It was early evening. Rami Ayyad had just stepped out of his Christian bookshop in Gaza City to close for the night when a car pulled up and three men stepped out to grab him. The unidentified men, two of them wearing masks, forced Ayyad into the backseat of the car and drove away. The attack surprised him but was not fully unexpected, as he had earlier noticed a car with no licence plates following him. As the manager of Gaza’s only Christian bookshop, he had also received several death threats throughout the course of his work. Though he knew the risks involved, Ayyad had continued to run The Teacher’s Bookshop.
Owned and operated by The Palestinian Bible Society, The Teacher’s Bookshop was more than just a bookshop offering Bibles and other Christian books and resources. Ayyad’s ministry there included computer classes and other educational opportunities for the citizens of Gaza, many of whom are uneducated, jobless, and living in poverty. So beloved was the bookshop that after a small bombing several months before, which caused a temporary closing of the shop, people rallied together in a demonstration to persuade The Bible Society to reopen it. In addition to his work with The Bible Society, Ayyad was also a leader of the Awanas club and the summer children’s camp at his church.
Ayyad believed in his work, so he continued on despite the bombings and death threats he received from militant Islamic groups. On the evening of 6 October 2007, those threats became a reality for him. As he sat in the backseat of the car with his kidnappers, Ayyad had just enough time to call his wife, Pauline, to try to encourage her. “I’m going with some young men somewhere, but I’ll be home soon,” he said, his calm voice expressing his trust in the Lord and peace in the middle of the frightening situation. He later called his mother as well, telling her that he should only be with the “people” for another couple of hours, but if he was not back by then, he might not be back for a long time.
Ayyad was taken just a few blocks from his shop, and questioning and torture ensued. His attackers beat him with clubs and the butt ends of their guns, accusing him of evangelising in order to spread Christianity. Most likely he was told to accept Islam and Islamic law, but he refused. The men continued to beat and stab Ayyad, and when the torture and threats proved futile on the man so resolute and strong in his faith, they finally shot him. His body was found early the next morning. His murderers were never identified.
Ayyad’s pregnant wife and their two children continued to receive threats to their safety and were eventually transported out of the Gaza Strip into Israel. In a place where Islam reigns and the small percentage of Christians are increasingly threatened and pressured to accept Islamic law in return for their safety, the odds were against Rami Ayyad. He didn’t let fear for his own life deter him from doing the Lord’s work, caring for people, and spreading the message of the gospel. His life and death will continue to encourage Christians around the world to stand firm in all things. As a Christian worker in Gaza said after Ayyad’s death, “All things work together for good. God has a purpose for letting this happen. It will not silence the church.”
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