Mr. Akbar's Demise


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Permission granted by author for anyone to distribute this
writing free of charge (including translation into any
language)...under condition that no profit is made therefrom,
and that it remain intact and complete, including title and 
credit to the original author.

Ezekiel J. Krahlin
http://www.gay-bible.org
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MR. AKBAR'S DEMISE
(A True Tale From The Castro. Eat your heart out, Armistead!)

© 2002 by Ezekiel J. Krahlin


Oct. 28, 2002

Dear B.A.R. Editor, 

I cannot disagree more with the surviving family and friends
of one Mr. Jihad Abdul-Alim Akbar, who on October 8, was shot
and killed by police. Jihad was brandishing knife cleavers and
hollering anti-gay and racist epithets in a crowded, popular
corner of the Castro...then lunged at the officer who told him
to drop the knives. In such a volatile situation, I can hardly
blame the cop for bringing Mr. Akbar down...when any other
option might likely have caused serious injury or even death
to one or more bystanders, including the officer.

With great disgust, I read that Akbar's family wants to sue
the SFPD for the death of their insanely violent relative.
Homophobia is homophobia, whether from a gay person, or
straight, or any other. Sometimes the most violent gay bashers
turn out to be closeted queers with major unresolved issues
around their sexuality (like Dahmer and Gacey). Obviously,
Jihad is no exception...especially when coupled with the
virulent stance his Muslim belief holds against homosexuality.
(How strange that his first name has turned out to be so
tragically prophetic.)

Where is the shame in Mr. Akbar's surviving family and
friends? Obviously, by what they said in your news article of
October 24, he had a long history of mental disability and
substance abuse; and was prone to violent tantrums. So I
certainly encourage a lawsuit against Akbar's family, for
allowing such a dangerous soul to mingle in the company of
unsuspecting, decent gay people and their friends (who were
hoping to find some sort of "safe haven" for maybe just a
short while, here in the heart of the heart of Gay Mecca.)

Can the SFPD or The City sue them for such criminal lack of
concern for permitting such a loon to run amok in our own gay
neighborhoods? (Can we residents of the Castro sue, too? If
so, count me in!) Why didn't Akbar's "friends" either have him
supervised in public by a responsible adult; or contain him
geographically, within their immediate family and social
circle, where they can keep an eye on him?

Akbar's "friends" go on to blame the drug problems of our
queer community, for Akbar's death. So, not only do we queers
get violently threatened to the point of terror by this
"Jihad", but now we must suffer being the scapegoats for his
family's smug and deceitful ploy. If I were a Christian zealot
planting human bombs within the queer community, I could not
have pulled off a better stunt than the scenario playing out
around Mr. Akbar's demise. Make gay people look bad, on top of
all the other anti-gay media propaganda flooding our nation.

There seems to be no concern for the damage upon our
community, that will surely come about from the hysterical
lies of Akbar's comrades. How DARE they blame gay people for
the violent acts of a lunatic? Wasn't Mr. Akbar part of this
problem, by being a substance abuser himself? And aren't
you--who are his immediate family and friends--largely
RESPONSIBLE for not protecting the gay public from such a
dangerous freak? How DARE you think we gays are supposed to
take all this crap that a heterocentric society dumps on us!

I unequivocally support the officer who shot Mr. Akbar; and
will do everything one person can, to defend him in court and
in any other way possible. I'd even like to see him win an
award and a well-deserved 3-week vacation to anywhere in the
world he wants, all expenses paid (both for him and his
partner or spouse).  For I believe when all circumstances are
considered, his swift action prevented likely severe harm to
one or more people in the immediate area.

---finis