3 Great Thrillers
Page 35
‘Cornerstones?’
‘Cornerstones.’
‘Sounds a bit Masonic, I suppose, Toby. What other philosophy have you found in these hymns? And how come you’ve been party to it, anyway?’
‘Professor Philip Kreyenbroek of Göttingen University in Germany has teamed up with some Yezidis and written down many of their traditional hymns.’
‘Pity.’
‘Pity or not, Karla, there’s philosophy in them there hymns. Spiritual philosophy. We can learn about the Yezidi tradition from them.’
‘Go on.’
‘Well, I think the first aspect of the Yezidi tradition is contemplation. Contemplation and meditation on the act of Creation. In this tradition, there are three architects. There is God, who made the pearl from which all things came. Then there is the eternal word, which is God’s mind in his Creation. This “word” you can call the “inner architect”.’
‘Because it’s in all things?’
‘Right. And the third architect is man.’
‘I’m a bit sick of man. But I like the sound of this “inner architect”.’
‘The inner word is the spirit of things, present but invisible. The word is the secret or hidden principle in Creation, in the smallest atom, in the largest planet, in the sun, and in the eye. It is like the genes on the DNA helix. This “word” or logos is the inner architect, the inner driver, the inner—’
‘Programme?’
‘Yes! Like a computer program. The hidden word. The code that makes the thing work. Not on its own, but in tune with everything else. The smallest part encapsulates the whole. The whole is the union of the parts. But there is “one word ” in all things—’
‘“All things are one” – that’s the basis of all mystic perception, isn’t it, Toby?’
‘Yes. This inner architect that men do not see.’
‘Unless they look for it.’
‘Right, Karla. So that’s the second architect. The third architect is man. Sorry. It means the idea of man, not a male.’
‘Maybe, but “man” sounds to me more like a man’s idea of “man”!’
‘Can’t help that. Anyway, he stands between the Great Architect and the word, or the inner architect – at least, in potential. And man contains the inner architect within his being, because God is in him. This is how man becomes an architect as we know the term. His mind extends through the application of geometry and he becomes a geometrical microcosm.’
‘A what?’
‘Microcosm. Little cosmos. A little universe, reflecting the greater universe.’
‘The kingdom of the heavens is within him? Interesting, Toby.’
‘But man needs to be woken up to it. Opened up to his hidden identity. He needs to look hard inside himself. When he is in tune with this dynamic word—’
‘He is the word made flesh!’
‘Yes! Gospel of John, Chapter 1! That’s partly why Saint John is the patron saint of Masonry. But in us, this “word made flesh” concept is only a possibility. We can’t make the whole journey because we’ve still got one foot stuck in the sleeping, or confused state – the way we ordinarily are: half asleep. Or drunk. Freemasonry teaches that life is a journey towards perfection. There is the rough stone—’
‘And the perfect stone! I think I’m a Mason without knowing it.’
‘Saves on fees! So, darling Karla, the perfect stone is the inner architect. It is the reflection of the Great Architect. This stone can be realised within every person. The Yezidis talk about it as a luminous cornerstone. This may be the true Philosopher’s Stone.’
‘I love it!’
‘Then – as the old Masons did – you can start turning the tools that shape the stone into symbols. The square, the dividers, the plumb line, chisel, maul, rule. The tools are ethical principles: truth, righteousness, goodness, strength, personal integrity, purity, charity, love, and the willingness to be tested.’
‘It’s beautiful, really, but very idealistic.’
‘It doesn’t appeal to everyone. Anyhow, the Baba Sheykh makes all this pristinely clear in his speech. And he demonstrates that these essential principles lie within the traditions of the Yezidis.
‘He makes a number of powerful quotes from Yezidi hymns. For example, one hymn refers to Sheykh Adi, who is an historical figure from the 1200s, a teacher or master of a spiritual path, but also a kind of angel or reflection of the divine for the Yezidis. In the “Angelic Sheykh” he is called “the master builder”. “You are the master builder; I am the building.” I mean, just in this little quote you have the tradition of the temple being within us. The church of the spirit is constructed within the soul, while at the same time, every Mason is also to be a stone in the greater temple. There is a hymn that talks of the four cornerstones that are one. One cornerstone for the holy men. These cornerstones are also angels. Streams of light. And the “Hymn of the Faith” asks: “What is the colour of the faith? It is the pre-eternal word, it is the name of Sheykh Adi.”’
‘But why is Sheykh Adi this pre-eternal word?’
‘Because Sheykh Adi realised in himself his identity with the inner architect. With God. This was the aim of the Sufis – or Gnostics – of Islam: to become a mirror of God. When they do, they start identifying with the holy men and women of all religions. They break the bounds. That’s perhaps why Freemasonry has this tolerance of different spiritual and religious traditions. Freemasonry is rooted in Gnostic traditions but often won’t admit it. That’s why it’s so threatening to people whose concept of God is particular to their own brand, so to speak.
‘Sheykh Adi was called a heretic. It’s the old story. But Sheykh Adi says in the hymn. “For your column, I am a good cornerstone.” This is the language of spiritual Freemasonry. This is the tradition the Yezidis kept alive. They even say Lalish, their holy valley, is a pure cornerstone, “the cornerstone for mankind”. Somehow, human destiny depends upon it.’
‘And you’ve been there?’
‘Bodily and spiritually.’
‘Coffee?’
Ashe nodded, suddenly recalling the magic of his night at Lalish, the night he met Laila and the guardian of the sanctuary: the night he experienced true timelessness.
Ashe’s thoughts drifted back to the archdeacon’s funeral at Peover in Cheshire, the day he’d met Melissa. He remembered how Colquitt and Bagot had showed up, and nearly spoiled everything. Then he remembered the call from Colonel Aslan. The call from Aslan… The call from Aslan… Where had he called from? ‘KARLA!’
‘No need to scream!’ Karla hurried back into Ashe’s office. ‘Not another history lesson, darling. I’m still trying to get through to your friend in Istanbul.’
‘Peover, Cheshire. The archdeacon’s funeral. He called me.’
‘Who did?’
‘Aslan. He called me. He said he was visiting relatives in St Pauli.’
‘So?’
‘St Pauli, Hamburg. It’s where the Kurdish Centre is. That’s when he must have arranged the lease of the apartment for our Yezidi friends!’
Ashe stared at the copy of the Baba Sheykh’s speech. ‘But why?’
‘Obvious, Toby. Aslan must have known al-Qasr wanted to kill or kidnap the Baba Sheykh.’
‘WHAT?’ The idea that Aslan could have known al-Qasr had never occurred to Ashe. He was startled.
‘Karla, do you know what you’ve just said?’
‘Sorry, did I say something wrong? I take it all back.’
‘I mean, did you think about it? Was this Karla lateral thinking?’
‘No, maestro. Just a guess. I’m trying to keep up with you.’
‘And vice versa, darling. Shit! You know, if you’re right, it could’ve been Aslan who gave the tip-off to Sinàn to get out of Istanbul quick. Or… maybe he gave the word to Yildiz and Yazar. That might explain why…’
‘Why?’
‘What if…?’ Ashe seized Karla’s arm. ‘What if it wasn’t al-Qasr who kidnapped the Baba Sheykh? What
if…?’
96
‘And how is Baghdad this morning, sir?’
‘Hotting up as usual, Ashe. Now let’s leave small-talk for small people. I’ve recently had the pleasure of a meeting with Lee Kellner at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.’
‘Big talk, sir?’
‘Amusing but irrelevant, Ashe. Time is of the essence. Among other things discussed was my concern that your friend Sherman Beck is not sharing candy. Lee assured me he doesn’t let Beck in on everything, so what I have to say to you…’
‘Understood, sir.’
‘Right. First question. Did the CTC have a lead on al-Qasr’s current whereabouts? Kellner tried fobbing me off with some drivel about four different sightings of a stranger with a bearded kidnap victim.’
‘Bearded? Hardly a distinction in the East!’
‘Quite. I warmed him up after that: possible sighting in south Waziristan; another in Aiwaz, Pakistan; another near Kandahar; and one on the Iraqi–Syrian border. None confirmed, but all being followed up. I thanked Lee politely. We then proceeded to the business of the day: tracking down bin Laden. He’s still top of the list, Ashe. In this matter, British and US cooperation has proved fruitful. You may recall Brigadier Radclyffe from your nasty experience at the Tower. He was on hand to observe US special forces training. Something was being cooked up with Pakistan’s Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence. Kellner couldn’t be entirely open with the ISI. In some respects, the ISI is a security liability. So Kellner looked to me for support there.’
