The Third Cell

by Anthony D'Egidio

  Nasih asked, “But why Jewish businessmen?”

  “What better way to fool the government agencies whose task it is to stop us? Too many times our people are exposed because of their fanatical beliefs. Under no circumstances, once your new identities are assumed, will you ever reveal that you’re an Arab, or Muslim. I know this will be the hardest for you to accept, but it’s essential that you never express your Islamic views.”

  Ahman returned to stand alongside Abdullah, becoming stern in his lecture. “Do not get involved with any woman who has not been chosen for you. The Muslims For Justice will pick your future wives. These will be women that can facilitate our goals, but can never know your true intent. No matter how different they are from what has been taught to you in Islamic law, you must accept them for who they are.”

  Nasih was astounded. The Muslims For Justice have planned out the next twenty or more years of my life in detail and I’ve no say in the decision. My education, occupation, family and where I would live has all been put into place. I’m a fierce supporter of the Palestinian cause, and I’ll listen and obey.

  Later Ahman, when alone with Nasih, said, “You and the other boys will soon be men asked to complete a mission not yet fully conceived. You must exhibit self-control that few men are capable of doing. It could be many years before you’re asked to act in the name of Islam, but when the time comes you must be decisive and unyielding. Through all this period of time, if you find yourself faltering, think only of what the Zionist did to your father, mother and the child she was carrying.”

  The last statement was not necessary for Nasih. The deep hate that he carried in his heart gave him his inner strength. Turning to his uncle, Nasih quoted an old Arab proverb, “Elle fat kadimoh tah. (Lost is the person who forgets his past.)”

  Upon hearing the ancient proverb, Ahman knew he had Nasih’s blind allegiance.

  CHAPTER 10

  HAJJ (PILGRIMAGE), 1982

  Ahman and Nasih spent the better part of three days preparing for the trip to Mekka. The Pilgrimage would take place between the sixth and thirteenth day of Dhu’l-Hijja.

  Ahman and Nasih purchased the white, unstitched and unhemmed cloth sheets that were to be worn during the Ihram.

  The Ihram is a sacred ritual, symbolic of purity and of the rejection of evil and mundane matters.

  One piece of cloth would be wrapped around the upper part of the body, including the head; another piece of cloth was wrapped around the lower extremities. The garment would then be secured in place by a portion of the cloth torn off and wrapped around the body. The requirement for all participants to be wearing the same clothing made everyone equal in the eyes of Allāh.

  It is prohibited to quarrel, commit violence to man or animal or engage in sexual activity during the Hajj. Once a person puts on his Hajj clothes, the pilgrim must not shave, cut his nails or wear any jewelry, and he’ll keep his unsown garment on until he completes the pilgrimage.

  Mekka

  September 26: The sixth day of Dhu’l-Hijja. The faithful group from the El Huda School met at the facility to board a bus for the trip to Mekka in the early evening. Abdullah Khamayseh made the arrangements for transportation through financing from the Muslims For Justice. They would target school children through direct teaching in classrooms and the manipulation of textbooks to further their cause. They recruited children from El Huda School to control those young minds and to carry out future missions with blind obedience. This would be an army of willing subjects who would gladly sacrifice everything, including their lives, for Islam.

  Ahman and Nasih entered the bus. Ahman took the seat next to Nasih.

  “Uncle, I have been following the Holy War against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Even Osama bin Laden is reported to be fighting the Russians there.”

  “That is correct Nasih. The godless Soviets are losing the battle to Allāh’s warriors.”

  Nasih fell silent as he sat and didn’t speak as the bus left the school.

  After an hour passed Ahman sensed something was wrong. “Why have you become so quiet and depressed? Your heart should be filled with the joy of this journey and your devotion to Allāh.”

  Nasih looked up at the night sky filled with stars. “Like Osama bin Laden, I want to fight the oppressors of our faith and I want to be doing it now! I want revenge for my parents’ death and revenge for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been ravaged by the Zionist! I’m ready to die as a martyr now!”

