Caliph

Rais & Abdul Aziz

2002

“I will take you to see Sheikh’ Iz,” said Abdul Aziz.

“Sheikh ’Iz?” Rais remembered Sheikh Akbar, who spread extreme teachings the other day.

“Yes, he is a teacher. Let’s go.”

They continued their journey and reached the place where Abdul Aziz was referring to.

Sheikh’ Iz is a moderate man. He is far from Rais’ imagination. His white skin and coke hair were still wet with water when he welcomed Rais and Abdul Aziz.

They entered a house in a garden decorated with trees. Some parts of the house were in a Spanish style, some were in the Mediterranean. A calm atmosphere approached Rais and Abdul Aziz in the sweltering summer in San Diego.

Rais had never been going to the house of a person who is called an “ulama”. Therefore, he did not know what clothes to wear. He only wore clothes that he wore every day.

Someone opened the door.

Abdul Aziz introduced him as Sheikh’ Iz to Rais.

Sheikh Iz’s wife, Lily, is a pretty attractive woman.

She wore a hijab and welcomed her husband’s guests. Then Lily went to the kitchen to prepare a banquet.

“I talk a lot in public. Even so, I rarely talked about the books I wrote. I mentioned only a few. I realized, that after September 11, I had to change my way of speaking a lot. I am against extremism. Some Muslims, our brothers, oppose me. But I’m sure of what I’m fighting for. I speak with my heart.” Said Sheikh’ Iz after some talk.

Rais listened a lot to what Sheikh Iz said. Sheikh’ Iz offered them to visit his madrasa (school).

It’s a spacious building, with typical Arabic decorations.

“Assalamualaikum.” Sheikh ’Iz addressed his students.

“Alaikumsalam.” all the students returned his greetings.

Sheikh’ Iz introduced Rais and Abdul Aziz to his students one by one. Among them, there are doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers, and various other professions.

Although they only had time to come to the madrasa on weekends, they came to study Islam. Sheikh’ Iz never questioned it. Madrasa was not limited to Muslims. Anyone could enter it. That was his attempt to introduce Islam to the outside world, which seems to have distance.

“The need for this activity is very urgent. We must show the true identity of Islam, especially since September 11. Young Muslims must immediately understand that they are now in the spotlight of the world.” Sheikh’ Iz continued.

Lily told Rais that Sheikh’ Iz sometimes held banquets with members of his madrasa. Occasionally they went to Turkish or Arabic restaurants, not infrequently to Pakistani restaurants. At such times the conversation can take place casually. Sheikh’ Iz gave up his attributes as Sheikh, and between them, it seemed as if there was no more distance.

“The terrorists do not represent Islam. If we kill Allah’s creatures without cause, how can Allah love us?” Said Sheikh’ Iz.

Rais observed.

“Muslims can no longer make themselves blindly fanatics. They must put forward logic and rationality, especially to maintain the purity of our teachings.” He continued.

Rais looked at Abdul Aziz. The man smiled meaningfully at him.

Ibn Awwad’s Lecture on Al Qaeda

2003

Brethren, Jews have occupied Palestine for a very long time. Scholars can only be silent because of their fear. They did not have the guts to face pagan Jews. This is what we must eradicate.

Mujahideen must not be afraid. We are fighting to defend the religion of Allah. Heaven awaits us to be the reward. We must build the courage and enthusiasm of the Mujahideen.

Today I know what will be my weapon. People become strong and brave because they are scared.

Ironic, right?

Fear that used to be something to be avoided, today I realize it became a strength.

Many people still avoid fear.

He is considered the main enemy of humanity.

For me, fear is the primary energy of humanity. For fear of poverty, people struggle. People practice self-defense because of their fear of being killed. People are struggling to become leaders because of their fear of being oppressed.

We have some kind of ancient doctrines that humans should not be afraid of. Those doctrines should have been thrown into the trash cans.

Humans must go far from their comfort zones. Humans become developed and advanced really because they have fear. This might sound like a joke to many people. But in due time, people will admit that my thinking is the right one.

I teach my followers to face their fears.

Nevertheless, I kept them from having one fear. It’s the fear of demonic oppression.

I carefully maintained that.

Out of their fear, recognition will arise of themselves. From there, their true potential will be seen. I have also taught some of the people closest to me how to manipulate and manipulate fear.

Terror.

It’s a thing that is very powerful.

Whether I must regret it or not, why didn’t I realize that fear is a mighty weapon since childhood?

Fear is our main strength.

For Allah, we must use it.

Rais, 2004

Rais realized that over a year of the cruel life he had lived had changed him a lot. He grew from an exclusive young genius into a knight of extraordinary physical character. Muscles of his hands, feet, neck, and body developed rapidly. He believed that the time when he was locked up in prison was the time when he turns into a complete human being.

