May. 19, 2005 0:46 | Updated May. 19, 2005 9:08 Hamas 'wonder boy' wows Gaza worshipers By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
A 13-year-old Palestinian boy has become one of the most popular preachers in Hamas-controlled mosques throughout the Gaza Strip.
Amjad Abu Seedo, an eighth-grader at the Wakf (Islamic trust) School in Gaza City, has won the admiration of thousands of worshipers who arrive to listen to his sermons during Friday prayers. Among his followers he is known as the "young sheikh" and the "wonder boy" of Hamas.
His performance is seen as a major boost to Hamas, which already enjoys tremendous popularity among Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. In local elections held earlier this month in the Strip, Hamas won three big municipalities, including some that had been considered Fatah strongholds.
Seedo has become so popular that worshipers have been asking him to deliver sermons during other days of the week as well. Today, he serves as a preacher in nearly 40 mosques, where thousands of people stand in line to listen to his religious teachings. His friends say he hardly has time to play with them since he spends most of his time reading the Koran.
Although he is not publicly affiliated with any political group, Seedo has been endorsed by both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. "Some organizations have claimed that I belong to them, but this is not true," he said.
He said he learned the art of speaking by listening to older students while they where practicing how to deliver sermons.
But with the exception of Seedo, none of the students managed to make it to any of the mosques in Gaza City. He said that his first encounter with mosque-goers began a few months ago when he delivered a sermon that had been written by one of his schoolmates.
"I learned the sermon by heart and went to the mosque," he said. "This was my first sermon and I was surprised by the positive reaction of the worshipers. They heaped praise on me and encouraged me to continue."
Seedo added that a senior Hamas official who was in the congregation arranged for him to appear at another mosque in Gaza City.
"He invited me to deliver the Friday sermon at the Sayed Ali Mosque," he said. "In the beginning I was too shy and afraid, but he encouraged me to go ahead. Many of the men in the mosque looked at me with amazement and disbelief because of my age. But as soon as I finished, many came up to me and praised me. This gave me the courage to continue."
Seedo said that he usually prepares his 30-minute lecture after reading several books by Muslim scholars and listening to cassettes of prominent sheikhs. He said he had also been inspired by Friday sermons delivered by numerous preachers over the past few years.
The teenage preacher has been endorsed by the Gaza-based Palestinian Charitable Society, which teaches schoolchildren the Koran. Buoyed by the success of Seedo, the group recently established a special department for training youth to deliver sermons.
Seedo said most of his lectures focus on the issue of death, particularly the death of the prophet Muhammad, as well as several topics related to the lifetime of the prophet. "I often talk about loving the prophet Muhammad and the way a good Muslim woman should behave," he explained. "I also mention anecdotes that have a didactic message."
Sheikh Samir al-Jiddi, chairman of the Palestinian Charitable Society, said he was proud of Seedo and expressed hope that more teenagers would follow suit. "This boy is helping spread the message of Islam and we are very proud of him," he told the Gaza-based magazine Donia al-Watan.
"This boy is a miracle," said Ahmed Khalil, a schoolteacher who has attended some of Seedo's sermons. "This small sheikh is God's gift to Hamas and all Muslims."
