We have previously discussed the disconnect in some individuals, particularly ISIS recruits, who live relatively normal lives in the West only to become suddenly radicalized and violent as Islamic extremists. Chattanooga gunman Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez could be such a case, though police are still trying to confirm the motivation for the attacks. The attack has been labeled “domestic terrorism.” Abdulazeez, 24, murdered four Marines and wounded a police officer on Thursday in shootings at two military recruiting and training centers in Chattanooga, Tennessee. What is now known is that he posted a couple posts shortly before the attack discussing how Muslims should act in this short life and how they had to resist the corrupting influence of life around them in proving their faith.
Abdulazeez was born in Kuwait and comes from a deeply religious Muslim family. However, he appeared well-integrated into society in high school and, judging from his DUI arrest, engaged in non-Muslim practices. Notably, his arrest of DUI occurred recently on April 21, 2015. He was not on any watch list though his father was investigated once for suspicious international ties.
Abdulazeez was in many respects a successful member of our society. He attended Red Bank High School in Tennessee and is described by a former coach as “an All American kid.” While he would stop practicing in sports to pray each day, he also was known to like beer and socialize. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, his high school yearbook quote contained a joke that now has a more menacing meaning: “My name causes national security alerts. What does yours do?”
He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga with a degree in electrical engineering. He worked from April 2009 to April 2010 as an intern with the Tennessee Valley Authority and had internships at Mohawk Industries and Global Trade Express.
While his fellow students describe his as deeply religious, they describe him as nice and funny in relations with other people. In high school, he was a wrestler and later trained as a mixed martial arts fighter. One such fight was videotaped.
He has been described as a “Jordanian citizen” who seemed to have a change in behavior after returning from a trip to the Middle East two years ago. There may have been multiple recent trips. We have seen other cases where relatively short exposure to radical Islamic centers or figures has pushed some young Muslims to extremism. He reportedly had become more devout in the last couple months. In this case, a relatively short period is being cited for the change of a person once described as the “All American kid” to a murderous fanatic.
Particular attention is likely to be given to two recent blog posts from July 13, 2015.
The first is entitled “A Prison Called Dunya” where he talks about how short life is and how it is “nothing more than a test of our faith and patience”:
I would imagine that any sane person would devote their time to mastering the information on the study guide and stay patient with their studies, only giving time for the other things around to keep themselves focused on passing the exam. They would do this because they know and have been told that they will be rewarded with pleasures that they have never seen.
. . .
It was designed to separate the inhabitants of Paradise from the inhabitants of Hellfire, and to rank amongst them the best of the best and worst of the worst. Don’t let the society we live in deviate you from the task at hand. Take your study guide, the Quran and Sunnah, with strength and faith, and be firm as you live your short life in this prison called Dunya. Allah (SWT) says live for this life and the hereafter according to their length. Rasulullah says the life on this world compared to the hereafter is like a drop compared to an ocean.
Brothers and sisters don’t be fooled by your desires, this life is short and bitter and the opportunity to submit to allah may pass you by. Take his word as your light and code and do not let other prisoners, whether they are so called “Scholars” or even your family members, divert you from the truth. If you make the intention to follow allahs way 100 % and put your desires to the side, allah will guide you to what is right.
The second post was entitled “Understanding Islam: The Story of the Three Blind Men” and he discussed how may of leading Islamic leaders were generals and political leaders who sought to convert the world as the Prophet’s Sahaba, or companions:
We often talk about the Sahaba (RA) and their Ibada. We talk about their worshiping at night, making thikr, reading quran, fasting, sala. But did you ever notice that in one certain period towards the end of the lives of the Sahaba (RA), almost every one of the Sahaba (RA) was a political leader or an army general? Every one of them fought Jihad for the sake of Allah.
So this picture that you have in your mind that the Sahaba (RA) were people being like priests living in monasteries is not true. All of them towards the end of the lives were either a mayor of a town, governor of a state, or leader of an army at the frontlines. The Sahaba (RA) were very involved in establishing Islam in the world. Their mission was to establish Islam and live it. …
We ask Allah to make us follow their path. To give us a complete understanding of the message of Islam, and the strength the live by this knowledge, and to know what role we need to play to establish Islam in the world.
What is currently known presents a chilling picture of a young man who appeared to have succeeded in society in going to college and pursuing his athletic and religious interests within a pluralistic environment. I expect many will be exploring what triggered this violent outburst with a particular interest in the trip back to the Middle East as well as the influences that he found in the United States. We have seen other cases of successful or seemingly well-adjusted individuals who turned into Islamic extremists and murderers. There remains a belief that exposure to the freedoms of the West is the greatest counter to extremism and for most it is. However, we have seen cases where exposure to Islamic extremism can also overwhelm some individuals and push them to violence.