But the place of Ibn Awwad, he realized, was the place to start new changes. He learned various types of strength. Some came from knowledge and physical reliability and also physical endurance that could not be destroyed.

Besides, his thinking ability was also increasing. He found that someone gained a firm conviction from the doctrine they received and gave them the strength to move and fight for their leaders.

His practices, including physical and spiritual, were things he had never experienced before. He slept like all Ibn Awwad’s troops, in a barracks full of decorative calligraphy writing. He was convinced that Ibn Awwad kept much more calligraphy in a place where that person came from.

Mental health, physical as well as intellectual were considered here. The soldiers were taught to sacrifice anything for the sake of religion. Besides, various education to practice patience was also a particular concern.

Ibn Awwad’s barracks itself consisted of many parts. The place where Rais and other troops slept was equipped with life support facilities, including food, kitchen, dining room, and bathroom, along with several other facilities.

The lower part became the central place of their training and education, where Rais first came and met Ibn Awwad on his throne.

There were still some locked rooms. Rais suspected that there were a lot of weapons there.

He once found that workers were carrying large trolleys with boxes marked with the “Danger” sign.

Maybe it’s explosives.

Rais wondered what kind of weapons they were and for what circumstances they would be used.

There was another part found by Rais as a storage warehouse. It’s either storage of groceries or weapons. Besides, there was a mosque which was also a residence for some higher-up level persons.

Rais assumed that Ibn Awwad and Harun Bashar had a room there.

Every day they woke up an hour before dawn. Rais used to walk around to observe the surroundings. Their practice schedule will be started after the dawn prayer was finished, so the hours before dawn was the time when Rais could enjoy the situation.

They did not need to be warned about being late. The soldiers all already had their self-awareness.

Every day they started by running dozens of times around the place, passing through all parts of the building, sometimes with hail, in the cold and windy weather. After that, they had breakfast and got some nutrition. Fruits and vegetables were always there. Herbal teas were also included.

In some kind of circumstances or weather, they did not run in the morning. This situation was used by Rais to learn and explore the thoughts of Ibn Awwad.

He learned how Ibn Awwad ran this place, and also how he ran the supply chain to the remote area where they lived. It was his army that turned out to be doing this.

They were hiking, climbing, and walking through the valley to complete their tasks. Rais joined them to transport the supply chain. He met several villagers and greeted them. Some of them recognized Rais from their first meeting while Rais was searching for Ibn Awwad’s place.

At other times, on warmer days, they grew their vegetables for daily food.

“It’s essential that we produce our food. Thus, we feel that we have a relationship with them, an inner connection not to waste everything we get.” Explained Harun.

Ibn Awwad’s forces were not as thorough as Rais had previously suspected. At first, he thought that they were entirely doctrinal people and shaped to be extremists.

It turned out that they had the rhythm of a highly disciplined warrior life. After the morning run and breakfast, the troops were divided into groups. Each group did its unique training, depending on who the mentor was.

Each mentor practiced different things. Some mentors practiced physical endurance and formed their maturity through dangerous exercises.

There were also psychological, mental, and mental health exercises.

Other mentors taught them about calmness and patience. They also formed their fearless characters.

That will be needed if they were caught and interrogated with torture.

Other mentors taught them about disguising techniques and intelligence infiltration, using the methods carried out by the Nazis in the second world war.

Some of the material taught even came from CIA techniques. One of them was the ability to analyze and observe how to catch someone who hid a bomb in a piece of potato, and also ways to blend into one community.

A Mujahideen must be able to speak Hebrew to infiltrate the Israeli army. He must also master Russian and other languages. Also, he must be able to change his character quickly when he was moving.

Rais, on one occasion, got a part to practice his speed and dexterity. He also learned yoga-like movements and gymnastic exercises. Weapons such as double sticks, swords, machetes, etc., were also included in his training there.

Gradually, his body grew up more and more. His muscles grew and got stronger. He could be aligned with the world’s legendary boxers, of course, with far more complete expertise.

During his year there, all physical training had made him even more invincible. Harun Bashar also gave him an exercise in sharpening the brain by providing questions and puzzles that required creativity to solve.

It also required accuracy so that he trained his views on several things. Some issues that required mathematical expertise were also obtained. He was also ordered to practice fighting in the dark.

Rais realized that he had to continue to study and experienced the learning process, even though all he had learned were things that he already knew. This was important to hone his intuition.

Rais found himself to be the most robust version of his life.

Ibn Awwad’s Lecture on Al Qaeda

2004

Brethren, all Mujahideen will indeed find new things in their lives today, in our place. Of course, they will find that what they are doing here is very different from everything they have ever done.

Mujahideen will indeed find the meaning of the training so far. All the training they go through is to negate self-interest and fight for the people only.

That’s what I did to everyone we recruited, and eventually, they understand their real purpose in life. For a long time that we have struggled, we can see our organization as a unique organization and not imitate others.

We seek the meaning of life so profoundly and build our strength from the strength of faith in each person, both physically and mentally.

Everyone here will explore their potential and increase the strength that comes from their respective potential.

They must overcome their respective weaknesses, and it will be a sign of how excellent their quality is.

It’s because the biggest enemy for everyone is himself. They will become stronger when they overcome their selves.

We are strong because we hold the necks of all leaders in the Middle East. Therefore, nothing can get rid of us. America and Israel will indeed be destroyed.

Besides that, as I said earlier, fear is a potent trigger. It is the last enemy that everyone wants to face, but my troops must deal with it. That is one crucial thing to do, and they must not fail to conquer it.

Rais, 2004

Every day when sunset came, Rais joined his colleagues for dinner. Usually, their menu did not change much daily, but complete nutrition was always available.

Only a few foods containing carbohydrates were no longer provided for dinner. Water for daily consumption was obtained from mountain water sources.

Rais has experienced all the luxury restaurants in the United States, even abroad, but he enjoyed the food here. More because what he got here was a gift from their daily struggle. On the other hand, Rais learned that he must continue to be grateful for everything he got.

Every dining time was always the time after heavy exercise, including running, fighting, and other practices under the hot sunlight and cold mountain valley weather. In addition to strenuous physical training, Rais also learned many things about the organization’s operations.

In terms of funding, it turned out that organizations divided their funds into two parts. They invested one amount in providing returns and profits while using another feature for operational needs. This last part should only be used in really critical situations. Mujahideen, who carried operating money, may not tell other Mujahideen that he brought the money.

Rais also learned about how the organization controls its documents. It’s how they kept a passport so that it was not identified if one of them was caught.

The disguised persons must have more than two false identities, but he can only use one identity at a time, and if he was assigned to a country, he must know the whereabouts of other Mujahideen in that country.

Mujahideen’s photographs in fake identities must be printed without beards to avoid initial suspicion from the examining officer.

If a Mujahideen is married, his wife’s name cannot be entered into a passport. This means that a Mujahideen can only marry illegally.

The mastery of the language of the country whose passport was falsified was trained. This was done to avoid suspicion due to differences in the passport holders’ dialect with the people of the country.

Besides, every Mujahideen also had a pseudonym. These names became the code for them to call each other on each mission. To get used to this nickname, in everyday life, they called each other by their pseudonyms.

There was also training about hiding places. Apartments, basecamp, command centers, or anything else where covert operations against the enemy were being carried out were defined as “Hiding Places”.

If this hideout is located in the city, they will call it “home”, while if it is in a remote area, it is called a “base”. Places in the city are needed to gather information on enemy forces, while sites in the mountains and forests are used to store weapons or execute enemies.

In countries that do not have forests, like Egypt, all operations are carried out in cities. In contrast, mountains and woods such as in Afghanistan became their main base against communists during the Soviet invasion.

They arranged a unique selection of places in the city very neatly. They must be located on the ground floor of apartments to facilitate escape in a situation of urgency or a sudden attack from the enemy. The condo also should not be seen exclusively from the surrounding environment to avoid suspicion.

Apartment rentals must be made using fake identities, and a Mujahideen can only rent one unit in one city.

They have to stay away from apartments close to police stations and government buildings because they will get surveillance.

Preferably rent an apartment in a building that has just been built because users will not know each other. It is not permissible to make fake documents such as diplomas, certificates, etc., to be placed on apartment walls. It can be dangerous for the mission.

At the end of the day, Rais could always fall asleep quickly. It was a perfect sleep because it was still sleeping without any dreams.

He realized that everything he experienced resulted from his training, and he must confess his salute to Ibn Awwad for successfully planning his training correctly.

It was only a short time after he had lived there that Rais had been trained in real warfare. The coach was not someone who had mercy. Even the punishment for every mistake will be done without understanding. He was a person called the Commander of the Mujahideen War.

Rais also made some mistakes, and he got his sentence. Even though he was wearing complete armor, the sentence still felt hard against his body, but his opponent was far more robust in reality.

Nevertheless, as a result of these harsh punishments, he managed to surpass his coach within a few months, although at the beginning of the fight, he often made mistakes due to carelessness.

But Rais learned.

That is what distinguished him from others.

