Friday, December 11, 2009

Same Old Spiel

What would an article about would-be/already 'sploded shahids (in this case those 5 Americans who ran off to join the jihad in Pakistan) be without the obligatory mention of how "average" and "nice" the lad(s) in question are/were?
FBI agents have already been in contact with associates and relatives of one of the five, Zamzam. He is a dental student at Howard University, Washington DC, who graduated earlier this year in biology and chemistry.

Samirah Ali, president of the university's Muslim student group, said he had talked to the FBI last week about Zamzam, whom he had known for three years. Zamzam had never shown militant leanings. "He's a very nice guy, very cordial, very friendly," Ali told Associated Press.

One of Zamzam's younger brothers, interviewed by AP at the family's apartment in Alexandria, said: "He's a good guy. He's a normal Joe."
Ironically, that's far more worrisome than being told "you know what, he was kind of a nutbar--a real loose cannon" since it means that any "normal"-seeming youth can suddenly up and become radicalized at any time.

No comments: