Bensalem Himmich - My Torturess

Laughter echoed around the hall, and some inaudible questions were asked.

“You’ve all freely posed a number of dreadful resolutions to this matter,” the emcee commented. “I propose to appoint this audience member from the front row to assemble them all in a single opinion. Take the microphone and proceed to announce in all clarity what it is to be.”

This assistant now took the microphone. I immediately recalled that I had met him in the penitents’ wing; I had forgotten him and the fact that he was one of the men who had used my body as a punch ball! However, I did not wish to make my situation even more complicated, so I said nothing about that.

“From what this august assembly has decided,” he said, “I deduce that they wish to elect a commission of upright men. Its task will be to investigate the charge in detail. If they find that the defendant indeed has no testicles, he will stand accused of concealment and lying. If on the other hand the charge is not found to be correct, then the plaintiff will be partially castrated in accordance with the circumstances involved. That’s the way it will be. So be it!”

The emcee now asked if both parties agreed to the proposal. My opponent immediately agreed, but I demurred. Instead, I admitted into the microphone that I was wrong and the person in question merely looked similar. I actually had no doubt that ‘Umar was the person involved, but he now grabbed me by the tie and heaved me across the stage twice, while the emcee kept on yelling that there should be no violence and ordered us both to return to our seats.

“Before you sit down, Oujda man,” he went on delightedly,” kiss this innocent man on the head. In that way we will be purging the atmosphere of all evil, with God’s assistance, breaking the ice, and removing all the nasty disputes between brothers. Now our nonstop soirée will continue. I can communicate to you all the happy news that in a short while our soirée will be honored by the presence of the senior officials at our center, except, that is, for the judge, who has been compelled to travel abroad for some routine medical tests. Now, I want to repeat what I told you all earlier: this stage, this party, with its dance music and musical dance, it’s all part of our motto, our desire to see everyone feeling better. So that’s our slogan. Now let’s give a big hand!”

There were enormous speakers at the top of pillars and corners of the hall, and mechanical applause resonated through the space. The majority of prisoners did not join in until the guards made it clear through their looks and gestures that everyone should participate. I did my part, feeling absolutely delighted that the judge had found it necessary to have a medical checkup. My prayer to God was that the reason was connected to my last interview with him and the way I had pretended to be ill.

“Thanks for that warm and sincere applause,” the emcee resumed. “Now, before anything else, this American expert on Islam wants to share with you, in Arabic, the results of his research and archeological digs. Do you agree? Fine, then I now gratefully present to you Doctor George Levy.”

The man in question who was wearing a civilian suit and bow tie now came forward and positioned himself behind the static microphone.

“Gentlemen,” he said tentatively with a nervous smile, “I’m honored to be able to address you all in your wonderful language, the one in which the Qur’an was revealed. Please forgive me if I make any grammar mistakes or use inappropriate words. To avoid such pitfalls I’m going to rely on the well-known proverb, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ That’s all based, of course, on the sound Islamic doctrine of tolerance, mutual understanding, facilitation, and kindness. You should all be aware that ‘the Kind, the Forgiving, and the Merciful’ are all beautiful names of God! Surely you have all read in the text of the Qur’an where God Almighty says: ‘He has not imposed on you any restriction regarding religion’ [Sura 22, al-Hajj, v. 87], and ‘God wishes ease for you and does not wish hardship’ [Sura 2, al-Baqara, v. 185]. People claim that Islamic fundamentalism in its various guises is the reaction of a wounded creature, but only advocates of extremism, violence, and hatred would want to wound not only themselves but also others, to the point of murder. Islam forbids such behavior and anything else resembling it. Islam is a religion of peace and reconciliation, as the Sufi tendency clearly demonstrates. It’s a religion of compromise, one that encourages harmony and debate over ways to make things better. Muslims follow the better way, albeit based on the Qur’an, which certainly allows for adjustment with the requirements and necessities of the age, from which to reformulate doctrine. Islam is anti-war and anti-weapons, except enough to protect society against internal enemies. It disapproves of weapon ownership, because at base Islam is a faith system that advocates malleability, adaptability, meekness, kindness, and a general inclination toward peace and quiet. I’ll explain this in more detail in my next lecture. Farewell.”

Protests were heard all over the hall, and the speaker was compelled to stop talking and hurry off the stage under a positive hail of shoes. Some of the prisoners were arrested, but one of them managed to elude the guards and, like a genie out of a bottle, made his way to the stage.

“It’s easy to counter this nonsense from the Americans,” he yelled into the microphone. “Just listen to a recent statement I managed to get from my transistor radio before they took it away from me. The prime minister of Israel, Ehud Omert, had this to say: ‘If Hamas does not stop terrorizing our children and old people with its homemade bombs, we’re going to destroy Gaza and leave it a total ruin.’ The two major political parties in America and other groups also have been falling over each other in their rush to declare Israel a strictly Jewish nation, implying the need to strip Palestinians of all their weapons, including religion. The secretary of state, in fact, has spoken in the name of all the groups and on his own behalf. What he has had to say is even worse and more vicious in its intent. Just listen. .”

He was not able to finish his sentence because Nahid Busni approached him on tiptoe and sprayed his eyes with pepper spray, the smell of which spread all around the hall. As she went back to her seat, two guards picked up the speaker, who had fainted, and took him out through an emergency door — all to the accompaniment of protests from the audience.

The soldiers and guards now imposed quiet again, and the emcee returned to the stage, accompanied by a group of men who looked like ascetics and dervishes.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” he said nervously, tapping the floor with his foot. “I said from the start ‘No politics, none!’ Politics tear people apart and sow the seeds of dissent and conflict. Our goal here is to clear the air, break the ice, and remove all the nasty disputes between brothers. Now that I’m feeling a bit calmer, let’s go back to our soirée. As I said before, brothers, our slogan tonight is dance music as a way of feeling better. This is a group that has devoted its talents to a blend of Sufi séance and well-known techno songs. The same thing has happened with jazz and the traditional music of the Gnaoua.* This group’s known by the initials, TTI, Transtechno-International. They’re here to entertain you with some of their works. Anyone who feels moved and transported and wants to join in the dance is welcome to do so. Three, two, one, zero. .”

Ear-splitting music now emerged from the speakers, and the group did a crazy dance in a circle, necks extended, heads and bodies swaying, and eyes closed in the sheer emotional intensity of the moment. Voices competed with each other to shout out phrases, but the only one we could hear was “God is with us, God is alive!” While some people in the audience joined it, others — including myself — did their best to ignore the whole thing by reciting verses from the Qur’an and repeating the beautiful names of God.