For a long time, he had experienced extreme physical forging and torture. All the compulsion to defend him until his breath runs out had passed.

He felt his adrenaline was triggered every time he went through it all. At the end of his limit, the commander could see that Rais had exerted all his abilities, then stopped the fight. After that, Rais was attacked again.

Rais realized that all of this was forging to make him stronger. Therefore, he was happy and eager to follow everything. Not infrequently, he asked for additional training. It made the commander conclude that Rais was indeed the right person.

Ibn Awwad’s Lecture on Al Qaeda

2004

Brethren, from years gone by, I have found myself experiencing a physical setback. This is none other, certainly because my age is no longer young. I was mistaken to think that my power was forever. Even so, I’m not disappointed.

Today I have my mujahideen troops who also will be my successors.

Every day they never stop to amaze me. They are the best of the best I have ever gotten. It seems like they have no power limit.

At first, I thought that I should protect myself from false hopes. I don’t want to be disappointed as I’ve experienced it with several people. With my army now, I’m sure I won’t get it again. No one I’ve met can match all their advantages and potential. They are the exception to most people.

If only I had found people like them, then I would have lived more comfortably without worry. So far, only the current generation could give me comfort today. They will prove my hope in the not-too-distant future.

Maybe some of them have been someone who disappointed in their selves in the past. But that was only their past. I believe in them, and I’m sure they will face all the challenges that will challenge them in the future. They will not fail, and I’m sure of that.

Rais, 2004

Rais was wondering about the origin of Ibn Awwad. That man only occasionally appeared. Rais was not even sure whether Ibn Awwad lived in his place of training or not. Sometimes Ibn Awwad seemed and watched his troops’ training. He kept doing so without reacting. He also rarely spoke or made unnecessary sounds, but his presence was real.

Like this morning, Ibn Awwad watched Rais practicing in full clothes. Rais was facing his senior. Someone called Rais and broke his concentration. Immediately after his attention dispersed, his opponents also beat Rais all out.

Rais was down.

At first, Rais thought that the one who called him was Ibn Awwad, but he immediately dismissed the thought.

It was the voice of Harun Bashar.

After he found the source of the sound, Rais also found that Ibn Awwad was gone.

Harun Bashar came to him.

“You are not a mujahideen yet.” Harun told Rais.

“Start again!” Ordered Harun.

So Rais began to attack his opponent. They beat each other, kicked, restrained, and defended, and Harun watched their fight.

They trained so intensively that Harun was involved in the fierce battle.

Their agenda was also including espionage exercises, especially about the ability to keep secrets. No family or close associate should know the secrets of the movement. The mission carried out by a Mujahideen must not be leaked to anyone.

The Mujahideen were taught about a German spy’s experience in the second world war who lived alone with his sister. The spy’s friend wrote a letter to his sister and found that the sister knew about its secret mission. This caused some German secrets to fall into British hands.

They also received an explanation that espionage activities had been carried out by Umar Bin Khattab. Umar Bin Khattab taught that if a Mujahideen landed in an enemy area, the Mujahideen had to spy on the enemy.

Rais himself had forgotten exactly when he joined this place.

More than a year had passed without being noticed. The weather changed, including the color of the plants around them, as time passed.

It was only after practicing that he realized that he had long neglected time. He counted the time he spent in this place. He wanted to deny it, but in reality, he did feel happy to be here. Rais almost forgot about his old life, about New York, about the Hoetomo Group, about their luxurious offices.

Even about Malikha.

How’s Malikha’s hair color?

How’s her face right now?

How did ordinary people welcome Rais?

What did he usually do before bedtime?

Rais could barely remember even though he actually can, but honestly, the atmosphere in this place was effortless to make him forget anything from his life in the past.

Perhaps this was what caused people to become extremists. It’s because they forgot about their life in the past. Even so, Rais occasionally thought of the life he was leaving behind.

He had learned hundreds of lessons here. Even Rais himself could not count them. All tasks and punishments seemed to be no joke, but they were also not made up. What they experienced was to make themselves better persons.

Even so, Rais didn’t know the names of the people who were there one by one. He only knew some people have trained with him. Some of them had never interacted at all. Here, their name seems unimportant.

The most important was the standard doctrine and togetherness.

Their togetherness as mujahideen candidates.

There were no permanent participants here. Some people had left and were replaced by new people. People who had left had received clear and detailed instructions, perhaps to terrorize a place.

People who came will be trained from the beginning, like Rais.

It’s only Rais who got a particular assignment.

Soon, he will be assigned to Yemen. Harun told him that he would give Rais an assignment there.

Rais didn’t ask about the mission.

He was grateful that he could learn more about what was happening elsewhere.