookshop, which is operated by the Palestinian Bible Society and located in a central part of Gaza City. No one has claimed responsibility. But Ayyad had received regular death threats for his work as the public face of the bookshop.
The interior ministry of Hamas, the ruling power in Gaza since the June ouster of its political rival Fatah, has issued a statement condemning the murder, the Associated Press reports. An AP story said Hamas has launched an investigation.
On Friday, October 5, Ayyad noticed a car lacking license plates following him, according to a Palestinian Bible Society press release. On Saturday at 6 p.m. Ayyad phoned his wife that he had been kidnapped by a group of people right after he had closed the bookstore. Ayyad told his wife that he would return home late that evening. Ayyad placed a second call with a similar message to someone else. At that time, a Bible Society official reported the incident to police in Gaza City.
According to a Reuters report:
Ayyad's mother, Anisa, said her son had telephoned his family after he was seized. "He said he was going to be with the 'people' for another two hours and that if he was not back (by then), he would not be returning for a long, long time," she said.
At 6:25 a.m. Sunday October 7, Ayyad's body was found near the bookshop. "Signs of bullets and knife stabs could be clearly seen on his body," the Bible Society release said. Unconfirmed reports added that his head had been severely injured.
Ayyad leaves behind two young children and his pregnant wife, Pauline. Ayyad helped lead Gaza Baptist Church's Awana club and directed the church's summer children's camp.
On April 15, a bomb destroyed much of the shop's downstairs storefront, but no people were injured in that attack. On February 3, 2006, local militants detonated two small pipe bombs, destroying the shop's doors. Following that assault, the Christian bookshop's workers found a communiqué demanding the shop close immediately.
Gazan authorities had no confirmation of who was responsible. A secretive group calling itself "The Sword of Islam" has carried out similar bombings of Internet cafes in Gaza.
At the time of the February attack, many Gazans gathered for a pro-bookshop rally to encourage the Bible Society to reopen the shop. The shop reopened five weeks later.
In addition to offering Bibles and Christian books, the shop, which opened in 1998, offers public computer classes and other educational opportunities to Gaza's 1.4 million people, many of whom are jobless and destitute.
The Palestinian Bible Society's Gaza ministry includes relief work in Gaza's refugee camps and community health, educational, microenterprise, and development projects.
The Bible Society said in its statement:
"The Bible Society in Gaza has received previous threats and vandalism. However, the support from the community has been very well noticed because of the humanitarian role that the Bible Society has been taking the last four years in the strip."
Gaza's dwindling Christian population of under 5,000 remains in shock. For the most part, Palestinian Muslims and Christians have dwelled peacefully together for centuries in this area of the Middle East.
During a phone interview with Christianity Today, a Christian worker who recently left Gaza and asked not to be identified said that Ayyad's death marks the first time in memory that a Palestinian Christian has died for the gospel.
The worker told CT that he believes Ayyad's murder was committed by non-Palestinians likely affiliated with Al Qaeda.
"The long tradition of coexistence between Palestinian Muslims and Christians doesn't mean anything to them," the worker said. "This is a campaign to purge Muslim lands of all 'infidels.' That includes Christians as well as Jews.
"All things work together for good. God has a purpose for letting this happen. It will not silence the church."
On Sunday, the Associated Press reported from the funeral:
The report included this comment:
"He paid his life for his faith, for his dignity, and the dignity of the Bible and Jesus Christ," said Issa, a 24-year-old Christian who came to pay his respects at Ayyad's home. "I am terrified and cannot believe this has happened in Gaza," said Issa, declining to give his last name because of the tense atmosphere.
Posted by Tim Morgan on October 7, 2007 9:49PM
Comments
Thanks for getting us this distressing news, CT news team. May God comfort the broken-hearted and somehow use this evil for the good of his kingdom.
Posted by: Collin Hansen at October 8, 2007
The odd thing is that the people who murdered this guy also did what they did for the glory of God - the same God in fact. And a God that they, at least regionally, have more claim to.
When people kill in the name of God they really kill for profit/racism/hatred/sheer stupidity. There is no glory in butchery. And there shouldn't be God in murder.
Posted by: steve at October 8, 2007
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." This is truly heartbreaking, and my sympathy and prayers go out to the widow, his children, and all the precious Palatesisan people, and especially to the brave Christians. This young man will go down in God's records as one of His greats!
Posted by: Mary Sester at October 8, 2007
...But the media still want to tell us that Islam is a "religion of peace" . Nonsense.
Posted by: Terry France at October 8, 2007
May God pour out His blessings of comfort to the family and friends of this hero of the faith. I must disagree that the murderers were serving the same God. Our God is a God of love and peace, not hate and murder. May the world take notice that the Christians in Gaza will continue to show the love of Christ, displaying strength and forgiveness. Thank you, CT team, for the careful, thorough report.
Posted by: Kathy at October 8, 2007
This should drive us to our knees to pray for our brother and sisters in Gaza (and similar places)...that God would help them overcome their fears and look for the good that He will someday bring from this horrible loss.
Posted by: Paul Estabrooks at October 8, 2007
My condolences are for Rami's wife and children. That the Holy Spirit will comfort them as He only is able to do.
"For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for your judgements have been manifested"(Rev.15:4)
Swawek van der Meer, chairman of a Christian bookshop in the Netherlands.
Posted by: Swawek van der Meer at October 8, 2007
"...But the media still want to tell us that Islam is a "religion of peace" . Nonsense."
But don't you know, Terry France, that it's but a "tiny minority" within Islam that regularly murders and maims and refuses to meaningfully criticize such behavior? Of course you do. Now move along, there's nothing to see here....
And steve, what lunacy that Mohammedans worship the same God as Christians.
Posted by: DiverCity at October 9, 2007
please don't use this tragedy as an excuse to assert your political worldview.
Posted by: luke at October 10, 2007
Not everything, luke, can be boiled down to meta-narratives whose truth depends upon one's "political worldview." Nay, there are indeed absolutes, and one is that Islam is irredeemably violent and incapable of cooexisting with kaffir in a modern world. The sooner our lickspittle politicians realize it the better. Just how many tragedies like this does it take to wake you up, man?
Posted by: DiverCity at October 10, 2007
The real test for Gaza Muslims and Islamic organizations there is how they respond to this heartless murder. Who is their heart with? Or do they care? I suspect they do, but are numbed to terrorism and violence all around them. And how will you American Christians respond to the great need of your Palestinian Christian brothers? I suspect most of you care more about Israel than the Christians who live under their apartheid.
Posted by: Ikram Al-Masiih at October 15, 2007
I am praying for those that killed Rami, but I rejoice that Rami is now in a better place. I am encouraged in my faith in Jesus Christ through reading the book 'Tortured for CHRIST' by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand. This book changed my views on good and evil and I believe out of this evil comes the strength of those in mourning to follow the Christ way and love instead of hate. Allow the love of God to bring life to those with evil intent and the blessings of God will come.
Posted by: kathryn at October 24, 2007
As an employee of a Christian bookstore my heart goes out to this man and his family. Very sad!
Chris Griffith
Posted by: Chris at February 13, 2010
I lived in Israel and had the opportunity to meet Christians on both sides of the wall- Jerusalem and Bethlehem. I know relatives of this family. They are brave, they evangelize and do not shrink back from sharing the gospel themselves. I can truly say that God's Word will never return void. I love Jewish believers and the Palestinian believers- in fact, the Palestinian Christians take time to share their love towards reconciliation with Jews- and to share with Muslims from their own culture. Please pray for those in the church that remain.
Posted by: Janette at April 10, 2010
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