This Shall Be a House of Peace

by Phil Halton

  The Mullah looked at him without pity. His grip on Nasir Khan tightened, and he forced him to his knees, as well.

  “A trial! We deserve a trial,” begged Faizal.

  Umar hit Faizal across the back of the head with an open-handed blow, knocking the old man to the ground. He put a foot on his back, holding him in place. Faizal let out a cry as Umar’s sandal pressed into his back. “When he was trusted, he betrayed us. When he spoke, he lied. When he made a promise, he broke it.”

  The Mullah pointed at both of their captives. “These men are not Muslims. We do not need to judge them. They will be judged by God Himself.”

  Without a word, the boys from the madrassa seized both Nasir Khan and Faizal and held them fast. Rashid took two sheets that had been retrieved from the house for Asadullah Amin’s shroud and twisted each one into a cord, tying a simple loop at the end. He pulled one loop over each man’s head.

  Rashid directed the boys to first position Nasir Khan under the barrel of the tank. He struggled, wrenching his arms free from the boys’ grip and pushing them away from him. Umar struck him across the face with the butt of his rifle, and Nasir Khan crumpled. The boys held him up, their small hands pushing him under the arms. Rashid took the loose end of the cord and threw it over the tank barrel. The boys let go of Nasir Khan to help Umar haul on the rope, lifting Nasir Khan about a foot off the ground. His feet kicked wildly as he tried to gain a footing. Rashid tied the cord off with a few quick turns around the barrel, and Nasir Khan’s flailing quickly tightened the knot.

  Umar pulled Faizal to his feet, the man crying and endeavouring to stay prone on the ground. Jan Nasrollah took one arm from Umar, and together they dragged him under the barrel of the tank, as well. Rashid took the free end of the cord and pulled it over the tank barrel. Together they hauled Faizal off his feet, and he, too, began to writhe back and forth, swinging into Nasir Khan.

  Rashid tied off the cord and stood back. Both men and boys watched them suffer, without a word, until a few long minutes had passed, and the hanged men were still.

  Umar stepped forward to cut the men down, but the Mullah raised a hand and motioned for him to stop. “Leave them. I want their bodies to be seen.”

  The Mullah’s order was obeyed. Nasir Khan and Faizal twisted grotesquely in the breeze as the Mullah’s companions set about searching the compound for weapons, money, and survivors.

  As the sky continued to lighten, local men began to approach the compound. They gathered in front of the tank, eyeing the two hanged men. One man, with wide streaks of grey in his beard, spoke to the Mullah. “Is it true? Are you the one Nasir Khan has been seeking to kill?”

  The Mullah ignored the old man, lost in his thoughts. Umar answered instead. “We are simple men who run a madrassa, nothing more.”

  The old man raised his hands. “Then God be praised, and may the children of all good people study at your madrassa.”

  The crowd of local men began to grow. Everyone in the surrounding villages came to see with their own eyes what had become of Nasir Khan. Umar greeted each man as they arrived, carefully ensuring that no one was missed. As their numbers grew, he approached the Mullah. “You should speak. They are all wondering about you, and will want to hear what you have to say.”

  The Mullah nodded, fingers untangling his beard as he collected his thoughts. He climbed onto the front of the tank, looking down over the hanged men. His voice was rich and loud when he finally spoke. “Peace be upon you all.”

  The men in the crowd murmured in reply, “And unto you.”

  “Cousins, I am here to ask for your help.” The Mullah swung his arm around, pointing in all directions. “I am going to restore peace to our country. I will enforce the laws of God. I will make this country into what it once was — a land under Islam, and a house of peace.”

  Jan Nasrollah stood up from where he had been sitting beside his brother. “I want to help you.”

  Umar went to stand beside him. “You know that we all do.”

  The Mullah’s expression was severe. “Even though it will be a struggle greater than any you have faced?”

  Umar smiled. “Because of that. Mullah, you know that we are your students in all things.”

  One of the local men looked around at his neighbours and shouted: “It is the will of God!”

  Someone in the crowd shouted: “Takbir!”

  “Allah-u akbar!”

  “Allah-u akbar!”

  “Allah-u akbar!”

  The crowd shouted until they were hoarse as the sun rose fully over the horizon, bathing the world in intense bright light.

  EPILOGUE

  Umar stood at the front of a classroom full of boys, who all looked at him attentively. He held a copy of the Quran reverently in his right hand. “All knowledge that is required by humankind is to be found in this book, praise God!”

  In the classroom next door, Jan Nasrollah walked between boys seated in long rows, learning to write by copying passages of the Quran. “This is the Umm al-Kitab — the mother of all books. It contains the solution to every human problem, no matter how complex.”

