Puzzle by Nora Phoenix
13
“Amzi, thanks for stopping by.” Calix gestured at the sitting area in his office. “How are things?”
He figured they’d do a bit of professional talk before he’d break the big news to him. News that he had no idea how Amzi would react to.
“Good. The talks we’ve had so far with Islamic scholars and imams have been well received, both by them and by the broader community/” Amzi sat down. “In fact, multiple leaders have contacted me to express their interest in talking to us.”
“What kind of leaders?”
“Youth workers, cultural workers, community activists… It’s a broad spectrum, but they all have in common that they want to share their ideas on helping Islamic youth integrate better into American society.”
“That’s great news.” Calix winced. “I’m not sure how many more appointments I can add to my schedule, though.”
“I suspected as much, so I wanted to suggest we set up a task force. Create a bigger group of people to have these dialogues and gather ideas, then come up with a plan to present to the president.”
As much as Calix liked this idea, he needed to tell Amzi the news first. “Before we get into the details of that, let me catch you up on an important development first. One that will impact not only your plans but the Muslim community as a whole.”
“Oh?” Amzi’s eyes widened for a moment, but then they clouded with fear. “Please don’t tell me it’s bad news.”
“Bad? No. Unexpected, I would say.” Calix took a deep breath. “I’ll share a few more details in a moment, but the bottom line is that Al Saalihin didn’t initiate the Pride Bombing or the assassination. Someone else hired them. A domestic group.”
Amzi paled, his jaw dropping open. “Did you say domestic? Islamic fundamentalist domestic?”
“No. Right-wing nationalist terrorist.”
Amzi opened and closed his mouth like a fish on land and stared at Calix as if he’d grown wings. “Americans were behind this?”
Calix slowly nodded. “Yes, born and raised white Americans. This was domestic terrorism, coordinated from the US but executed by a group pretending to be Muslim fundamentalist but is, in reality, a terrorist group for hire. Hamza Bashir is a ruthless mercenary who used genuine Muslim young men and deceived them into believing he was fighting for their cause, an Islamic state in Kashmir.”
Amzi leaned back in his chair, hiding his face in his hands. “Excuse me,” he stammered. “I need… I need a moment.”
“Take your time,” Calix said kindly. “I can’t even imagine all the emotions you must be feeling.”
When Amzi finally looked up, his eyes were misty. “I don’t know what to say. I’m profoundly relieved this wasn’t the work of a true Islamic terrorist group, but the truth is…just as troublesome, if not more. Since when do we have terrorist groups for hire? Where is Hamza Bashir even from?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t share much more with you at this time, but I can tell you he’s doing it purely for the money.”
“Can you tell me anything about the domestic terrorists?”
“No, sorry, but religion plays no role here…and from what we have discovered, neither did the LGBT+ factor.”
Amzi raised his eyebrows. “They didn’t choose the Pride Parade on purpose?”
“We think they chose it because it’s a big event with the potential for a high casualty count…and because they figured it would be a target that would sell the message of this being an Islamic terrorist attack.”
Amzi ran his hands through his hair, his posture slumping. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“We’re all right there with you, though for you, it would be even harder, as you’re Muslim yourself.”
“I’m going to need some time to process this.”
“Keep in mind this is classified information. I only told you because with your project in the Muslim community, you needed to know. The president and I would love to hear your thoughts on how you expect the community will react when this becomes public. Not immediately.” Calix held up his hand when Amzi opened his mouth to react. “Take your time. I understand this is a shock.”
“Good. Because right now, I have no clue. No clue at all. Hell, I don’t even know what I’m feeling myself. Relief, sure, but also…disappointment? Anger that they used the concept of an Islamic terrorist group, thus fueling Islamophobia and hate against Muslims throughout the world and that the only reason they did that was money.”
Calix sighed. “Wait until you find out what the motive of the domestic group was… It’s all so awful and horrific, and it has definitely impacted my trust in people.”
They sat for a while in silence, emotions still flashing over Amzi’s face. “How long until this news will break?” he finally asked.
“We don’t know for certain, but a few weeks at the most. The investigation is making significant progress now.”
“Okay.” Amzi rubbed his temples. “Let me get back to you on my thoughts on how the Muslim community will react, okay?”
