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“But the horror of what you were doing. The terror you put people through.”
“Terror’s one of Allah’s warriors’ greatest weapons. Terror’s always been a part of any holy war.”
“So after the death of your wife and son it took nearly twenty years, but eventually your army defeated the Algerian military. Reporters who covered your triumphant arrival in Algiers said justice for the losers was swift and brutal. From what I’ve heard, beheadings in Algiers’s central square became a daily occurrence. They said the streets ran red with blood.”
“Justice is always swift for the losers, Ms. Wells. And life itself is brutal. You need to understand, such bloodshed could have been avoided if only the military had accepted the people’s will and turned the government over to the appointed Islamic officials.”
“Mr. Mourad, there’s a personal question which bothered me during every minute of the long, difficult ride from Algiers. If you’re the ruler of the majority of Arab North Africa, why do you live way up here in the mountains so far from everything? It’s just so desolate. Why don’t you live in Algiers?”
“Because I learned long ago that I don’t care for cities. The desert’s always been my home and this is where I wish to be. The clerics in Algiers can manage the day-to-day affairs of our federation. And we’re in constant contact on those issues needing my personal attention.”
“Okay, so it’s many years after your wife’s death, and you’ve conquered Algeria. Is it at that point you began calling yourself the Prophet?”
He stared at her with a dazed look upon his face. His surprise was evident in his answer.
“Prophet? I’m no prophet. Where did you get such an idea?”
“But that’s what everyone in the Western press has called you for years.”
“Then the Western press is mistaken. I’m no prophet. For the followers of Islam, the last true Prophet lived fifteen hundred years ago. He was the final messenger. There’ll never be another.”
“But you said earlier you were the Chosen One.”
“I’m the Mahdi. But that doesn’t make me a prophet. I’m the one who Allah, in his infinite wisdom, has selected to destroy the nonbelievers. I’m the one the prophecy foretold would arrive to lead Islam in its conquest of the world and to prepare the pious for the end of time.”
“When you use the term ‘nonbelievers,’ who exactly are you talking about?”
“All those who don’t worship the one true God.”
“So when you say you’ll destroy all nonbelievers, am I correct in my understanding of what that means? Since we worship the same God, the term ‘nonbelievers’ doesn’t include Christians?”
“No, Miss Wells. Christians are also considered nonbelievers by those who love the sacred teachings of the Quran.”
“But from what you just said, how can that be? We also worship the same God. The God Islam worships.”
“But Christians don’t recognize Allah’s Prophet Muhammad as their own. And they fail to heed the righteous tenets of the Quran. By doing so they’ve guaranteed their destruction at the hands of the faithful. It’s not just Christians, Miss Wells. Unbelievers also include all non-Islamic religions and those Arabs whose belief in Islam isn’t as it should be.”
“So as the Chosen One, you believe one of your roles is to destroy Arab countries who don’t conform to your tenets?”
“That would be correct.”
“Which nations are those?”
“Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, to name a few. Their leaders must change their ways and heed the sacred words before it’s too late. Islam cannot begin its conquest of the outside world until the Middle East is united under our banner.”
“Is that the reason you conquered Libya, Tunisia, and the Sudan?”
“I conquered no one, Miss Wells. The people of Libya, Tunisia, and the Sudan were eager to join us in creating the world’s first purely Islamic republic. The Pan-Arab Federation exists because of the wishes of the people of North Africa, not because of some alleged conquest. The majority of the Egyptian people also wish to join us. But their corrupt leadership usurped power from the duly elected Islamic officials.”
“There’s a belief, Mr. Mourad, that you’re planning on invading Egypt in the near future. Are you willing, on American television with millions of people watching, to deny such rumors?”
“As we speak, Egypt is in the throes of a great unrest. The virtuous are battling for control of that great nation. I’m confident Allah will see to it truth prevails.”
“Many suspect you’re behind the Egyptian uprising. The methods being used by the Egyptian rebels are quite similar to those you employed in most of your victories.”
“Nonsense, Miss Wells. The lovers of Islam in Egypt are leading the journey to their country’s salvation. My assistance isn’t necessary. They know the path that must be followed to find their way to paradise. They don’t need my help to learn such things. It’s there for the devout to see in the hallowed passages of the Quran.”
“Sir, that may be. But you still haven’t answered my question. The United States has a mutual defense pact with the Egyptian government. We’ve promised to defend that country from any outside attack. I’m positive the American people want to hear your response. Whether or not our soldiers are going to find themselves fighting in the Middle East once more is an issue on everyone’s mind. Are you, or are you not, planning on invading Egypt?”
“My soldiers are stationed on the Egyptian border solely to ensure their civil war doesn’t spill over onto our soil.”
“So you claim you’ve placed a million soldiers on the border for your own protection.”
“I claim nothing, Miss Wells. But your answer’s correct.”
“And you have no intention of invading Egypt?”
“For what purpose?”
“You tell me, Mr. Mourad.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Since you brought it up, sir, let’s talk about your military.”
“If you wish.”
“At the present time, how many soldiers do you have?”
“One never really knows. Ours is a people’s army, and its numbers are constantly changing.”
“Okay, then, if you had to estimate, how many soldiers are serving in your army today?”
“Today?”
“Yes, sir, at this very moment.”
“I’d have to guess.”
“Then guess if you must, Mr. Mourad.”
“A guess? Oh, somewhere around three million.”
“Your army has three million men?”
“No, Miss Wells. Not all who serve Allah are men. Many of our warriors are women. The Quran allows for such. And as I said, the numbers are of little significance. They vary from day to day. This is a reverent cause. If necessary, I’m confident we could put ten million fighters in the field in a matter of days.”
