The Imam listened patiently and said "You have a very selective memory. You forgot to mention the military and political support that Israel gave the corrupt and illegitimate regime of the Shah. You neglected to mention that the CIA and Israelis trained the feared and hated Savak — the domestic security service that was feared by every decent Iranian for decades."
Johnny was taken aback but this statement and said "The Shah was the legal ruler of Iran and as far as I know made great efforts to develop Iran and implement democratic institutions…"
He was cut short by the Imam whose outburst surprised the two Israelis "Nonsense, the Shah was a tyrant who usurped power with the help of the CIA and British Secret Service". Johnny tried to intervene but the Imam continued "The people had voted democratically to elect Mohammad Mossadegh as Prime Minister in 1951 on the basis of his promise to nationalize the oil fields. He intended to give Iran and its people their just share of the proceeds from our natural resource and to put an end to control of the Iranian oil industry by Anglo-Persian Oil Company. They exploited not only our God given treasure but also our people that were employed at less than minimal wages in the oil fields and refineries while their British bosses were handsomely paid. He also started to introduce social and political reforms for the benefit of the common people. The British regarded this as an affront to their international interests and managed to persuade the Americans that Mussadegh was a communist — a word that to the CIA was like a red rag waved in front of a raging bull. A coup was organized by the CIA and MI6 and executed by an Iranian renegade general. When the coup started the coward Shah tried to escape from the country but the senior CIA agent, Kermit Roosevelt who was a nephew of President Roosevelt, forced him to return to his palace. Since that coup the Shah had ruled Iran with an iron fist with the help of the American bayonets and the terror instigated by the Savak secret police."
Johnny asked "I have never heard of this. What happened to Mussadegh?"
After his outburst the Imam cooled down a little and said "He was placed under house arrest until his death three years later. The Shah made sure that he was buried quietly in his hometown. Maybe now you understand why Iranians have such a strong hatred for anyone who supported the Shah. We regard the United States as the Great Satan because of that and Israel as the Little Satan. You may not know that we used to call the Soviet Union the Lesser Satan because of its atheism, but now we don't regard Russia as such because it has come to our assistance several times and denounced the atheistic communism."
Johnny looked at Oded for silent approval and asked "What do you want?"
The Imam smiled and said "You'll be taken to Evin Prison and join your compatriots who are there. You will receive humane treatment as we want you as human bargaining chips. However, if your government rejects our demands and threatens to take military action against our people or our country you will be transferred to other places and used as human shields." He then called the guard and told him to escort the hostages to Evin Prison.
After they left the Imam smiled to himself and was content to know that his grand plan had taken another small step to being implemented. He knew that the Israeli government, media and people could not ignore the disappearance of a Member of the Knesset and that public pressure would surely intensify driving the government to open negotiations with Iran. He was also pleased that the abduction of Johnny and Oded was so neatly carried out by a person who looked Scandinavian and not at all like his Iranian father.
The Imam's English was perfected when he was sent to his post at the Iranian embassy in London. He was responsible for the religious teachings and political indoctrination of the embassy's staff. There were a great many temptations in London and not all Iranians could withstand the lure of alcohol, food that may have contained pork and overtly friendly women. For some of the staff, including the young Ahmaddi Mourtashef it was not attraction to alcohol, food or women, but the open way in which gay couples behaved in public. Furthermore, young men were drawn to the striking charismatic Mourtashef. His mysterious figure and the exotic garb he wore at ceremonious occasions, and the vibes he unconsciously and unknowingly sent, magnetized some of the younger and older men who had crossed paths with him. In particular a mutual attraction developed between him and a British officer, Major Ian Leopard who was in charge of liaison with the Iranian embassy. Ian was a major in the Queen's Royal Guards and seconded to the Foreign Office to expand his international acumen, as a step toward being promoted. Ian, like Mourtashef, was a repressed homosexual, and like him had completely abstained from sex. Their work brought them together on many official occasions but they unconsciously kept finding excuses for spending more and more time with each other. One evening, after they had finalized the details of an upcoming meeting between a visiting Mullah from Iran and a minor functionary at the Foreign Office they found themselves alone in the major's office. It is unclear who made the first move but within minutes they were engaged in a strong embrace that caught them both short of breath. The expression on both their faces was a mixture of excitement, fear and horror but neither of them wanted to break the magical moment. This may have been a small step for improving the Anglo-Iranian relations but a huge leap for the two repressed gay men. They got carried away and couldn't stop until fully satiated. Ian and Ahmaddi, as they now called each other, lay cuddled on the Afghan rug in the major's office. Half asleep Ian said that he didn't know what came over him, but he didn't regret it although as a Jewish man he shouldn't have gotten close to a Shiite clergyman. Upon hearing this Mourtashef who had also been a bit drowsy jumped up and almost banged his head on the major's desk. He quickly dressed and said that this had never happened, and that it was all just a bad dream. Ian looked up at him with embarrassment and agreed never to mention this and never to do it again.
The honorable Imam Mourtashef shook his head in disgust as he remembered the incident in London. He had never done that again and had kept his vow to abstain from sex. However, seeing the two gay Israelis brought back a flood of memories over which he had no control. Oded looked as if he could have been Ian's son or younger brother — the similarity was striking, or it could just have been a trick of memory. One part of him wanted to tear the young Israeli to shreds while another part wanted to cuddle with him. Perhaps, he thought, this was the reason for his avowed hatred to Israel, not the long explanation that he had given Johnny and Oded earlier.
Chapter 6
Fatso approached the cell in which the Israeli hostages were held and with his baton beat on the bars of the cell. When he had the attention of the inmates he ordered them to face the wall. Two armed guards stood by his side when he unlocked the cell door. Fatso pushed the two new hostages, Johnny and Oded, into the cell and slammed the door shut. The inmates looked at the newcomers and instantly recognized the Member of the Knesset who was more famous because of his scandalous sexual escapades than for his prowess as legislator.
Zorik was the first to speak "Welcome to hell, Mr. Shmaryahu" and introduced all the inmates, explaining briefly where and when each was captured. Johnny looked at the varied collection of Israelis and said something about them being a representative sample of the Israeli society.