  Rashid stood outside in a makeshift classroom of his own. He was surrounded by very young boys who hung off his every word as he held up a kalash and showed them how to disassemble it. “You are truly rich and blessed beyond belief.”

  Outside the madrassa, the Mullah stood wearing a new shalwar kamiz and turban, both jet black. The sound of the adhan was playing over loudspeakers affixed to a pole in the corner of the compound. As it finished, he clapped his hands together once. “Now, let us pray.”

  Hundreds of young boys came streaming out from the madrassa that had once been Nasir Khan’s home, and from tents set up five deep all around it. The boys and their teachers all lined up behind the Mullah to pray. He looked out over them, his eyes searching. All looked at him in wonder, filled with faith and hope. Satisfied with his students, he focused on his heart, making his intentions pure. Raising his hands, he began. “Allah-u akbar.”

  His students repeated his words as they began to pray.

  “Allah-u akbar.”

  In Afghanistan, the word for students is taliban.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  This novel would not have taken the shape that it has without the sharp minds and pencils of Scott Fraser and Cy Strom, to whom I am very grateful.

  It might not have seen the light of day at all if not for the encouragement and example of my good friend, Matt Lennox.

  My children, Lily and Leif, have been my biggest fans throughout this process and have been unwavering in their support, even when I had my own doubts.

  And finally, thank you to all my friends in Afghanistan, who opened their lives and their world to me.

  GLOSSARY

  adhan – the call to prayer.

  Allah – God.

  Allah-u akbar – “God is great.”

  Allah yahaneek – “God bless you,” used popularly as a positive exclamation.

  amir – king.

  asalaam aleikum – a typical greeting meaning “peace be upon you.” The ritual reply is “wa aleikum salaam,” meaning “and peace upon you, also.” Sometimes abbreviated as “salaam,” meaning “peace.”

  atan – a traditional Pashtun dance.

  bacha bereesh – literally a beardless boy, specifically a young boy who dances and performs sexual favours for men.

  bismillah – “In the name of Allah.”

  bokhari – a simple, round wood stove made of metal.

  chador – a head-to-toe covering worn by women to maintain their modesty. Vision is allowed by a fabric “grill” over the eyes. Also known as a burka.

  chai khana – a tea house that provides simple food and a place to sleep.

  chaiwallah – someone who makes a living preparing tea.

  chapan – a long-sleeved coat.

  chars – hashish.

  chelam – a water pipe, used for smoking flavoured tobacco or chars.

&nbs
p; Chyort poberi! – (Russian) “The Devil take you!”

  daal – a simple stew made of boiled lentils, peas, or beans.

  dahi – plain curd yoghurt.

  dhikr – meditation.

  dhol – a double-headed drum.

  djinn – along with humans and angels, one of the three types of creatures who possess intelligence and free will according to the Quran. In popular belief, sometimes feared for causing mischief.

  doshak – a long pillow used for sitting or sleeping on.

  dushka – a DShK Russian heavy machine gun, also the Russian slang for “sweetie.”

  dushmen – enemy; used by the Russians to describe the mujahideen.

  firman – a royal proclamation.

  GAZ – a Soviet vehicle manufacturer, also used to refer to the trucks built by this manufacturer and brought to Afghanistan by the Russian army.

  ghazi – the title given to a champion among Islamic warriors.

  Hadith – the collected accounts of the deeds, teachings, and sayings of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), used as a guide for behaviour.

  haji – someone who has completed the hajj. May also be used as a respectful title for an elder person.

  haram – forbidden by Islam.

  Hazarajat – the traditional lands of the Hazara people. A mountainous area located in Central Afghanistan.

  hibachi – a small, portable charcoal grill.

  hujra – a community guest house, or the private area for guests within a home, that allows a Pashtun to practise melmastia without breaking purdah.

  insh’allah – “If Allah wills it.”

  jangi spay – literally, “fighting dog.” An Afghan or Kochi shepherd breed of dog.

  jazak’allah – “May Allah reward you with goodness.”

  jehez – the money and property brought into a marriage by the bride, or sometimes paid to the groom’s family by the bride’s family.

  jerib – a customary measurement of land, equal to approximately one half of an acre.

  jezail – a handmade muzzle-loading musket, often with an intricately decorated stock and a curved butt. Typically found in Southwest and Central Asia.

  jihad – internal or external struggle or striving, with a righteous aim.

  jirga – a meeting of community members to resolve disputes or reach decisions through consensus. A key element of Pashtunwali.

  kafir – an infidel or unbeliever.

  kalash – a colloquial term for an AK-47 or AK-74 (Kalashnikov) automatic rifle.

  Kamaz – a Soviet truck manufacturer, also used to refer to the trucks built by this manufacturer and brought to Afghanistan by the Russian army.

  KHAD – the Soviet-era secret police in Afghanistan.

  kishmesh khana – a building, often communally owned, used to dry grapes into raisins.

