A Killing Sin, page 10
Miffed, Ella replied ‘It’s avocado and some stuff I found in the fridge.’
As she tucked in with gusto, Amala grimaced. ‘Ella Russell, one day you’ll kill me.’
TODAY
Tuesday 25th May 12.03
MILLIE
Norton has drawn a ring with her pointer around Aafa, forcing us to face the inevitable. Forcing us to believe Aafa has been radicalised. I have known him since he was a toddler obsessed with Lego and building bridges from coloured blocks. An only son with three older sisters, he is the heart of a whole family who dote on him.
Neil lets out a groan. He is chewing hard on his bottom lip. I hear him mutter under his breath, ‘Shit.’
I look at the screen. I can’t stop staring at Aafa. Now just another maniac with a flag and a beard that I hardly recognise.
Norton says, ‘The clip is from two weeks ago. On Saturday 8th. It’s outside Cubbitt Hall on the Isle of Dogs. Aafa Hackeem was manning a dawah stall. After the rally he went back to the Tower Hamlets Education Centre with Izz al-Din.’
I wince. I have never seen him at a dawah stall. If I had, I might have talked to him about it. Dawah stalls have sprung up everywhere. It’s impossible to walk past most major stations in London now without seeing them.
Neil looks quizzical. I quickly explain. ‘They’re set up as propagation channels. Dawah is a key Islamic principle where good Muslims invite others to join. It’s more than just spreading the word of Allah, though, it’s a conscious effort to link thoughts, attitudes and behaviours to a particular interpretation.’
‘You mean those guys that are always trying to stop you to talk about the Quran? Like the guys on the Corner of Oxford Street and Regent Street I see every weekend?’
I nod. ‘Yeah.’
Rehan Ali adds, ‘It’s the same principle as in most religions – spreading the gospel. Mostly they’re benign or, in fact, more likely positive.’
I cut across him. ‘In extremis, though, it’s a manipulative technique; brainwashing if you like.’
Ali nods, a little irritated. ‘Yes Millie, in extremis.’
Norton moves us along. ‘Our assumption is he convinced his sister to visit the Sharia community today in a pre-planned hostage-take. Dr Ali has told us that Aafa has been increasingly speaking out against his sister, saying he was embarrassed and humiliated by her stand-up routines and her controversial stance on sexuality and other issues.’
Rehan Ali sits up in his chair again and looks over at Neil and me. ‘I heard this morning that, apparently, Aafa asked the women’s group at the Tower Hamlets Education Centre to pray for Amala. I have spoken to a number of friends close to that community and they confirm what I told you this morning, Mr Thompson. There has been a lot of activity involving key members of the Council. It appears that there is a safe house deep within the The Bush which seems to be heavily guarded. Other than that, there is nothing exceptional showing up in the usual places.’
Ali continues, ‘A number of my sources say that Aafa Hackeem has been in The Bush a lot. He appears not just to be heavily involved on the dawah stalls but also at the mosque and the Education Centre. There are no reports of any radical activities as such, but he is described as fervent and devout. He has instigated a lot of discussion about the PPCs and has engaged a number of scholars and the Imam in discussions about peaceful protest and taking up cases of racial profiling and harassment. He is a very passionate young man.’
Rehan Ali is picking his words very carefully. He looks uneasy. Ali knows the whole Hackeem family and would know just how painful it would be when they found out about Aafa.
Looking at Thompson, Dr Ali finishes, ‘I suspect he is exactly the sort of man we want on our side, showing the positive face of our faith, but I can imagine that becomes difficult when you are picked up time and time again and left in a holding cell with little respect for your commitment to prayer.’
I can see a slight flush appear on Thompson’s neck as he shuffles his papers. He does not catch Norton’s eye but I see her jaw tighten.
Alex Dalgleish sees it too. In fact, there’s very little she doesn’t see. Thompson clears his throat and says, ‘Ok, let’s all use this next fifteen minutes productively. We reconvene at 12.50.’
