Da'ud (Dave) Nazeer
On Wednesday, coroner Peter Wright instructed the jury at the inquest of the death of Jean Charles de Menezesthat they could not return a verdict of unlawful killing.
I do not know the exact details of this case except to say that a man was shot and killed. Whether it was justified or not remains to be seen. But to direct the verdict in this way seems to me to be a violation not only of human rights and of the very legal system, but also of the truth.
What is the point of an inquest if not to determine the truth? If direction is given that any particular possible truth must be discounted – regardless of the facts – then this marks the biggest victory of the terrorist handed to them on a plate by those who should be protecting us.
Shortly after this occurrance, I created a short story based (very very loosely) on this case. It is not indicative of what happened in the case of Jean Charles de Menezesthat, because I do not have those facts. It is, however, a statement of possibility – something that the courts appear to not wish to know about.
This, then, is that story – Da’ud (Dave)
Da'ud (Dave) Nazeer belongs to the following groups:
Short stories - Spherical ScriptingsDa’ud (Dave) Nazeer scribbled in a cheap notepad, his iPod vainly competing with the noise of the bus as it grumbled its way to the station.. “Most people don’t understand the causes of terrorism,” he wrote. “They have it back to front. Terrorism is not a tool of God or religion but rather religion is being used as a tool of terrorism.”
His hand slipped as the bus went over a pothole, but he wrote on urgently. “And they are wrong about stopping it. Tough talk, and special powers breed fear and suspicion which is exactly what the terrorist wants – disruption, distrust and disturbance”.
He turned the iPod volume up to drown out the noise of the bus. He looked briefly at his fellow passengers. A couple were eying him suspiciously – it was probably the beard. He smiled to himself. It was the freedom to be different that he liked most about his this country – his country. The freedom to be yourself – how could you truly be free unless you were free to be yourself?
He kept writing. It had been going through his head since the early hours of the morning. He had been over it a hundred times, and hadn’t slept a wink. The end of terrorism and no one need be hurt. He’d start with his local paper but he wouldn’t stop there. Peace was achievable and it would work. He’d keep writing until they understood.
The bus pulled up at the station. He stood, pushed the notebook into his pocket, and made his way out of the door. A quick glance at the station clock told him what he already knew. Three minutes to nine – if he didn’t hurry, he’d miss his train. Better finish the letter on the train. He hurried into the station.
He weaved in and out of the crowd as he tried to get to the right platform before it was too late. The iPod was having trouble competing with general noise of the station, and the uplift of the Hallelujah chorus brought down by the din of raised voices and train noises. He grasped the iPod tightly and started to run, earphones dangling.
He didn’t see the notepad slip from his pocket as he fell. He didn’t even hear the shots.
“Suspected suicide bomber killed at station” said the headlines.
Matthew Dalton
Lightsmith, I salute you. It’s good to see a talented writer using his gifts with purpose.
I had forgotten this event but your story bought it back to me and now I will be pondering it for some time.
“We have met the enemy and he is us.”
lightsmith replied
Thank you Matthew. In many ways, I felt that this event was an unmarked turning point – and still do. From that time forward we live in a world where we can be killed with no questions asked. Not by criminals or terrorists, but by our own government. With the ruling that ‘unlawful killing’ is not a permitted verdict, this now validates my belief.
Arletta
Very nice (ly written) I demand a bit more, one day, though, just a wee ounce more flesh.
By the way, I completely agree with him. Which is to say, as I have told many other people before, if the persons were actually following their religion by its tenents instead of what other people told them they should be doing, there would be no terrorism, no wars, no poverty (except by choice), no rape, no children molested or beaten – spanked, yes, probably; beaten, never; and the animal would all be taken care of, and if there was slavery (as it is not against most religions) no one would mind it terribly much when it happened to them because it would be an inconvenience not a sentence to being treated brutally and then killed.
The people who do otherwise, often say it is because of this religion or that one, but, anyone who actually read what the religions teach, rather than what scumbags said, would know it is not those religions which are violent and full of lies, nor are their adherents. It’s the word-twisting selfish persons who know how to manipulate and the people who are sheeps begging for the slaughter, rather than sheeps in their masters flock, who are the problem.
lightsmith replied
Atletta, the original of this story – always intended to be a short short – was a couple of paragraphs longer. I was able to dwell more on a few things. But I wanted to submit it for a local (major) newspaper short story competition and it imposed a severe word limit.
So I cut it back to bare bones (keeping, so I thought the feel, the passion, the sadness) and submitted it. They decided that a story on one neighbour getting revenge on another was much better and printed that. The $50 prize money was not missed (I could do with it now LOL) but it did destroy much of my confidence. If I can find the original on my archive disk, I might update it here…...
Bob Fox
Your theme reaches beyond the possible. I know I’ve seen TV footages of a house or car being rocketed by a helicopter along with the report of the killing of suspected terrorists. That was it: the extent of due process was merely being suspected!
I like the way you show strong opinion through the eyes of a credible yet unlikely point of view. I also appreciate the way you juxtaposed logic on one side with fear and danger, and on the other with a charming optimism (and so nicely set the twist)!
I think it was Ezra Pound that stated literature is news worth remembering. I agree with Arletta: this theme is worthy of expansion!