  Kochi – a nomadic population.

  lakh – the number 100,000.

  lashkar – a posse formed by a community to protect itself or to enforce the decisions of a jirga.

  lifchika – Russian slang for magazine pouches worn by soldiers across their chest (literally, a brassiere).

  ma’alim – teacher.

  madrassa – a school.

  maharam – a male member of a female’s family who escorts the female when she is outside of the house.

  mahr – the payment made by a groom to his bride for her own use, as required by the Hadith.

  mash’allah – literally, “God has willed it.”

  melmastia – hospitality, one of the key tenets of Pashtunwali.

  mujahid – a person engaged in jihad. Often used to describe the guerillas who fought the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. The plural is “mujahideen.”

  naan – unleavened bread baked in a tandoor.

  nanawatai – literally meaning “sanctuary,” it is a key tenet of Pashtunwali that requires a person to protect another who requests it, even at great risk.

  Pashtun – an eastern Iranian people, who believe themselves descended from the biblical tribe of Joseph. Subdivided into many tribes and clans.

  Pashtunwali – the way and customs of the Pashtun people.

  patu – a wool blanket.

  pir – a saint or holy person, either living or dead.

  poder – heroin.

  powindah – people who subsist through herding animals.

  purdah – the separation of the sexes within a society.

  rebab – a traditional stringed instrument.

  qabuli pilau – a traditional dish of rice, raisins, carrots, and spices.

  qanat – a deep well that is connected by underground passages to collect water from high in the mountains and bring it down to the plains.

  Quran – the holy book of Islam, believed to record the literal word of God as recited by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Along with the Sunnah, it forms the primary source for Islamic theology.

  salat – prayer.

  salat al janazah – specific prayers used during funerals.

  salat-e-isha – the fifth obligatory prayer of the day, conducted between dusk and dawn but often in the early evening.

  shabnamah – literally, “night letter.” A threatening letter, often posed publicly under cover of darkness.

  shalwar kamiz – the loose pants (shalwar) and shirt (kamiz) worn ubiquitously in Afghanistan.

  shirk – the sin of practising idolatry or polytheism.

  shura – a meeting. Roughly synonymous with “jirga,” though the implication is more religious than tribal.

  spingiri – literally, “greybeard.” An elder.

  Sunnah – the orally transmitted record of the teachings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Along with the Quran, it forms the primary source for Islamic theology.

  takbir – the name given to the phrase “Allah-u akbar.”

  tandoor – a clay oven, often set into the ground.

  tanzim – organization. The anti-Soviet mujahideen were organized into seven major parties or tanzims.

  taslim – the concluding portion of a Muslim prayer: “May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.”

  ta’wiz – an amulet inscribed with holy verses worn to prevent the evil eye or to cure illnesses.

  Timur-e Lang – often transliterated as Tamerlane, fourteenth-century Central Asian conqueror and founder of the Timurid dynasty.

  tulee – a piece of opium roughly the size of an AK-47 bullet; enough to sustain a serious opium user for a day.

  upym – opium.

  ushr – a tax on agricultural produce sanctioned by Islam.

  wa aleikum salaam – literally, “And peace upon you.” The reply to the greeting of “asalaam aleikum.”

  walwar – the “bride price” paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s family to secure a marriage arrangement. Unlike the mahr, which is part of Islamic law, it is a cultural practice.

  zakat – alms paid to benefit the needy. Paying zakat is one of the five obligations of a devout Muslim.

  zebiba – literally, “raisin” in Arabic. Refers to a callus on the forehead caused by zealously performing salat.

  ZIL – a Soviet truck manufacturer, also used to refer to the trucks built by this manufacturer and brought to Afghanistan by the Russian army.

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  Lily Takemitsu goes missing from her home in Toronto one luminous summer morning in the mid-1980s. Her daughter, Rita, knows her mother has a history of dissociation and memory problems, which have led her to wander off before. But never has she stayed away so long. Unconvinced the police are taking the case seriously, Rita begins to carry out her own investigation. In the course of searching for her mom, she is forced to confront a labyrinth of secrets surrounding the family’s internment at a camp
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  BOOK CREDITS

  Project Editor: Jenny McWha

  Developmental Editor: Scott Fraser

  Copy Editor: Cy Strom

  Proofreader: Ashley Hisson

  Cover Designer: Michel Vrana

  Interior Designer: Jennifer Gallinger

  Publicists: Michelle Melski and Tabassum Siddiqui

  DUNDURN

  Publisher: J. Kirk Howard

  Vice-President: Carl A. Brand

  Editorial Director: Kathryn Lane

  Artistic Director: Laura Boyle

  Production Manager: Rudi Garcia

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  Publicity Manager: Michelle Melski