  Ahman saw how upset Nasih was. “You know that patience is our key to success. A small mission may make you feel good or important, but it could have little significance in our battle over the infidels. You must not think of yourself, but of all Muslims, Islam and especially the Palestinian people. You must practice patience and self-sacrifice. If you learn anything from this Hajj, it will be these two virtues. When the call is given it will be great and powerful. You’ll be sending a message to the entire world!”

  With those words still in his ears, Nasih got his first glimpse of the impending excursion. Nasih’s eyes viewed the sea of humanity making its way to the Meeqat, the imaginary boundary surrounding Mekka.

  Many towns and localities make up the Meeqat and they were in the town of Ash Shumaysi. The students bounded off the bus and were assembled by Abdullah and Ahman. They were ready to perform the Ihram.

  Ahman addressed the group. “These will be some of the most grueling days of your lives. You will be among millions of the faithful. The heat you will endure eight to ten hours a day will dehydrate you rapidly. We have enough water for all. If you feel faint, contact one of the chaperones immediately or you could end up in the hospital.”

  Abdullah swung his arm and pointed to Mekka. “Let us begin.”

  The young men stepped forward to perform the state of Ihram.

  Nasih followed the instructions exactly, never having to repeat any steps like most of his classmates. He seemed almost possessed as he prepared himself. In his mind his uncle’s words kept repeating over and over again. You must not think of yourself, but of all Muslims and Islam. You must practice patience and self-sacrifice.

  Nasih kept repeating these phases to himself as he prepared the Ihram ritual, with the vision of his dead parents appearing in his mind.

  Once the conditions of Ihram were met, the leaders took the entire group to a cluster of tents that the Muslims For Justice had erected. They spent a restless night in anticipation of the upcoming journey through the Hajj.

  September 27: The seventh day of Dhu’l -Hijja. The El Huda students returned to the bus and were taken to Mekka. At the outskirts of the city the group embarked to the Scared Mosque of Mekka, Al-Masjid al-Haram. Arriving at ten o’clock they immediately fell to their knees in prayers intended to prepare the Hajjis for the upcoming ceremonies. They prayed for eight long hours, only breaking for water, food and toilet. Many of the young students who were unaccustomed to the harsh conditions fainted. Revived and given water, they continued with the rest of the group until six o’clock in the evening.

  September 28: The eighth day of Dhu’l-Hijja. Awakened before sunrise, the group assembled to make the journey to the plain of Arafat to ascend to Mount Jabalu r-Rahma.

  During the journey to Arafat, Abdullah explained the events for the day. “Be thankful we have buses. You can see the multitudes walking the fifteen kilometers to Arafat. Today the temperatures could reach one hundred ten degrees.” He paused to let the students take a look at the sea of humanity trudging along the road. “Once we arrive, we will gather and follow two caskets that were brought in from Cairo and Damascus to the summit of Mount Jabalu r-Rahma where the Prophet Muhammad received the last passage of the Qur’an during his final sermon.”

  The journey took them through the cities of Mina and Muzdalifah to the foot of the mountain.

  The sun was just breaking over the horizon as the group exited the bus and started their ascent up the mountain. They would join the masses of other Hajjis making the
climb. The chants of Labbayka (at your service) were growing exponentially as more of the Hajjis joined the climb until there was a crescendo of chants echoing throughout the masses as they neared the mountain top.

  Joining Nasih were Abdul-Aziz al Hummos and Rashad Ali Obeid, the two other students designated by Abdullah and Ahman to carry out the clandestine mission in the United States. Nasih found himself in a semihypnotic state, feeling the power of all the voices resonating through his body as he made the ascent. His mind had transcended his surroundings, becoming unaware of the tens of thousands of Hajjis on the mountain and the physical contact he had with them.

  Nasih had become a complete servant of Allāh. He had a vision of the afterlife and the glory of being in Allāh’s presence. This elation would become intermingled with the vision of his parents’ death and he saw this as a sign that Allāh was commanding him.

