Rosna gripped her Kalashnikov. “After we drive the devil’s caliphate from this land, then I will think on it.”
“After we drive those bastards from our homeland.” Ali twined his fingers around hers and raised her hand high.
“Or die in the attempt.” A cloud moved over the sun and Rosna shivered in its chill. “Daesh has so many weapons, so many soldiers. Three years ago they tore through Iraq like they were invincible.”
“Take courage, Rosna.” Ali looked down at her. The whites of his eyes looked so light against his face. He squeezed her hand, his broad fingers circling around hers with the tenderness this war-torn land so desperately needed. “The day will wipe out all the promises of the night. We are the daylight and we will wipe out Daesh.”
Read Book 3 in the Radical Series: Veiled by Choice
Radical Trilogy
Book 1: Veiled by Privilege
CIA field officer Joe Csontos is desperate to discover Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula’s next target before thousands of Americans die.
Atheist grad student in Middle Eastern studies, Kay Bianchi needs a dissertation project riveting enough to pass muster with her capricious professor. When Kay illegally travels to Saudi Arabia under a false identity, she has no idea the passport holder is betrothed to a high-profile terrorist, or that the passport holder’s male relative intends to marry Kay off in seven days.
The moment Joe meets Kay he is attracted to her, but she's some tree-hugging liberal who doesn’t even believe in the Second Amendment. When the terrorists jeopardize both their lives, they have to work together.
Will Joe and Kay stop the terrorists in time? Can Kay’s love of Islamic culture survive an encounter with Al Qaeda, and if it does, can a leftist and a right-winger fall in love?
Book 2: Veiled by Coercion
Book 3: Veiled by Choice
As a homeless, pregnant teen, Jessica Walker was tricked into joining ISIS by her boyfriend. Three years later, ISIS’s death cult has claimed the lives of her boyfriend and son and she is desperate to escape.
Dr. Kaleb Schelensky’s goal was to live the good life when the FBI pounded on his door. His fourteen-year-old sister just became an ISIS bride. He’ll do anything to free her, even infiltrate ISIS.
Trapped inside Mosul, Iraq, as airstrikes rain from the sky, Kaleb and Jessica come face-to-face. Kaleb is everything Jessica ever despised about Western men, and Kaleb is disgusted that Jessica joined ISIS. When ISIS ensures that neither will make it out of Mosul alive unless one of them sacrifices everything for the other, will they rise to the challenge?
Glossary
Abd—a racist Arabic term to call a black person that references slavery
Ablution—a ritual washing done before Islamic prayers
Biranee—a Kurdish game
Bismillah—in the name of Allah
Blindness—a loose translation of an Arabic curse
Caliphate—a religious government under the leadership of an Islamic leader
Daesh—a derogatory Arabic term for ISIS. In ISIS-occupied territory, ISIS soldiers enacted harsh physical punishments on those who used the word daesh in their hearing. Knowing how much the term daesh infuriated ISIS, however, only made the locals secretly call ISIS that more as a sign of their hate for ISIS.
Die in your rage—a saying taken from a Koran verse that is heavily used by terrorist groups
Emir—an Arabic word for a leader, boss, military commander, or important person
Fatwa—a legal opinion created by an Islamic religious leader about what Allah allows or forbids. Fatwas may often directly contradict each other because they reflect the opinion of one religious leader. Roughly equivalent to the rulings that different American Christian denominations make about drinking, dancing, morality, and other things. Only there is much more separation between church and state in Christianity so a Christian denomination would probably not make a ruling that they expected to become the law of the land.
Flashbang—a type of explosive
Halal—allowed, it is an Islamic term for things that are permissible to do under Islam. Of course, every school of Islamic thought has a different opinion on what is “halal.”
Haram—forbidden, it is an Islamic term for things that are not permissible to do under Islam. Of course, every school of Islamic thought has a different opinion on what is “haram.”
Imam—roughly the equivalent of a pastor in Islam
Jannah—paradise or heaven
Kafir—infidel in Arabic. Used by ISIS to refer to anyone who does not follow their particular brand of Islam, including other Muslims.
Melek Taus—also known as the Peacock Angel, a major figure in the Yazidi religion
Mujahideen—a jihadist, but ISIS uses the word in a positive sense to refer to the members of their death cult as “holy warriors.” Mujahid is singular and mujahideen is plural, but for the sake of simplicity for an English-speaking audience, mujahideen is used throughout the book for both the singular and plural.
Naan—flatbread
Niqab—an Islamic veil that covers all of a woman’s face except for her eyes
Petrol—a British term for gasoline. Because of the British empire, there continues to be a strong British cultural impact on many Middle Eastern countries.
Sabaya—the ISIS term for the women they capture and use as sex slaves. Singular sabiyya, plural sabaya, but the plural form is used throughout for the sake of simplicity for an English-speaking audience.
Shayton—the devil
Shadada—the Islamic statement of faith
Shemagh –a scarf popular in the Middle East to keep out dust
Sickle grass—a type of plant in Iraq
Shwarma—a chicken dish
Sharbart—a sweet drink
Yazidi—an ethnic and religious minority represented in Iraq (and the surrounding area), which has historically been persecuted. The Yazidi people typically have fairer coloring than other Iraqis. Since many Middle Eastern people see fair-skinned women as more beautiful, ISIS particularly relished taking Yazidi women as sex slaves.
Dedication
To my friend Liz. Thanks for all your encouragement with this series.
About the Author
Anne Garboczi Evans writes intellectual romances set in unique locales and eras.
Other Books By Anne Garboczi Evans
Love & Warfare Series
Book 1: For Life or Until
Book 2: When Gambling
Book 3: To Deceive an Empire
Book 4: Without Love
Children’s Books
Book 1: What’s a Foster Family?
Book 2: What’s a Forever Family?
And more