‘Anything come out of that, sir?’
‘You’re ahead of me, Ashe. Kellner informed me about mobile phone intercepts linking bin Laden with a certain “al-Qasr”. This revelation should add a fresh dimension to your investigation.’
‘I should say so, sir.’
‘One last thing. It didn’t pass by me what Kellner let slip to you in Washington.’
‘About Israeli intelligence, sir?’
‘Mati Fless. Name mean anything to you?’
‘Matthias Fless of the Mossad? Old acquaintance.’
‘And recently released from CTC custody.’
‘Custody? Where held, sir?’
‘Chicago. Arrested in California while on a mission. The Mossad deny all knowledge of course. And some mission, Ashe! Seems Fless was trying either to kill or kidnap Professor Sami al-Qasr.’
‘Why the hell didn’t Beck tell me?’
‘You didn’t ask. That was the reason Lee gave. And I had to accept it, and so will you. Keep up the good work, Ashe!’
Karla slapped a note down onto Ashe’s desk.
‘Right, I’ll take it.’ Ashe picked up the phone. ‘That you, Julian?’
‘Sorry ’bout the delay, Toby. I found a few things. Could be useful. By the way, if the line goes funny, it’s because I’m walking up Drury Lane. I couldn’t make this call from inside Grand Lodge.’
‘Understood. Julian, I’ve read the copy of the speech.’
‘Nice, isn’t it?’
‘Why do you think the Grand Sec sat on it?’
‘You should see the draft memo I found.’
‘Found?’
‘You could say that. From the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England to the current Grand Master of the Grand Temple of Free and Accepted Masons of Turkey. Hold on a second.’
Julian Travers stopped outside the box office for Cats and manoeuvred a packet of Silk Cut towards his mouth.
‘And?’
‘Just a second.’
Travers lit the cigarette. ‘Phew! Now, to cut a long story short, our Grand Secretary concluded, after discussion with the Librarian of UGLE and others, that, first, the history outlined in the Baba Sheykh’s speech was highly spurious—’
‘Spurious? It’s bloody good!’
‘And, second, that it might be bad news for the Masonic status quo in Turkey.’
‘Why?’
‘Masonic politics. Except, Toby, in Turkey, Masonic politics has, in the past, overlapped with state politics.’
‘In what sense?’
‘Freemasonry is controversial in Turkey. There’s a population of 70 million, and only about 14,000 Masons. Nevertheless, Turks know what small numbers of well-organised people can do. In the minds of some people who resent the secular Turkish state, modern Turkey is the product of a kind of Masonic-influenced coup.’
‘You’re just saying that Masons are associated with secularism. But Masons, as Masons, have no political position at all.’
‘We know that, Toby. But try explaining that to the Islamists. Look, before 1909, Turkey was ruled by a sultan, who ran a Muslim caliphate. Then the so-called “Young Turks” kicked him out. Twenty years later, Turkey had become a secular state, supported mainly by educated metropolitan people, and by the army. Ideas about liberty, equality, fraternity and all that appealed to the educated as being progressive and European: something to work towards in a national context.’
‘Right.’
‘But these same ideas were also enshrined in Grand Orient Freemasonry as Masonic ideals.’
‘So there is a link between secular ideals, Masonry and Turkish politics!’
‘Tricky one. The Young Turks set up a “Committee of Union and Progress” to achieve a new, progressive Turkey. It was from that committee that Mustapha Kemal – Atatürk, father of the Turks – emerged. As far as I know, Atatürk was a Mason.’
‘Jurisdiction?’
‘Atatürk was associated with Italian Grand Orient Lodges in Thessalonica. And it was from members of these Lodges that political opposition to the old sultan, Abdul Hamid, came. Most of the committee were Freemasons, initiated into Grand Orient Freemasonry, based in France and Italy.’
‘And the United Grand Lodge of England does not recognise Grand Orient Freemasonry, does it?’