  As evening approached, the masses descended from Mount Arafat. The Muslims For Justice led Nasih and his group to a series of tents about one kilometer from the mountain. There they received food, water and shelter for the night. Nasih found himself still in a state of euphoria from his experience on the Mount and isolated himself from the rest of the group.

  Ahman, sensing that Nasih had indeed become a Soldier of Allāh, let the boy stay in his solitary state.

  September 29: The ninth day of Dhu’l-Hijja. The group performed the ritual of Wuquf (the standing). During this time two Khutbas, spanning several hours, were preached to the masses. For the students this was most taxing as they were restless and impatient. The Muslims For Justice disciples kept an ever-vigilant eye, taking aside any individual who was wavering from their duty and giving them a stern lecture about keeping the requirements of the Hajj. After the Khutbas, the pilgrims ran to the City of Muzdalifa to say a final prayer for the day before spending the night.

  September 30: The tenth day of Dhu’l-Hijja. The day began with a Khutba and then the Hajjis, en masse, left for the city of Mina. Each Hajj carried seven stones obtained at Muzdalifa. Once in the city of Mina, the Hajj threw the stones at the three Jamra, the pillars that symbolize the powers of Satan who it was said appeared to Ibrahim (Abraham).

  Before they departed for the ritual Abdullah addressed the group, “The faith of Ibrahim is called Millat-e-Ibrahim in the Qur’an. Ibrahim is considered one of the most important prophets of Islam and is universally termed Khalil Ullah. (Friend of God.)”

  Having completed the stone throwing ritual, the Muslims For Justice disciples gathered the students together for the ritual sacrifice that would usher in Id al-Kabir Feast.

  Nasih, Abdul-Aziz and Rashad positioned themselves to have a good view of the sacrificial offering. A large sheep was led in and placed on its side. The hooves were then bound. The animal’s throat was slit and quickly the animal was bled to death along with air being blown under the skin. The carcass was hung up, the intestines removed and all traces of blood washed away.

  Ahman took the liver and placed it over a charcoal fire. He brought the cooked liver over to the three boys and with his knife evenly divided it amongst them.

  Ahman spoke as he gave each boy a piece. “The liver is the principal organ to be consumed in the Id al-Kabir. Each of you will now be bonded together on your mission for Allāh.”

  The symbolic meaning of this gesture was not lost on the boys. After the consumption of the food, each boy had his head shaved and the Ihram removed, symbolizing the end of Murhim, the state of purity.

  October 1, 2 and 3: The eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth day of Dhu’l - Hijja. Each day spent at Mina was in prayer, along with the daily ritual throwing of the seven stones at the three Jamra pillars.

  The chaperones gathered the group at sunrise to perform the stone throwing ritual before the crowds gathered. Many in the past had been killed during these last three days of Dhu’l-Hijja when crowds of people would gather to complete the stoning and in the rush, hundreds would be stampeded to death.

  On the thirteenth day of Dhu’l-Hijja, after completing the ritual and consuming breakfast, the three teens would be allowed to explore the tent city on their own.

  Ahman lectured them before they left, “Stay close to the Muslim For Justice tents. We’ll be leaving for Al-Madeenah and the tomb of Muhammad in a couple of hours.”

  Walking through the tent city the boys were amazed to hear so many languages spoken, many from the Far East, yet they were always able to understand the goodwill in the greetings they received.

  After an hour of wandering Abdul-Aziz suggested, “Let’s go see the Royal Palace. It’s close by.”

  “We’ve strict instructions to stay near the encampment,” Nasih protested.

  Abdul-Aziz teased, “Well, if you don’t want to go, Rashad and I will. Are you afraid?”

  Nasih, the oldest, didn’t like the challenge. “No, I’m not afraid.”

  Disobeying the orders of Ahman and the Muslims For Justice, they wandered out of the tent city and through the narrow streets of Mina. Approaching the Royal Palace they noticed many soldiers patrolling the area. With the large number of Hajjis on the streets, it was difficult for the soldiers to watch everyone.

  Abdul-Aziz pushed forward. “The soldiers at the checkpoints are too busy to notice us. We can easily get past them.”

