Riders of the Pale Horse
Page 28
In the late summer of 1992 a group of Philippine guest workers were arrested in Saudi Arabia and flogged until they bled. Their crime was attending a Christian service. I discussed this with several missionaries, as the Saudis were generally considered to be tolerant about the worshiping habits of guest workers. The general consensus was that they had become very vocal in their worship service, praising God and singing loud enough to be heard outside the hall. One staunch fundamentalist with political clout who overheard them was offended enough to insist on punishment. Laws calling for such punishment still exist in Saudi Arabia. It is also a crime for a Saudi to convert to Christianity—under penalty of death by beheading. It is also a capital crime to publicly proselytize for Christ.
When one person who had tried to set up a meeting for me was met with a stone wall, he apologized by relating the following story: Some years ago, three sisters converted to Christianity in an unnamed Arab state. When their mother learned of this, she responded by putting strychnine in their food. For many missionaries who had experienced such atrocities firsthand, to openly discuss their work was to invite unnecessary danger.
Once again, it must be stated that this is the work of a minority. To condemn all Arabs because of the fanatic fury of a few is not only ludicrous, it is wrong. I have tried very hard in this work to clearly differentiate between the threats presented by a minority and the tolerant acceptance shown by most Arabs. While they may not choose to adopt our faith, the majority of Middle Eastern citizens are most willing to listen. And discuss. And argue. All of this is a part of both their nature and their hospitality.
The danger, both to Christian evangelism and to the western world as a whole, rests within the radical minority. This hazard is growing as the power base of Islamic fundamentalism extends wider and wider. This is the threat that must be vigilantly watched. This is the danger that must be clearly understood. This is the threat that must be checked.
Dr. Robert Parsons is the former director of the Russia desk of the BBC World Service, and now runs their Moscow office. He lived in Georgia a number of years and traveled extensively in the Caucasus region. He proved a most able teacher, both in regard to the current conflicts sweeping the region and the mentalities and cultures behind the various factions.
Yuri Goligorsky is the BBC editor for Russian Current Affairs. In the midst of the Russian parliamentary crisis, he was kind enough to walk me through the various cultural and political currents at work in the Caucasus.
Because of the four different wars enveloping the Caucasus region, travel up into the highlands was dangerous. I was able to fill many of the visual gaps thanks to the very able staff of the British National Film Archives, a part of the British Film Institute. Their archives contained documentaries on the region dating from as far back as 1928 to as current as two months ago. I would like to thank in particular Simon Baker and Bryony Dixon, who first led me through the extensive research catalogues, and then placed a chamber at my disposal for the hours and hours required to review the work.
Mr. Roy Gonzalez is a telecommunications engineer with Science Applications International Corporation, which among other things is partly responsible for the current renovation of the Pentagon’s communications equipment. The idea for Rogue Robards came from a conversation with him about his experiences in Vietnam.
Dr. Christoph Bluth is a professor of international politics at the University of Essex and one of the world’s leading authorities on strategic and tactical nuclear armaments. I am most grateful for his careful and thorough introduction to the current dangers of nuclear proliferation.
Dr. Edwina Moreton is diplomatic editor at The Economist, and is one of the magazine’s chief authorities on the current political and economic struggles in the former Soviet empire. She was most helpful in drawing together the myriad of details and separate incidents into a cohesive whole.
Dr. Sugden is director of the Oxford Center for Mission Studies, a library and study center for over two dozen graduate theology students from almost as many countries. Their beautiful facility contains a wealth of resources, most especially in the persons who study there. The gentleman with whom I worked mostly, who must remain unnamed, is a perfect example. He is training to go back as a missionary to a Muslim population in Asia. I am indeed grateful to Dr. Sugden for opening his center to my research activities and for making the required introductions.
Professor F. Jahanpour of Oxford and Reading Universities proved to be a rare find—someone capable of taking historical events and trends and shaping them into a logical succession that led to the events of today. His summary of the roots of current Islamic fundamentalism was both clear and exciting. He truly made both the people and the circumstances live for me.
