Randy Singer - Fatal Convictions

Alex quickly explained about the automobile accident and the residual problems that Ghaniyah was having.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sanderson offered. When Khalid returned, Sanderson told him that he hoped Ghaniyah would make a full recovery.

“Thank you,” Khalid said.

“I think I had just asked about the Qur’an,” Brown reminded him, “and whether it supports honor killings.”

Khalid gathered his thoughts. “Murderers and terrorists use the Qur’an to justify all sorts of conduct, but honor killings are not sanctioned by the Qur’an or any of the hadiths. The prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, said that we should treat our women with respect and kindness.”

Brown checked her notes. “Didn’t the prophet Mohammed, in the hadiths, say to women, ‘I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you’? Didn’t he say that the majority of hell’s inhabitants were women?”

Khalid inched forward on the couch. The questions plainly agitated him. “Those quotes are taken out of context. Before Islam, Arabic women had no right to own property, get an education, divorce, or even be protected from the brutality of their husbands. Islam changed all of that. Mohammed himself affirmed that men and women have equal duties and responsibilities in serving Allah. ‘I will not suffer to be lost the work of any of you whether male or female. You proceed one from another.’ Those are the words of Mohammed in Sura 3 of the Qur’an.”

Detective Brown paused a moment before continuing. “Did you ever talk to Fatih about the concept of an honor killing?”

“Never,” Khalid said before Alex could tell him not to answer.

“Do you think Fatih is capable of such a thing?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

Brown gave him a skeptical look and changed gears. “Have you ever been to Sandbridge?”

“No,” Khalid said, his voice tentative.

“Have you ever rented a house in Sandbridge or considered renting a house in Sandbridge?”

“No.”

“Did you have anything to do with the disappearance of Ja’dah Mahdi?”

“No. Of course not.”

“Do you have any idea where she might be?”

To this question, Alex detected the slightest bit of hesitation. “No.”

“Are you willing to take a polygraph exam if we think it might be helpful?”

Alex didn’t give his client a chance to answer that one. “No, he’s not.”

The media soon caught wind of the story, and Alex followed the developments on the local news channels. At 4:00, Alex watched Virginia Beach Police Chief Moses Stargell appear before a bank of microphones for a hastily called press conference. The chief was a big bear of a man, universally admired for his quick wit and street savvy. Today, he looked uncharacteristically glum.

The chief reported the following facts: Ja’dah Mahdi had not been heard from or seen since she left her home at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday. Using phone records and cell tower information, the police had determined that Ja’dah had sent text messages from the Sandbridge area late Saturday evening. Ja’dah had no apparent connections with Sandbridge-no friends or acquaintances who lived there.

The police were combing the area for signs of Mrs. Mahdi. The chief described her car, gave her license-plate number, and displayed a recent photograph along with information about whom to contact with any leads.

The reporters started firing questions, but the chief spoke over them. A white male named Martin Burns was also missing. His absence had first been noticed when he failed to show up for work on Monday morning. The chief displayed his picture and said there was no information about his last known whereabouts.

By early evening, the local stations had begun piecing it together. Unnamed members of a Virginia Beach church said that Ja’dah Mahdi and Martin Burns were part of a group of friends who attended Saturday night church services together. There were rumors that Ja’dah had converted to Christianity. Channel 13 ran an interview with her husband, Fatih Mahdi, who pleaded with Ja’dah, if she was listening, to come home. Various reports implied that Ja’dah had run away, perhaps because she feared reprisals from the Muslim community. Some speculated about the nature of a possible relationship between Ja’dah Mahdi and Martin Burns, but fellow church members dismissed such claims, saying the two were merely friends, part of a larger circle who met together following the church services.

By eleven o’clock, the story was picking up steam on national cable channels. There was video footage of search teams at Sandbridge and snippets of an interview with a square-jawed Fatih Mahdi, his lips trembling as he looked into the camera and asked Ja’dah to at least call and let him know if she was okay.

Alex flipped from one channel to the next, until one newscast nearly jolted him out of his chair. The CNN host was teasing a segment that would air after the break, promising exclusive interviews with the two men who found themselves at the center of the storm-the young pastor of the church attended by Martin Burns and “a prominent imam who leads the Norfolk mosque attended by Ja’dah Mahdi.” The host paused momentarily for effect. “I think you’ll find their perspectives very interesting.”

Alex couldn’t believe what he had just seen. Khalid wouldn’t talk to the press without calling Alex. Would he?

The interview with the pastor added nothing new. Khalid was a different story. It looked like they had placed a backdrop in Khalid’s living room and filmed him there. The cameraperson had used an unflattering angle that somehow accentuated the coarseness of Khalid’s skin, his black beard, and the dark circles under his eyes.

The reporter started with some questions about Ja’dah’s rumored conversion to Christianity. Had Khalid heard about this? Could he confirm or deny it?

Khalid looked stiff and nervous. “Ja’dah was faithful at the mosque and a good Muslim,” he said.

“Did she ever express any doubts about the Islamic faith?”

Khalid shook his head. “I am not at liberty to talk about counseling situations with a member of my mosque.”

“There has been some speculation that perhaps Ms. Mahdi converted to Christianity and thought she was in danger. Would you care to comment on that?”

“In our mosque, she would have nothing to fear,” Khalid said. “Whatever faith she chose to follow, she would always be treated with kindness and respect.”

The reporter looked unconvinced. “There are those who say the Islamic Learning Center has ties with Hezbollah. I think it’s only fair to give you a chance to address those allegations.”

Fair? Alex wanted to shout. Ambushing the imam on the air with a question like that is fair?

Khalid bristled at the question. “We have no ties with Hezbollah,” he insisted. “We are just people of faith, trying to coexist in this country.”

“Khalid Mobassar,” the reporter said, “lead imam at the Islamic Learning Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Thank you for being with us.”

“You are welcome,” Khalid responded, his face still tight with anxiety.

When the show segued back to the studios, Alex dialed his client.

There would be no more interviews.

If Alex thought the furor would die down on Tuesday, he was badly mistaken. Commentators speculated endlessly about honor killings and whether women who converted from Islam faced danger. That question focused the attention on Ja’dah’s husband-Fatih Mahdi-and the mosque that he attended.

By early afternoon, cable shows were reporting links between the Islamic Learning Center and Hezbollah. Unnamed sources confirmed that the mosque, which cost an estimated $13 million to build, had been indirectly funded with Hezbollah money.