“Sure. In the meantime, let’s talk about your idea for a task force. I like it, and I think the president will too. Once this is over, building better relationships with the Islamic community will have to become a priority. The incidents against Muslims have decreased, thank god, but a lot of work remains to be done.”
“You’re right, the numbers are going down, but minor incidents occur every day, spread across the country. When 60 Minutes did a piece on Syrian refugees a month ago, we saw an uptick in aggression aimed at Muslims. So it’s still brewing, and one little spark can create a new combustion, but for now, the situation is steady.”
Calix scribbled down Amzi’s comment on the effects of that broadcast. That was the kind of stuff Del was always interested in. “Any other updates?”
“The good news is that I’m getting signals from within the community that they want a solution for men like Abdullah Shahin, that fundamentalist imam in New Jersey. His fan base is mostly outside the US. Domestically, his support is limited to his fellow hard-liners and, sadly, young people. The latter is worrisome and not just to us. Multiple leaders have told me they’re open to any ideas to fight this risk for radicalization.”
“Talk to me about Shahin. What is he teaching?”
“He’s extreme in his views, way beyond conservative. Take women, for example. Islam teaches women should be respected, but he regards them as babymakers who should have no voice at all. His view is basically that a wife is her husband’s property and he can do to her as he wishes. He disses other religions, like Christianity and Judaism, which he openly and fervently hates. He supports fatwas and has expressed his wish that certain penal codes would be reinstated. Think stonings and amputations, along those lines. When the Arab Spring hit in 2011, he was in favor of a harsh crushing of the protests. Much more problematic is that he publicly denies Muslims were behind 9/11, and instead blames the Jews, but privately, he expresses his support for ISIS, urging young men to join this terrorist organization. So far, six Americans who traveled to Syria to join ISIS have been traced back to his influence.”
Calix whistled between his teeth. “That’s quite the résumé.”
“And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The FBI has an entire file on him, which I only know the highlights of. I think it may be time to pursue legal options against him before he spreads even more hate. It would also send a powerful signal to the community, both his supporters and those who want to see his influence curtailed.”
Calix made another note. “Why don’t you reach out to the FBI and the AG’s office and take their temperature on where they stand on this? Then I can take it to the president.”
“Will do.”
“Anything else?”
Amzi shifted in his seat. “One more thing. I’ve been asked to represent the White House at an interfaith symposium on LGBT+ issues in religion.”
“I know. I suggested they approach you.”
“Calix…” Amzi pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t do it.”
Calix frowned. “Why not?”
Amzi worked for the queerest White House in history. Certainly, he couldn’t have an issue with this topic.
“I’m… I’m not ready for this yet, not for a public event like this.”
Calix’s fusion grew. “What do you mean? I’ve heard you speak in public with great confidence…and for a much larger audience than this will be.”
“I know, but it wasn’t about a similar topic. This is… It hits too close to home for me.” He took a deep breath, and then it hit. Calix knew where this was going, and he held up a hand.
“You don’t owe me anything more.”
“It’s okay. I’m gay, Calix. I’ve known for a while now, but I’m not out. I can’t be. Even more liberal interpretations of Islam still preach against homosexuality. Their opinion is that people who identify as homosexual should live a life in celibacy and submit to conversion therapy. The idea of losing my family, the support of my Muslim friends… It's too much, too high a price.”
Calix leaned forward and put a hand on his arm. “Thank you for trusting me with this. I understand.”
“It would be impossible for me to stand there and speak with the required and expected objectiveness and distance about that topic. I wrestle with this so much that it would feel disingenuous to keep up a front and pretend it’s a theoretical debate for me.”
“I get that, and it speaks to your character. And, Amzi, if you ever need a listening ear, I’m here. Off the record, outside our work relationship. Just from one gay man to another, someone supportive you can talk to and who will listen.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that a lot.”
Calix pulled his hand back and sent him a warm smile. “My pleasure. And I’ll find someone else for that conference, no worries.”
After Amzi had left, Calix sat by himself. He always tried not to speculate about people’s sexual identity, but with Amzi, he’d never even picked up on the slightest hint that the man wasn’t straight. What a struggle and a burden it had to be to suppress his true identity and present himself as straight. For Calix, who had been out since he’d been a teenager, it was impossible to imagine. Hopefully, one day, things would change for Amzi so he could be himself as well and live free. Wasn’t that one of the major goals of their administration anyway? One day.
