“About six months before the death of your wife, it seems you stopped being critical of Mr. Mobassar. Can you tell the jury what happened?”
Fatih hesitated at the question, looking down to collect his thoughts. “I sensed that all of the dissension and turmoil was driving my wife away from the faith,” Fatih said. He kept his eyes on Taj Deegan, who had stationed herself next to the jury box.
“I still believed that Khalid was wrong, but I realized that if I continued to fight, I might lose both a friend and my wife. I continued to debate things with Khalid privately, but I chose to cease any public criticism. I prayed instead that Allah would show him the way.”
As Fatih testified, Alex studied the jury and didn’t like what he saw. The whole tenor of the courtroom seemed to be one of empathy and respect. The man certainly didn’t come across as a jihadist who would order an honor killing of his own wife.
“I’d like to turn your attention now to the events surrounding the death of your wife,” Taj Deegan said. She spoke softly, helping to sustain the courtroom mood. “Please tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury how you learned that Ja’dah had converted to the Christian faith.”
For the next several minutes, Fatih talked about the changes he saw in his wife and how he had followed her one Saturday night to Beach Bible Church. He seemed genuinely ashamed of what he had done. When he talked about seeing Ja’dah with Martin Burns, his face reflected the lingering memory of the heartache he had experienced. She had rejected both her husband and her faith, Fatih said, but he still loved her.
One of the reasons he had sought counsel from Khalid was because he hoped Khalid’s more progressive view of the faith might break through his wife’s strong reservations. In Fatih’s mind, he had brought his wife to America in order to help Americans find the Muslim faith. Instead, he felt like the American culture and the Western brand of Christianity had corrupted her.
Taj Deegan had the witness describe in detail his conversation with Khalid and his reaction when he learned that his wife had been beheaded. Fatih spoke in soft and measured tones about learning of his wife’s death and the evidence that pointed to his good friend as the one who ordered her killing. He shed no tears but seemed like a man who was still in shock. If he had broken down and cried during his testimony, it would have come across as phony. But to Alex’s great chagrin, Mahdi’s subdued answers and perplexed demeanor came across as very genuine.
Shannon leaned over to Alex. “He makes a better witness than I thought he would.”
“I know,” Alex whispered back.
Taj Deegan checked her notes to ensure that she hadn’t missed anything. “One last question. There are those who say your brand of the Muslim faith is demeaning to women and fosters honor killings. What do you say to that?”
Fatih Mahdi squared his jaw and looked directly at Taj Deegan. “The great Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, was most respectful to women. True followers of Mohammed would never oppress women and would certainly never sanction something as heinous as honor killings. Only those who falsely claim the name of Allah and distort the Qur’an engage in such things.”
“Thank you,” Taj Deegan said. “I have no further questions.”
“Does defense counsel have any cross-examination?” Judge Rosenthal asked.
“I might have a few questions,” Alex said.
The judge gave Alex a wry smile. “Perhaps before we get started, we should take a ten-minute break.”
86
When Rosenthal gaveled the court back to order, the spectators fell unnaturally still. There was none of the usual whispering or shuffling around. The jury leaned forward, knowing the case could well be decided in the next few hours.
Alex felt his own palms moistening with sweat, his heart hammering against his chest. Breathe deeply; stay calm.
“Good morning, Mr. Mahdi.”
“Good morning.”
The jitters would go away when he drew first blood. Hopefully that wouldn’t take long.
“In your view, America should be governed by Sharia law; isn’t that right?”
Mahdi furrowed his brow. “America has a long tradition based on English common law,” he said. “It would not be practical to suggest that the laws of this country be overhauled to reflect the religious beliefs of a small minority of Muslims.”
“Nice tap dance,” Alex said, “but let’s try it again.”
“Objection!”
“Sustained.”
Alex thought about how to best phrase the question. To him, a sustained objection was never the final word; it was only a suggestion to rephrase. “Isn’t it a goal of the Islamic Brotherhood to have every country where their members reside governed by Sharia law?”
Mahdi appeared to relax, as if he had just discovered the cause of an unfortunate misunderstanding. “Perhaps as an organization, that is one of the Brotherhood’s stated goals. But the Brotherhood is only espousing the belief that the Muslims who live in that country should have their own affairs governed by Sharia law in Sharia courts. And this vision is for sometime in the future, perhaps at a time when many in this country have turned to the Islamic faith and desire to have certain parts of their lives-such as marital disputes or financial disputes with other Muslims-resolved in Sharia courts.”
When Mahdi stopped for a breath, Alex started his next question, but Deegan jumped up to protest. “The witness wasn’t finished,” she said.
“Let the witness finish his answer,” Rosenthal admonished.
Alex waited, frustrated that the judge was interfering with his questioning.
“It’s the same idea the original colonists had in America,” Mahdi continued. “Blue laws. Prayers before legislative sessions. Even the oath most witnesses take before testifying. These are all reflections of the Christian faith. The Brotherhood is just saying that Muslims ought to be able to follow their own faith on certain legal matters. It may, for example, interest you to know that the Archbishop of Canterbury proposed that Britain should consider just such a system.”
“Are you done?” Alex asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. Now let me ask you a yes or no question. Do you personally believe-not the Islamic Brotherhood and not the Archbishop of Canterbury but you, Fatih Mahdi-that America should be governed by Sharia law?”
Fatih shook his head. “At this time, no. Maybe someday-but only for those citizens who desire to be governed by Sharia.”
Not exactly a yes or no. But it was an answer Alex could live with.
He walked back to his counsel table and retrieved a copy of an e-mail that Mahdi had sent to a Chicago-area imam in 2008. Ramona had found it in her review of the mountain of Patriot Act documents produced by the government.
Alex handed a copy to Taj Deegan and had the clerk give a copy to the witness. Mahdi studied the document as if he had never laid eyes on it before.
“What is this document?” Alex asked.
“An e-mail I wrote to a leader of a mosque in Chicago.”
“At the time, the recipient of this e-mail was supporting Khalid’s ideas for reform; is that true?”
Mahdi looked at the document. “Yes.”
“Could you please read the first two sentences in the second paragraph?”
Mahdi mumbled his way through it, a sharp contrast to his clear enunciation of a few minutes ago. “‘It is the duty of every member of the Islamic Brotherhood to be an advocate for Sharia law. Your support for Mr. Mobassar is in direct conflict with that duty.’”
Mahdi looked up when he finished, and Alex let the silence hang there for a moment. “And those were your words, correct?”
“Yes. But that sentence does not imply that we will usher in Sharia law immediately. Like your church, Mr. Madison, our Brotherhood seeks to convert others to our faith. Only among those true converts would it be possible to implement some tenets of Sharia law.”