Gibreel has a second, seemingly unrelated dream. The Imam becomes the absolute ruler of Desh and stops all of the country’s clocks. After a fierce battle with lightning spears, Gibreel kills Al-lat. The Imam orders Gibreel to fight Al-lat, and he reluctantly complies. However, the spirit of the goddess Al-lat reanimates her body. The Imam ignores Gibreel and murders Ayesha. Gibreel tries to explain that the people revolt against Ayesha because they hate her, and not because they love the Imam. The Imam rushes Gibreel and forces him to fly to Iran, to help the Imam overthrow Ayesha. The Imam asks Gibreel to help him reclaim Desh, but Gibreel is reluctant. Once again, Gibreel finds himself not only an observer but also a character in his vision, playing the part of the angel Gibreel. Bilal X, an African-American convert to Islam, is the Imam’s most faithful disciple he is in charge of reading the broadcasts. From London, he and his aides broadcast anti-Ayesha propaganda to Desh using a ham radio. He has fled both his homeland of Desh and his archenemy, the empress Ayesha. In it, we meet the Imam, a conservative Muslim leader living in exile in London. However, the beginning of this vision is set in London. Most of Parts IV and VIII are set in Titlipur, a rural village that shares the mythic quality of Jahilia, but exists in modern times. This section returns to Gibreel’s dreams.
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