“Crushed! Tortured to death, more likely,” Roger Maddock added.
Ambassador Mintab paused to allow the murmur that buzzed through the crowd to fade.
Satisfied, he continued. “The Arab countries of North Africa and the Middle East have been treated as Third World nations in the eyes of the West. And have been since the collapse of the corrupt Ottoman Empire.
For many reasons our economic growth has been slow in comparison with the industrialized nations of the West. We have had little influence on Western culture and world events. Even though the Islamic religion is larger than Christianity, it has always been misrepresented as a militant religion of intolerance with radical, inflexible ideas.”
He looked up from his notes to find that he held the attention of his audience. Good.
“The Jewish stranglehold on the financial capitals of the world coupled with their adept manipulation of political opinions and policies must be admired. The Arab world, with so much more economic clout, has never been able to match the astute wiliness of our Semitic brothers in controlling the West. The Jews have kept moderate Arab views from being objectively considered in every venue and in every forum.
Never has the Arab world been permitted to have a moderate voice in politics on the world stage.
“Today, the Arab world stands on the threshold of renewed greatness. A threshold to where the Jewish problem that threatens a free world can be met. A threshold where moderate perspectives can be expressed objectively and considered with thoughtful analysis before unilateral decisions are made that adversely affect over one quarter of the world’s population.”
Ambassador Mintab’s spirit bubbled when he noticed the Israeli ambassador engaged in a hand-waving, dynamic conference with his assistants at the Israeli cubicle. He paused unintentionally.
Realizing he was staring, he looked down momentarily to force his eyes away from the Israelis and to give himself a couple of seconds to regain his momentum. He shuffled the notes in front of him for a moment. This address was more important than enjoying their discomfort.
Mintab looked up. “Because of the intransigence by the Israelis, there are more Arabs today as refugees than any other ethnic group in the history of mankind. We have Islamic babies and children living in squalor while their parents beg and dig through garbage to keep their families alive. The Arab and Islamic world have a refugee problem that is now generations old because no humanitarian country has stepped forward and said, “We’ll take them.” Even our own Arab countries have refused to step forward.
“We are committed to changing that. The Arab world has been remiss in meeting its Islamic duty of charity by failing to give these refugees an opportunity for a full life. Just as we have failed to help them regain their homeland, so have we failed to resolve their misery. The children of Allah must have the opportunity to grow and mature in a stable environment. An environment where they may study the lessons of Mohammed and strive toward their righteous destiny.
“The Arab and Islamic nations have a duty to continuously review their moral obligations as well as their laws and politics to ensure that as the world changes, their governments evolve accordingly. For that reason, we are forming an Islamic Republic to meet those moral obligations. This new Islamic Republic will be built on an architecture that guarantees individual freedoms within a framework of religious and traditional social precepts.
“That is our responsibility, just as it is the responsibility of every true Moslem. Today, I have the honor of presenting to you, the nations of the world, a decision taken by Arab and Islamic leaders that will have far-reaching impact on Moslems everywhere. It will impact the world, as you will see,” Mintab emphasized. He paused, wanting the anticipation to grow.
He was pleasantly surprised to discover that he had captivated the audience. He knew he was not a skillful speaker. Only a few quiet conversations continued in the audience, with the Israelis being the most noticeable.
Another sip of water, a deep breath, and he continued. “I ask for the ambassador from Morocco, the ambassador from Tunisia, the ambassador from Libya, and the ambassador from Egypt to join me on the podium.”
The low background murmur increased in intensity as those named turned the nameplates of their countries facedown and marched proudly to the podium.
The phone on Alex Cannets’s desk blinked. He picked it up. What did the turning down of the nameplates mean? He racked his mind, trying to determine the reason.
“Alex, what’s going on?” President Crawford asked.
“I don’t know, sir, probably Arab posturing. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“When they’re done, I want your opinion.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied as the phone clicked off.
When the four other representatives reached the podium, Ambassador Mintab shook hands with each. They stood side by side behind the lectern as the Algerian ambassador returned to the microphone.
He tapped the microphone lightly. The noise in the gallery tapered off and stopped as he cleared his throat. Now the finale — the crowd-pleaser.
“My fellow United Nations brothers and sisters. As of this time today, the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt cease to exist as independent countries. As of today we are the Islamic Republic of North Africa and Barbary.” He paused to permit the import of his words to sink in.
The noise level in the chambers rose to a crescendo before Mintab raised his hands for quiet. He felt his eyes watering. A minute later the hubbub subdued sufficiently.
He cleared his throat and continued. “We have asked Sudan to join our republic, and expect it to accept within the next two weeks, and there is a strong probability that Somalia may follow.”
At the Sudanese table the ambassador stood and shouted, “Never! Sudan is independent and will remain so.” But without the speakers to carry his voice, only the nearby representatives heard him. The Somalia cubicle was empty, as it had been for years.
“For the near term,” Mintab replied. Sudan had little support from the West; therefore it had little choice in what its neighbors decided. “I will be turning over my role as the United Nations ambassador for our new nation in the next few days. Those behind me will serve as deputies to whomever we desinate as my relief. We will build a capital for our new nation near the ancient site of Carthage in what was Tunisia. As we consolidate our position to firm up a central government necessary to support this New World Order, we ask for your indulgence and patience. As the United States discovered over two centuries ago after its revolution, a new birth requires patience and wisdom. Many will find this incredulous, but we intend to model our new nation along the lines of the United States of America. I will address this later.”
Isolated applause, mixed with shouts from Third World representatives, greeted his comments. He held his hands up. Several seconds passed before the cheering stopped.
“Let me tell you some of the things we will do now. Effective immediately, the Islamic Republic of North Africa and Barbary will accept any Arab refugee as a citizen, wherever they may be or however they may come. The way to greatness is through Islam. Our country will accept all true followers of the Islamic religion. The Islamic Republic of North Africa and Barbary will be an Arab home where any Moslem or Arab can come and live as citizens in search of their own destiny. It will be a bright beacon of righteousness for the world.