86
CAIRO TO DAMASCUS
Mohammed said. "Visit me, and my men will teach you to
kill."
"You will be afraid to go," the police lieutenant put in.
"You will have fear of the Jews."
"I have no fears," I said. "I have faith, just as you have
faith in Allah. With Allah at my side I have passed many dangers. Soon I shall leave with many volunteer fighters for the
Jehad in Palestine. I shall stay until all Palestine is liberated
from the Zionist Jews."
"Those are beautiful words," the sheikh said, after they had
been translated loudly not only to him but to the entire grim
audience about me.
"I fear but one thing," I went on, pressing my advantage,
"to do evil against my fellow man—to steal, to lie, to cheat.
These I will not do, for I believe them to be sinful in the
sight of Allah, and an invitation for just retribution upon my
head. To do good to my brother and expose the evil in man
—those are my missions in life."
"Those are the very words of the Koran." The lieutenant
looked at me entranced. My effusions were duly translated,
to the grunting satisfaction of those present, as indicated by
repeated murmurs of "Allah! Allah!" I had told the lieutenant
I was a writer of books. He asked me what kind of books.
"Political books against the Jew," I said. This also he
hastened to translate.
"I shall be honored to have a copy," he said. "I am a very
deep Moslem. I believe very deeply in the Koran."
"I shall send you a copy of my next book," I said. "I will
write of the virile qualities of the Arab, the justness of his
cause, his manliness in battle." I did not hesitate to be lavish:
this was no time or place to be subtle.
"Hallet el-baraka. Hallet el-baraka! the police lieutenant said
over and over. "What a blessing from Allah. The blessing has
truly descended!"
"El-baraka aleikum," I responded, raising my eyes to heaven.
"The blessing be on you." I was learning Arab ways.