you that have come up since we last met, and I was hoping you’d indulge me,” Alan admitted.
“Of course, Alan. Fire away,” Aziz said.
“Just so you know, I’ve asked Aly some of the same questions, but I wanted your thoughts too.”
“You have my ful attention,” the Muslim cleric assured him.
Alan wanted to phrase his question without putting the imam in an uncomfortable place, but he didn’t want to mince words either. He asked, “What do you think the average American Muslim believes about Al Qaeda and its activities?”
Mohammed Aziz raised his shoulders, shrugging slightly. “Probably that Al Qaeda misinterprets the Qur’an to suit themselves and their purposes and to justify their actions; that they’re basical y criminals who murder innocent people, mostly Muslims.”
Alan pressed the point. “Are any of these kil ings in keeping with Qur’anic teachings?”
“No, they are not,” the Muslim cleric answered without hesitation but also without amplification.
“Do first-generation American Muslims share the same opinions about Al Qaeda as second-and third-generation Muslim Americans?”
“That’s a very good question,” Aziz said. “Personal y, I think not. First-generation Muslims tend to cling to the popular ways and beliefs of their homeland. Second-and third-generation Muslims have adjusted to our modern society. If anything, they recognize the opportunities that lie before them in America. On the other hand, many ordinary Muslims view the ‘war on terror,’ as our current president is so fond of cal ing it, as a war against their religion and their values.”
“I see. And do you yourself feel members of Al Qaeda should be put to death?”
“The guilty ones should be severely punished,” Aziz said.
This interested Alan. He wanted the imam to qualify this statement without feeling he’d been thrown into a debate. “And what is guilt then? Is it a violation of some societal code or a set of ethical standards?”
“Can it not be both?” Aziz answered almost rhetorical y.
“What about the Ten Commandments, for example?” Alan asked. “The way I understand it, Moses is recognized as a prophet as much by Muslims as he is by Christians and Jews. Given that, are the Commandments accepted by Islam?”
“The Qur’an does not codify the law, Alan,” the imam answered, sounding almost like a politician to Alan’s ears. “The Sharia is the accepted nonsecular law of Islam.”
“But isn’t Islamic law as set forth in the Sharia based on the Qur’an?” Alan asked calmly.
“It is. And as such it closely paral els the Ten Commandments in many ways.”
“If that’s so, then how can Al Qaeda claim an obligation to kil al infidels? Then they justify their actions by referencing the Qur’an, but only the Arabic version. Do you see that as hypocritical?”
“It’s quite simple. They interpret the sacred scriptures to suit their needs and to justify their actions; or rather, they misinterpret them,” the imam said. Both men reached for their tea. Mohammed Aziz had not objected to Alan’s questions, but he had also answered in generalities. Alan wanted to pin him down if possible, so he asked, “And what about the seventy virgins a martyr is supposed to be rewarded with when he’s whisked off to paradise after kil ing himself and a couple of dozen innocent people?”
“This is absolutely not true, of course,” the imam answered easily. “It’s a recruiting tool. Can you think of a better way to convince a bunch of impressionable young men to commit suicide? Sick, but effective, I’m afraid.”
“On that we agree,” Alan said. He refil ed their teacups, and both industry tycoon and Muslim cleric drank, one pondering, the other waiting. And then Alan set aside his cup and asked, “Let me ask you this, Mohammed. Are Christians and Jews infidels?”
“No, of course not,” the imam said quickly, “and they’re not pagans either. They are as monotheistic as we Muslims.”