  It was a great game for them, outsmarting the guards by ducking behind the many tents selling religious items. Eventually they worked their way to within a short distance of the Palace.

  As the teens crept along the wall of an alley that connected the main street to the Palace Gates, they heard a shout, “Stop. Go no further!”

  The boys turned to find many soldiers surrounding them, pointing rifles in their face.

  “Who are you and why are you near the Palace entrance?” asked one of the soldiers.

  Before they could answer, the soldiers grabbed the three and dragged them to an awaiting vehicle.

  “How stupid was I to listen to you, Abdul-Aziz,” Nasih said angrily.

  “We just wanted to see the Kings Palace,” said Rashad who was visibly shaking. His protest fell on deaf ears as the soldiers threw them into the back of the enclosed vehicle.

  Nasih turned to Abdul-Aziz and Rashad as the doors were being shut. “This is the last time I’ll ever listen to either of you. Who knows what will happen to us now? We may never see our families again. What will my uncle say when he finds out? I would rather face all the soldiers of Saudi Arabia then the wrath of my uncle.”

  The teens were driven to a compound on the east side of the city and unceremoniously dragged from the vehicle and thrown in a jail cell.

  Rashad, looking very green, said, “It smells like old urine and vomit. I think I’m going to be sick.”

  Nasih didn’t have time to think about the conditions when a burly guard opened the door and yanked him from the cell by the neck. The other two boys were shaking at the sight of their friend being dragged away.

  Rashad tried to swallow. “Where do you think they are taking him?”

  Abdul-Aziz was more composed. “Stop acting like a woman. We’re being separated just to scare us.”

  Nasih was thrown into a small room with only the dim light of an old florescent bulb flickering. At least it doesn’t smell as bad as the last place, he thought.

  Just then, a man even larger than the guard came into the room reeking of old perspiration and grabbed him by the throat. Nasih could only think, what have I done to deserve this?

  “What was your purpose in trying to reach the palace?” The man grunted as he tightened his grip around Nasih’s throat.

  I may never see the light of day or worse be able to fulfill my prophecy to Allāh. A strange sensation came over Nasih as he closed his eyes. I can see myself on Mount Jabalu r-Rahma with my parents.

  Nasih immediately became calm as he answered. “We had no ill will to the King or to any of the King’s subjects. We only wanted a closer view of the Royal Palace.”

  “I find that hard to beli
eve. You and your companions eluded three layers of security guards to end up in front of the gates. This could only be a well-thought-out attack upon the King.”

  Nasih knew the man was lying, for they had been thoroughly searched before being thrown in the vehicle. He sensed an opportunity. “If you’ve left the guarding of the Palace to those fools then no one is safe in Mina.”

  Nasih felt the man’s grip on his throat loosen slightly as he continued to speak, mocking his interrogator. “At every turn we saw these so-called soldiers talking to one another, smoking cigarettes and one sharing a drink of water from a passerby. These are the men who should be in custody, not three students from the El Huda School.”

  Upon hearing the name of the prestigious school, the man’s grip around Nasih throat released. The guard turned and left the room.

  Nasih could hear two men on the other side of the door arguing about what to do with the boys.

  After five minutes a Saudi Army Officer entered the room. “So, you think you’re smarter than the King’s army?”

  “I only told that fool how inept the King’s guards were.”

  The officer seemed amazed that a teenager would have the fortitude to stand up to him under these conditions. “If you think you’re so smart, what are you doing in here? I could have you shot and no one could blame us.”

  Nasih sensed the man was bluffing. “I’m a follower of the Muslims For Justice and have sworn allegiance to Cleric Omar Khamayseh. I’m loyal to all of those of the Islamic faith and my only goal on this earth is to bring pain and suffering to the Zionist.”

  The officer upon hearing the name of the cleric turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. He knew that Cleric Omar Khamayseh had been instantly martyred upon his death in 1976. Many faithful Palestinians carried photos of the late cleric while performing the Hajj. His name was well known amongst all Sunni’s. He was revered as the first cleric to stand up for the injustices perpetrated upon the Palestinian people by the Zionists.