In his book Witnessing for...
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In his book Witnessing for Peace, Munib Younan (Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan) tells the story of Suheila Andrawes, a Palestinian who was drawn into political activism in her youth by joining the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. She was given the assignment, along with three others, to hijack Lufthansa Flight 181, departing from Majorca. The purpose was to gain leverage through the hostages to free political prisoners.
After a 110-hour ordeal of hopscotching from Frankfurt to Rome to Cyprus to Bahrain to Dubai to Aden to Mogadishu, commandos finally boarded the plane. When the smoke cleared, her three accomplices were dead and she was riddled with bullets in both her legs. The pilot had already been shot in cold blood by the hijackers. After Suheila's hospitalization, she was tried and convicted. She spent a few years in prison and then again in the hospital for more surgery on her legs. When she was finally free, she married and had a daughter.
But, her past caught up with her again and she was arrested to be tried in yet another country for what had happened. All this was too much for her. She attempted suicide several times. Suheila was a Palestinian Arab Christian, who had become "captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition (violence!) ... and not according to Christ."
Finally, her pastor said to her, "You have paid your debt to society. With regard to God, you know that the Lord promised forgiveness to those who repent. It is up to you to accept that as a gift. It is time to reconstruct your life." These words sunk deep into her heart. Suheila did reconstruct her life. It did not happen overnight, but it did happen in time. She was restored to her husband and daughter. She continues to fight against injustice, but follows instead the path of non-violence. "The tongue is always stronger than the bullet," she says now.
After a 110-hour ordeal of hopscotching from Frankfurt to Rome to Cyprus to Bahrain to Dubai to Aden to Mogadishu, commandos finally boarded the plane. When the smoke cleared, her three accomplices were dead and she was riddled with bullets in both her legs. The pilot had already been shot in cold blood by the hijackers. After Suheila's hospitalization, she was tried and convicted. She spent a few years in prison and then again in the hospital for more surgery on her legs. When she was finally free, she married and had a daughter.
But, her past caught up with her again and she was arrested to be tried in yet another country for what had happened. All this was too much for her. She attempted suicide several times. Suheila was a Palestinian Arab Christian, who had become "captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition (violence!) ... and not according to Christ."
Finally, her pastor said to her, "You have paid your debt to society. With regard to God, you know that the Lord promised forgiveness to those who repent. It is up to you to accept that as a gift. It is time to reconstruct your life." These words sunk deep into her heart. Suheila did reconstruct her life. It did not happen overnight, but it did happen in time. She was restored to her husband and daughter. She continues to fight against injustice, but follows instead the path of non-violence. "The tongue is always stronger than the bullet," she says now.
