Abuse of Power - Michael Savage [100]
That got Jack’s attention. He pulled himself upright unsure what to expect.
Faisal sat at the dining table, reading one of his textbooks. A clock on the wall said it was approaching two A.M. The decryption software had been running on the laptop for close to an hour, numbers and symbols skittering across its screen.
Faisal looked up from his book. “It took me a while to remember you. I saw your photograph in the newspapers some time ago. There was an article about the home secretary banning you from travel to this country. You’re an American television host.”
Jack shrugged. “Close enough.”
“I remember because we talked about you at the college. About the things you’ve said, your hatred of Muslims. Your desire to kill a hundred million of us.”
Jack didn’t like the direction this was heading. “That was taken completely out of context. I don’t hate all Muslims.”
“Just a few, then?” It was an accusation, not a question. “I saw the mistrust in your eyes when you first looked at me.”
“You have to understand my perspective,” Jack said. “There are a lot of radicals out there. Like the Hand of Allah. People who want to destroy America.”
“Yes, and that’s why I agreed to help you and Sara. But don’t you see that when you say such hateful things, it makes men like me feel as if you’re talking about us as well.”
“I understand, but it’s a very delicate balance. And I’m sure you have even more to fear from radicals than I do.”
“You’re a hundred percent right about that.”
He was quiet a moment as he closed his book and stared at the laptop, watching the software do its magic. Then he said, “But it isn’t just the radicals. My mother is Indian, and my father is Pakistani, and our extended family is a mix of many different beliefs. Some are liberal Muslims, and they may well be the worst curse there is.”
“Worse than those who want to kill people? Bomb them?”
“I don’t condone such actions, and I never will. But the liberals are nearly as dangerous in their own way. People who think that pornography and degeneracy and gay marriage are normal, acceptable. To my mind, that’s a bigger threat to the stability of Pakistan and the world than anyone can imagine.”
Jack relaxed a bit and had to stifle a smile. He almost felt as if he were in a bar back home, talking American politics with Tony or the Reb.
“When I’m not at school,” Faisal said, “I work in a mobile phone store. There’s another man who works there, a fundamentalist Christian, and we’ve had many conversations about our beliefs. And when it comes to social values, family values, we’re in total accord. We agree on almost everything with regard to how life should be led.”
The laptop beeped and he checked the screen, then typed in a quick entry and started it running again.
“The point I’m trying to make to you,” he said, “is that there are many varieties of Muslim, just as there are Catholics or Jews. There are Muslims who are not religious, yet use Islam as a political weapon. They have no interest in following the teachings, yet they’re willing to kill for their own self-advancement. Do you realize that in some of our Muslim schools—right here in England—they’re teaching young students how to properly chop off the hands of thieves?”
“You’re kidding me.”
“I wish I were. It’s right there in their textbooks.” He paused, clearly disturbed by the thought. “But there are other Muslims, like me, who are very religious yet have no taste for violence, no desire to harm anyone. While I may detest what the liberals believe, and think that their view of society is dangerous, I don’t want to hurt or convert them, I simply want to be left alone. There are many of us who feel that way.”
“And how do you feel when one of these radicals sets off a bomb?”
“Just as frightened as you do. Just as terrified.” He paused. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Point taken,” Jack said.
“What I want to stress to you is that when you go on television and speak of Muslims, you should be very careful to separate us,