Along the Way

Into "Closed" Countries

Rami Ayyad was the director of the only Christian bookstore in Gaza City. This store happened to be situated within the building of a church that was frequently threatened and even bombed on two occasions. Although Rami himself had also been threatened several times, he was not flustered when a local sheikh came into the shop insisting that the Christian bookstore director convert to Islam. Calmly, yet firmly, Rami refused to forsake his faith.

While mentioning the confrontation he encountered to his wife that night, Rami’s attitude reflected peace and a willingness to risk his life for the Gospel. His wife Pauline struggled to understand how he could be so serene when facing life-threatening danger. “He was speaking like he was ready to die for his faith,” she recalls. God was preparing him for eternity, and Rami was clearly ready.

One evening in 2007, as he was closing shop for the day, Rami sensed trouble brewing from some bearded men who were lingering around the store. He called his family, warning them that he may be delayed. That was the last they heard from him. The next morning, Rami’s lifeless body was found in a field, with evidence revealing that he had been shot and stabbed numerous times. Pauline, who was four months pregnant with their third child at the time, was devastated. Ten years passed before any arrests were made of the attackers. A previously recorded interview that Greg Musselman had with Pauline is available at VOMCanada.com/pauline.

Artist: Mariave Jaddou
Artwork Title: “Holy Land Calendar”
Medium: Glass, Glass Paint