The fictional memoir of an Al-Qaeda fighter, detailing his personal involvement in a Jihad, holy war, against the western powers. From the hell of Soviet-occupied Afghanistan to the planning of 9/11 and a revolution in Saudi Arabia, this is a tale of war, terror and obsession. The story is told in 2007, as the narrator remembers his 20 years of conflict.
Osama bin Laden is involved throughout the story and, while the period from mid-2003 to 2007 is entirely speculative, chapters detailing the formation and development of Al-Qaeda are accurate and based on extensive research.
This draft of the book was completed in 2003. I am currently revising and improving the story for print publication.
Excerpt:
My name is Muhammad. I smell my martyrdom. An American bullet is lodged in my back and I have no hope of treatment. Though my wound is severe and I am in pain, I am happy. I leave a world in chaos. My work here is done. As I remember my life, I am proud of my deeds. I have helped to kill millions, but I know that the One True God will welcome me into heaven, as I have spilt blood only in His Name. I am a soldier of Allah and a compatriot of the Martyr Osama bin Laden, may God bless him. I have fought a war of justice over evil and victory is at hand. I will go to heaven soon, in glory, to meet my friend Osama, where we will spend an infinity in peace and happiness with Allah. Judgment is at hand for the Christians and the Jews. Allah is most vengeful and He will make the ground shake beneath the Crusaders' feet. With my friend and brother, and thousands more brothers, I have helped to propagate a Jihad around the globe. Only now do the true believers see that victory in Allah's name is not just possible, but it is our destiny. I had little choice in my life of Jihad. The Holy Qur’an teaches all Muslims that their religion must be defended against the infidels and disbelievers. It was this core belief that led me to Afghanistan 20 years ago, where I first met Osama. Then my destiny was set for me.
Osama and I will be remembered in history as the holy warriors who tore down the Twin Towers of capitalism and Christianity. We will always be spoken of by believers as the warriors of Allah who exploded an atomic bomb in Washington, the den of the imperialist snakes. I am proud, but I am also sad. I have only yesterday buried Osama under rocks, here in a cave in the Nubian Desert. His burial mound lies beside me now. I cried many tears for that glorious son of Islam.
The infidels are drawing closer to my position, but it is too late for them now. I have fought against the enemies of Islam for most of my life. There were many battlefields in the Holy War against the Christians and the Jews, but I did not think it would end here for me. There are many thousands more who will take my place. We will never lose, because Allah is with us and Allah is the Most Great.
My life has been shaped by war and conflict this past 20 years. For two decades I have fought bravely with my brother martyr, Osama. First the Russians felt the might of our Muslim anger in Afghanistan. Then we might have quietly faded away, but the Saud ruling family made its infamous mistake. In seeking protection from Saddam Hussein, they invited the American military into the birthplace of the Prophet and lit the fuse that has destroyed the old ways. As the American military flooded into Saudi Arabia, the Land of the Two Holy Places, we returned to Afghanistan and began training the thousands of Muslim warriors who fought the campaigns to liberate Islam in Bosnia, Chechnya, Algeria, Palestine, Iraq and many other bloody places. Those same battle-hardened warriors liberated the Land of the Two Holy Places.
The glorious martyrdom attacks of the Day of Vengeance on September 11, 2001 were followed by many more hammer blows against our enemies. Washington has since been destroyed and the Crusaders feel panic and confusion. Our inspired leader is dead; but he died in glory as a martyr. I will pass the hours until dawn by recounting my experiences, in the hope that they will inspire the next generation of martyrs. Allahu-Akbar. Allah is the most great. The Glorious Qur'an gives me comfort as I remember my life.
In the morning, my phone will have access to a satellite, through which I can tell my Al-Qaeda brothers of our glorious leader’s martyrdom. But I am unsure of their reaction to this terrible news. I don’t know if this secret should die with me. Allah will surely give me guidance as I ponder this most grave decision. Is this really the end for me? Life is for Allah alone. First, let me tell you how I came to lie dying in this Egyptian cave, with the body of my dear friend beside me.