In February 1993, a symposium was held in London on Islamic fundamentalism and power sharing within their countries. I was the only American attending, and one of only four or five westerners. It was a conference by Islamic fundamentalists and for fundamentalists. The issues included whether or not democracy was a principle permitted by the Koran, and whether fundamentalists should be willing to form coalitions with nonbelievers. This high-powered meeting took place in London because it was one of the few places on earth where the speakers could safely assemble. Representatives included top-level political officials and academics from Jordan, Algeria, Tunisia, Kuwait, Egypt, and other Islamic countries. Much of their discussion is reflected in portions of this book concerning the fundamentalist attitude toward democracy and the West. While their disagreement over the place of democracy was fiery, their attitude toward the West seemed universally hostile.
As I mentioned previously, making contact within Middle East missionary programs was enormously difficult. As the rise of Islamic fundamentalism results in an increasing risk to the missionaries themselves, their families, and their converts, they have begun steadily closing all doors to disseminating information. Even magazines and newsletters about their work are now being closed down.
I am therefore tremendously thankful that five missionaries were willing to put aside their justifiable concerns and speak with me at length. My heartfelt thanks must also go to the three dozen people who acted as both my advocates and my introduction to these people. It was an enormously time-consuming practice for all involved, and the process taught me almost as much as the interviews themselves. Naturally, no names will be given here. These people taught me at a multitude of levels, both in the development of this book and in my own spiritual growth. I can only hope that as they read this novel, they will feel that I have portrayed them and their work with honesty and admiration.
All of the stories of Christians presented in this book are true. They come to me from people who experienced them firsthand. For obvious reasons, their names cannot be given here. Nonetheless, I wish to offer my sincere thanks for speaking to me so openly and my prayers for their continued safety.
It should be noted that Aqaba does not have a major Palestinian camp in its vicinity. The Palestinians who emigrated there from Beersheba and other southern Israeli towns after the ’67 war have more or less been fully assimilated into the society. For the sake of this story, a camp situated on the outskirts of Amman was relocated here. Conditions are as they were described in these pages.
My travels in Jordan were enlightening, if not always easy. I was particularly transfixed by the desert reaches surrounding Petra. Like the character Leah, I found Jordan to be a place of fierce beauty, warmly hospitable people, and brilliant contrasts. As with my travels elsewhere, I remain indebted to all who assisted and taught me, both named and unnamed.
Cyril Price is in truth a grand gentleman whom I met during my first trip to the Sudan. At the time, Cyril was Middle East director of tenant guarantee, now an arm of the Royal Bank of Canada. Unlike the character in this book, Cyril remained involved only in business, and only in governmental intrigue where it related to his business. Cyril guided me through the treacherously murky waters of Middle Eastern and Afric
an affairs. He and his wonderful wife, Nancy, have remained very dear friends over the years. It is a great pleasure for me to have this chance to enrich my book with the polish and unruffable calm with which he approached his work. Thank you, Cyril. I shall carry your lessons with me always.
As with all my books, this one bears my wife’s loving imprint on every page. She assists at every step, from initial research to final polish. Thank you, Izia, for helping to make this dream reality.
T. Davis Bunn, a native of North Carolina, is a former international business executive whose career has taken him to over forty countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Riders of the Pale Horse is based on extensive research as well as travels in Jordan and Russia. He and his wife, Isabella, currently live in Oxford, England.
Books by T. Davis Bunn
The Book of Hours
The Great Divide
Winner Take All
The Lazarus Trap
Elixir
Imposter
Lion of Babylon
Rare Earth
All Through the Night
My Soul to Keep
ACTS OF FAITH*
The Centurion’s Wife • The Hidden Flame
The Damascus Way
SONG OF ACADIA*
The Meeting Place • The Sacred Shore
The Birthright • The Distant Beacon
The Beloved Land
HEIRS OF ACADIA†
The Solitary Envoy • The Innocent Libertine
The Noble Fugitive • The Night Angel
Falconer’s Quest
*with Janette Oke †with Isabella Bunn