Tuesday 25th May 12.04
NUSAYABAH
I am almost ready for the next contact. I feel calm and liberated. All the preparation is done. I catch sight of myself in the cracked mirror. I stare through the gauze. I realise then I feel invincible. I am ready.
Faiza taught me that striking at the head of the snake is the only way to destroy it. I will strike at the head and also the heart. The very heart of everything that matters to them. So they can know what it is to have everything destroyed.
It is time for them to feel the pain.
Time for revenge.
I am prepared for anything. Even to die. They never understand this.
That a life is such a small price to pay.
Tuesday 25th May 12.07
MILLIE
Rehan Ali, Neil and I are together. Neil is checking in with Sean again. I say to Rehan, ‘What do you really think? You know Aafa. You know the whole family. Do you think it’s even possible he could have been turned?’
He pauses then quietly says, ‘You know he no longer attends the mosque with his father?’
Until his move to Oxford a couple of years ago, Amala’s father had attended the same mosque every Friday in Luton. He had gone since he arrived from Pakistan as a small boy in 1974. He now attends the Central Oxford Mosque and until recently Aafa had attended with him.
I nod. ‘I did know. Amala kind of mentioned it on Sunday at lunch. They thought the whole family was seeing less and less of Aafa but thought maybe he was attending the London mosque, more for convenience than anything else.’
Ali looks pensive. ‘Yes, maybe. You know Amala’s not the only one who’s been threatened? So has their father.’
I didn’t know that. I feel shaken.
‘Why? Why on earth would he be threatened? Mr Hackeem is anything but outrageous. He hates being in the spotlight.’
‘Indeed, that’s true. He is a quiet and thoughtful scholar.’
A picture of him flashes before me. A reserved, considerate man of huge integrity. He is now based in the Oxford School of Islamic and Cultural Relations. A key moderate and well-respected by most of the Islamic community.
‘He has received hate mail. He is seen as too liberal. He is a strong and articulate advocate for Tajdid. As am I.’ Ali is speaking carefully.
I nod. Tajdid. The notion of renewal; that Islam must be constantly reformed to keep it in its purest form.
‘But he is seen as weak for his refusal to condemn Amala. Also, he is seen as a traitor by the hardliners who, as you well know, are now running many of the schools and councils in the Confederation of Sharia Council strongholds. When he controversially spoke out about Hadd recently, Amala very publicly applauded him.’
Hadd are the punishments meted out at a Sharia judge’s discretion. The punishments have become increasingly brutal and covert over the years.
I remember now. Mr Hackeem had spoken out about a couple found having an affair who had been flogged near to death. They had been living in Tower Hamlets and were part of the East End community attached to the Education Centre and mosque there. They were smuggled out by family members and taken to a local hospital. The smugglers had been locked in two separate rooms and kept in solitary confinement for over a week. The charges were hard to prove and those living in the community remained silent. Whether through fear, belief or compliance – or a combination of all three – it was hard to tell. Amala had blitzed social media calling her dad a hero.
I wonder now if this is about hurting their father. To prove him wrong?
Neil is half listening and suddenly says, ‘Bloody hell, there’s something else here. We’ve looked at Aafa’s bank account. He’s been making payments to an unknown account. We’re still tracking it. But it looks like quite a lot of money. More money than a student has to fling around. Holy shit! Over the last four months he has sent over £10,000 to an account he’s called Dawah.’
‘I am sure the BSU guys will have seen it too. Let me ask Toni if they know any more.’
I call. Again she answers on the first ring. I ask her if she has seen the accounts.
‘Yeah, we’re still checking them through, but you’re right. It looks as if he has been using his university fees to pay into that account. There’s a bunch of other stuff that looks a bit odd too, but we are still looking at those. There are a couple of other accounts. I’ll let you know once we have some more.’
I tell Neil and Rehan. Neil is furious. ‘What does she mean odd? What else have they got? Christ, Millie, we need Mark on this. He’ll be able to tell us. We need to see what else Aafa’s been doing. Do you think they are telling us everything?’
‘I don’t know but I am guessing not.’
I press redial for Mark again.
Tuesday 25th May 12.17
MILLIE
Ali has gone to make some calls. Neil and I are alone. Sean has worked fast. Neil pulls up a set of bank accounts. ‘Aafa has taken the money his dad gave him for university fees and given a chunk of it to the dawah account and some to this account here. See?’
‘What the hell is Education and Light Ltd.?’
Neil clicks on the website.
I read aloud. ‘Our mission is to give young Muslims the confidence and tools to spread the word of Allah.’
I scan down. ‘We run seminars and education evenings for those of all faiths to share in our discussions and to learn the teachings of the Quran.’
Lower down I read, ‘To do our work we need your support. We need to raise funds to continue with our programmes. If you believe it is important to share the voice and teachings of the Quran and to preserve this for future generations in Britain, then click here to find out how to help with our critical work today.
‘Those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah and do not follow up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury, their reward is with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Quran 2:261–62.’
Things are clicking into place. It’s classic stuff. Aafa will have been persuaded that education and spreading the word of Islam is key. That will shift to the need to use jihad. The end justifying the means. Aafa must be a long way down the road if he is sending this sort of money.
Neil says, ‘This is all new to me. I’ve never heard him talk about this programme. Have you?’
‘No, never.’
Aafa had wanted to be an engineer since he was a little boy. Mostly he seemed to look at books and websites about building bridges.
I look at Neil. ‘From the bank records, it looks like he’s used this term’s money to give to this Education and Light Programme. He can’t have been to uni since January. He should be sitting exams now.’
I sit back in the chair, trying to take it all in. My mind working overtime to find a way to Amala.
‘Bloody hell, how did this happen? How can he have hidden so much? He must have been going into London every day but going to Tower Hamlets. His mum and dad can’t have had any idea. Jeez, no one in his family could have had any clue what was happening. Right under their noses.’
I think about Norton’s question to me this morning. When she asked about friends and family not knowing. Had it been a pointed question?
‘Neil, I am pretty sure they know something we don’t. Mitford brought in a note and gave it to Thompson and Norton. Whatever it said, it either shocked them… or maybe confirmed their fears. What do you think they’re not telling us?’
Neil is biting hard on his lip. ‘Do you think Amala’s already dead?’
I can hear the shakiness in my voice. ‘I don’t know.’
I have to believe she is still alive. I have to believe we can find her. I need to think hard. I need to work at this. I need to work out what Aafa has done.
I voice my fears. ‘Abdul Izz al-Din is an incredibly charismatic speaker. He is good at getting under the skin of kids like Aafa. I guess if you think about it, Aafa has grown up in a pretty liberal household. He has three sisters, all of them well-educated. Only Farah is devout. Amala and Leila are totally Westernised. Amala’s out there on every level. Izz al-Din will know how to twist that. To show that good Muslims, faithful Muslims who have not turned to Western ways are being persecuted. And then you couple that with getting picked on for the colour of your skin, the faith you have. Add in a dose of racism and harassment and there you are. Ripe for the picking.
‘If you are surrounded by clever, articulate and passionate people telling you that the world is flat, or black is white, then eventually you believe it. Once that is in your head it’s a tiny step to believe that anything that gets in the way needs to be destroyed.
Neil has been listening intently. ‘Yeah, I guess you need to know how it feels to be between two worlds and possibly rejected by both. Too Muslim for the cool kids and too Western for the radicals.’
‘That’s what Izz al-Din will be banking on.’
Tuesday 25th May 12.27
MILLIE
Back in the room. The air feels fetid and stale with our lack of progress. Frustration and anger simmering, ready to erupt. Everyone on edge as the clock ticks mercilessly on.
I have spent the last few minutes immersed in the blogs. Neil has been trying to pin down the server. Neither of us is feeling like we are any further forward.
