Operation: Tel-Aviv (Saimum Series #1)

CHAPTER 3

Darkness due to the waning crescent swathes the surroundings. An obscure hilly pathway. A gush of cold western breeze carries the scent of Jordan River. On the eastern coast of the river, ranges of faint lighting can be seen. Those are the camps of Jordan's border guards. From the other side of the Jordan River, several Israeli observation posts are visible.

Following the pathway, four silhouettes are slowly advancing. One of them is black. He has trimmed curly hair, thick lips, long face and a large well-built body. This is Abu Bakr Senouci. The second person is intensely sun-burnt and has a well kempt beard on his face. He is Abd Ar-Rahman. They are the representatives of UMLLA (United Muslim Liberation League of Africa).

The third person is about six feet tall. He has a yellowish complexion, a Fez on his head and french-cut beard. The cunningness of his nature is apparent through his expressions. He is Mustafa Amin Çağatay, the leader of the Turkestan Liberation movement, from Turkey. They have come to Saimum's Groundwork Committee's private meeting with their appeals. And the fourth man is Abd Ar-Rashid, who is guiding them through the way.

Abd Ar-Rashid seems worried. He looks at Çağatay. 'Excuse me, Mr. Amin, didn't Hasan Tariq say anything to you after delivering the letter?'

'He seemed very busy,' Amin Çağatay replies in a quick, but calm voice, 'Once he handed me the letter, he did not wait any longer than five minutes. I hesitated to question him further. This morning when I heard from Ali Efendy that he has gone missing, I was shocked. But I acknowledge it now that we should have taken into consideration his unusual restlessness.'

In the next few minutes they reached a spot from where they could see the countless lights down there at the foot of the hill. They, analogous to the galaxies in the sky, formed a line that stretched towards the North.

Abd Ar-Rashid points at that with his forefinger. 'Look at the evidence of Israel's barbarism. Deprived of their homeland, of their belongings, they live like animals in petty shacks years after years. These thousands of destitute Muslims desperately waited for the United Nations for twenty whole years. Starvation, unhygienic food, malnutrition and lack of treatment are gradually leading them towards death. In these twenty years, United Nations has never failed to neglect their cries, not even for once.' Abd Ar-Rashid pauses for a moment, then says, 'The waiting period is over now. The walls of forbearance have been crushed. We have paid a great price for relying on others. Now, we have armed ourselves. Only two pathways are open to us: we'd either gain victory or die martyrs.'

'Mr. Rashid, I have always known that there weren't any possibilities for education or forming organizations among the refugees. How did you all surprisingly form this organization? How did you even train?' Amin Çağatay asks.

Abd Ar-Rashid smiles mildly and says, 'You are somewhat correct about our system, but not entirely.'

He continues, 'When the thousands of wounded and uprooted people entered Jordan, Syria, Iraq and the Sinai in throngs, we did not have anything but the bare ground to recline on and the well water to drink from. During those awful days, there were many who helped us, but we intimately found by our sides an incredible team of brothers. I heard from my mother, she used to tell me often that Allah has sent the Ansar of Medina to our aid. You all know them - they are Ikhwanul Muslimin (Muslim Brotherhood). The brothers did not only set up tents for us and brought us food. They divided the displaced into several units and established an education center in each. The education centers provided long-term military training. Members of the Brotherhood worked as teachers and instructors. I heard they used to say, "Considering the way the Muslims countries incompetent in world-politics and drowning in internal conflicts are weakening, we cannot place our reliance on their military strength to liberate Palestine. Palestine's true freedom can only be earned by the resistance of our valiant youth."