The imam must go

The members of Osama's Honolulu cell had been doing as instructed, quietly blending in, being good, hard-working Muslims, learning the lay of the land -- while researching targets of opportunity to carry out jihad.

Their leader, Awad the cabbie, discovered one last night: Imam Ibrahim al-Shakr had to be removed. It was one thing for him to commit apostasy, turning his back on the one true faith of Islam and the one true God, Allah, praise his name. It was something quite different to lead fellow Muslims away from God toward the happy face faith of Sufism, preaching about love, calling the prophet Osama and followers such as Awad evil Jinn, and praying with Jews and Christians and Hindus, spreading the ultimate lie that those heretics also worshipped the One God.

Yes, Imam Ibrahim must go. Although, as the Koran taught, he would first be given the opportunity to recant and repent. If not, well, Awad had invested in an old Japanese samurai sword at a Honolulu antique shop and polished the blade to a razor edge, ready for just such a holy whack.

And of course there was a video camera. They would record the beheading and send it to the news media. It would be a first on American soil, a victory for jihad, and would be celebrated throughout the Muslim world.

After the preaching and dancing, Awad followed -- no, he would not use that term, for he would never follow the false teachings of the young imam -- he tailed Imam Ibrahim and several of his followers in a van to a Kaimuki apartment complex. Watching from across the street, he saw light go on in one of the apartments, one of the followers open curtains and a sliding glass door facing the street. The imam walked out onto the small balcony.

He knew where the target lived. Soon to be past tense.

Awad was just finishing compiling a list of license plate numbers he'd photographed last night, and with his BlackBerry e-mailed the list to a friend at DMV, requesting addresses. The Muslims among them would also be given an opportunity to recant and repent. But Awad guessed that when the news broke about the young imam's torture and painful death, his followers would, to quote him, see the light.

And then he dashed off an e-mail to Osama: "Contacted your niece, passed along the message. We were not able to speak further, but her eyes showed surprise, relief and gratitude. Otherwise, I have identified a target -- an apostate imam preaching Sufism -- and will soon teach him and his followers quite a public lesson."

Awad's next e-mail went out to four others, inviting them to meet him for a brown bag lunch at Ala Moana Park. There it was decided that Tariq, using a card that Awad picked up last night, would call the South Seas Sufi Society and infiltrate the group.

Imam Ibrahim's days were numbered.