‘Right, Toby. Because the Grand Orient has been associated with political movements. Also, the Grand Orient system doesn’t require members to believe in God. So, anti-Masons in the East argue that Freemasonry is atheistic and materialistic. In Turkey’s case, Freemasonry’s opponents insist Masonry is political, driving the split between state and faith. Whereas, as I needn’t tell you, Toby, in British Lodges and recognised Lodges abroad, political and religious argument is forbidden, even though belief in the Supreme Being is required.’
‘So, Grand Orient Freemasonry’s secular tendency makes it a natural target for some Turkish Muslim opponents. And they tend to lump all Masonry in with it.’
‘Right, Toby. They see secularism as a calamity for traditional Islamic Turkey. They’d like to turn the clock back. Now, all this conflict over Turkey’s future was vexing for Atatürk, modern Turkey’s founder-hero. So Atatürk side-stepped the issue of Turkey’s religious past by promoting pre-Islamic Turkish identity. He declared that the ancient Turkic peoples were the original Aryans.’
‘The WHAT?’
‘Yeah. He reckoned the Turks were the original Aryans. He reckoned the ancient Greeks got their culture from ancient Turks. Atatürk had a group of selected scholars write this book—’
‘What book?’
‘A book called History. Taught in all Turkish schools. You can still meet people in Turkey familiar with its basic idea.’
‘Which is?’
‘That the Turks are the heroes of world history. The book insists the Turks grew from the first race of scientists and philosophers in the world. In short, Aryan Turks are the source of civilisation. Atatürk transformed the appellation “Turk” into something glorious, something to be proud of. Turkish identity had been a glorious secret that only needed to be uncovered and revived. Well, Masonic ideas of ancient hidden knowledge, and universal brotherhood, can easily get mixed up in all of this. And the United Grand Lodge of England knows this only too well. It does its best to foster the kind of nice, friendly, charity-giving Freemasonry we’re familiar with.’
‘So what’s all this got to do with the Baba Sheykh’s speech?’
‘Look Toby, I can only give you my opinion. You know how important recognition policy is. It’s the only means the United Grand Lodge of England has to exercise a measure of restraint over quasi-Masonic waywardness or error. Freemasonry’s been through a lot of changes in Turkey since the days of the Young Turks. In 1935 Atatürk himself closed the Masonic Lodges because of widespread fears of foreign interference. But after the Second World War, Masons met in their old buildings, though unofficially. Lodges were officially re-opened in the sixties and operated in a national association.
‘But in 1965 this national association split. Some of its members founded the now larger Grand Temple of Free and Accepted Masons of Turkey. This jurisdiction is recognised here in London. It conforms to the English Masonic pattern, and it supports an openness policy. The Lodge attacked in March, in Kartal District, Istanbul, was under this recognised jurisdiction.’
‘I wonder if that was a factor in the bombing? Any other jurisdictions in Turkey, Julian?’
‘I was coming to that. There’s the Liberal Grand Lodge of the Freemasons of Turkey. The Liberal Grand Lodge is in amity with the Grand Orient of France. It doesn’t require any religious statement from its members. They say such a requirement hinders the universality of the aims of Freemasonry. It’s an interesting argument—’
‘It is. But why did London sit on the Baba Sheykh’s speech?’
‘OK. My opinion is that London believed the Baba Sheykh’s speech could be used to undermine the authority of the recognised Grand Temple of Turkish Freemasons.’
‘And presumably of England, too.’
‘I… I suppose so. Hadn’t thought of that.’
‘The reason being, dear Julian, that the Baba Sheykh regards developments in Freemasonry after the establishment of the Grand Lodge of England as deviations from a more profound tradition that stems from the East.’
‘It’s a view. And I’ve got to say, Toby, I have sympathy with the Grand Secretary’s decision to dissociate regular Masons from the speech. This whole question opens up a vast can of worms. Every unrecognised Grand Lodge in the world would love it to be proved that it had as much right to reform itself according to some ancient principle as any other. While some Grand Lodges appear indifferent to London’s claim of premiership, they would not be indifferent to new evidence suggesting the Grand Lodge of England was illegitimate. It could get very messy – and who, really, would benefit?’