Norton takes control again. ‘Ok, let’s pool what we’ve got. We can assume Aafa is with Amala and we can confirm it’s not in the Izz al-Din safe house we saw this morning. We have drones there now and there are no signs of activity in the house. We are still looking.’
She turns her attention to me. ‘Dr Stephenson, anything else you can tell us from the blogs?’
I summarise the main points around Nusayabah and the new recruit called Emily, who changes her name to Ackwaat, and the mention of today’s date for a special meeting of the women’s group.
‘There is something else, though, something I can’t quite put my finger on and I am going to keep checking. I’m pretty certain something called Touchstone is somehow significant.’
When I mention Touchstone, I make sure to look at Thompson, but he has his head down and is intent on his geometric doodles. I circle it on my notepad.
‘Thank you, Dr Stephenson. I appreciate that for you, and Neil, this is very personal and I am grateful to both of you.’ Norton continues, ‘OK, let’s get everyone on the same page. Dr Ali, anything else you can you tell us?’
‘The women’s group is meeting today so that probably confirms Amala was heading there. Whether she made it to the group, I don’t know. Given the mention of this group is also in Nusayabah’s correspondence with this new recruit, Ackwaat, we have to assume some significance.’
Rehan Ali then looks directly at Dalgleish. ‘There is talk of someone having infiltrated the women’s group at the Education Centre. Someone calling herself Wasiba Hammoud. The talk is that she has been asking a lot of questions, too many questions, and now seems to have gone missing. A number of very committed people would like to find her. It’s making everyone nervous. I am struggling to get anyone to really tell me very much.’
Norton looks pensive and makes a note.
I gape at Rehan Ali. He continues to stare at Alex Dalgleish. She gives absolutely nothing away. Alex Dalgleish, the beautiful and composed olive-skinned woman who had not introduced herself this morning. Definitely not an MI5 pen pusher or an average spook. Neil said she was hard core. Hearing Rehan Ali now, I suspect that until recently, she was deeply embedded in the women’s group and she is Wasiba Hammoud. Clearly Rehan Ali suspects this too. And for some reason she had to get out in a hurry. I wonder why.
Dalgliesh ignores him and instead says, ‘We have strong reason to believe that Umm Umarah have been planning a high-profile hostage-take for some time. We believe the woman calling herself Nusayabah is part of the high command and has set up a splinter group. The equivalent of a Special Forces team. We also believe, based on our own intelligence, that they are in Tower Hamlets. She is good and she is careful. No one from our side has been able to get near her.
‘The noise leading up to today from some significant members of Umm Umarah has increased significantly. As Dr Stephenson said this morning, and I can confirm, they are devout women who see themselves as part of the jihad. Umm Umarah’s strategic commander is Faiza Siddiqui. Iraqi born and widowed about five years ago. She is fiercely intelligent, charismatic and has a loyal following. Her father was a General in Saddam’s army and was placed in Camp Bucca.’
She didn’t have to explain the significance of that.
Dalgleish continues, ‘He died when she was eight. She came to the UK twelve years ago with a specific remit to recruit British women. She lived here for more than six years. She has been incredibly effective. I am guessing she recruited Nusayabah. We still don’t know enough about Nusayabah but what we can tell is she runs a very tight ship. She is technically savvy and likely to be utterly, utterly ruthless. If she has set up a splinter group it will be for a special mission. Not your run-of-the-mill suicide bomber. I have reassigned Toni Roberts to this. She is pulling together everything she can along with GSOC.’
She pauses for a moment, looking over to Neil and me. ‘We should believe if she has Amala Hackeem she will carry out her threats.’
The room is silent for a moment as we take in what she has just said.
Mitford looks at Thompson. ‘Will you excuse me, prime minister, I believe we have some intel coming in and it may be important?’
Thompson nods and Mitford quickly leaves the room, pressing his phone to his ear as he goes. Listening but not speaking.
Thompson says, ‘Ok. Five minutes.’
I feel sick. Everything Dalgleish said fits. A group well-planned, fanatical and willing to die for the cause.