Abdulazeez’s at a minimum show someone who appears torn between or at least a participant in two cultures. In the days to come, we will hopefully learn more about what specifically triggered this murderous rampage.
Lest we focus on Abdulazeez and his twisted view of morality, below are the Marines that he murdered in cold blood in Tennessee. They are Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan of Springfield, Mass.; Lance Cpl. Skip ‘Squire’ Wells, of Marietta, Ga.; Sgt. Carson Holmquist, of Grantsburg, Wisc.; and Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, of Chattanooga:
NO KIDDING. Jim, what are you trying to say? Of course our policies in the ME made things WORSE here as far as being safe. Of course, no matter what we did or didn’t do there would be extremists. What don’t you understand about exacerbation because of BAD policies by the U.S of an already tentative situation? Why did Bush think invading Iraq would make those who hate us like us more? He thought they would be in the streets calling the U.S. their saviors. Instead what happened was that we opened the can of worms that is deep in the psyche of the ME. Our western ways did not and never will influence Mideasterners to change to a western way of thong, how arrogant, how foolish, how deadly stupid.
I. Annie
1, July 17, 2015 at 11:04 am
“Thank Bush Jr. for the fertile fields of Iraq and thank his daddy Bush Sr. for the policy of unarmed military in civilian in recruitment centers.”
Dead Ahead
1, July 17, 2015 at 11:30 am
“Thank Bill Clinton for the fertile fields and thank Hillary Clinton for the policy of unarmed military in civilian in recruitment centers.”
Annie, no, you brought it up first.
Annie says, I was correcting Dead Ahead who said it was a Clinton policy.
Annie is all knowing, all seeing. I worked in special ops and held security clearances at AG, above top secret.
How does Indian tracker describe foolish comments? You speak with forked tongue.
Edward,
No I don’t believe that for a second, nice try at trying to put words in my mouth. Tell me oh Edward just HOW did invading Iraq help keep us safe here at home? How did Abu Grab help us here at home? How did torture of detainees keep us safe here at home. How did GTMO keep us safe here at home. Tell us oh wise one how these policies kept us safe, or did they make things WORSE?
“Edward, I thought conservatives believed in taking personal responsibility. If you are incapeable of recognizing any US complicity in the mess in the ME on US policies you are deluded.”
Nice strawman. Try again. Your post wasn’t about “our complicity in the mess in the ME.” I was responding to your absurd claim that when terrorists and psychopaths murder Americans it’s somehow OUR fault “for decreasing the safety of Americans on our own soil.” That’s pure nonsense. Again, do you really believe that the psychopaths who commit acts of terrorism would have become peaceful and productive members of society but for the Iraq invasion? I’m sure that if we had not invaded Iraq the people who murder innocents, oppress women and force children to decapitate people, would have become enlightened.
Well. Just a second ago at the White House press conference, it was said there will be a review of the policy.
Jim,
It doesn’t really matter who set the policy, it was a stupid policy. I was correcting Dead Ahead who said it was a Clinton policy. And YES absolutely, military members should be armed on bases and recruitment centers. There are other civilian facilities that uniformed military work in, they should also be armed, or at least protected. Neither you nor I know if this policy will change, hopefully someone with their head screwed on straight will agitate for a change.
Annie, What does it matter who set the policy? How about we change it? This idiot in office now won’t even acknowledge the problem. Listen tyo what your govt. is telling you.
I will always contend that the Southern border incident was a plan for ISIS to enter the USA and try to create the ISIUSA.
Then a couple months later an ISIS group was found in El Paso, TX.
OBAMA allowed all those illegals in here and gave them jobs and amnesty.
Those released from prison also got special treatment and no paperwork.
Like the rapist who did not have to register because he was not an American citizen released by ICE.
*Sighted*
Annie,
After 9/11, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair talked Bush out of nuking Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Tony quoted bible verses.
And Edward, no one thinks for a second that terrorism wouldn’t have touched us again on our soil, but to dismiss the truth that we have created the vacuum in Iraq that these extremists proliferated in, is very short sided and foolish.
Edward, I thought conservatives believed in taking personal responsibility. If you are incapeable of recognizing any US complicity in the mess in the ME on US policies you are deluded.
No, Dead Ahead, unarmed military in recruitment centers was a Bush Sr. policy.
Here you go, straight from the very right wing publication, The Blaze.
“So what’s the answer? It appears this “gun-free zone” type policy can actually be traced back to Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5210.56, signed into effect in February 1992 by Donald J. Atwood, deputy secretary of defense under President George H.W. Bush.”
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/17/this-is-why-most-military-personnel-are-disarmed-on-military-bases-and-its-not-clintons-fault/
That a EE recent grad could not get a job using his knowledge says that i think he found he could not be a militant Muslim and have a job. Seeing the recent photos of him with a full beard and probably a head cap sent the wrong message to prospective employers. i know if I had a pilot candidate come to me looking like that, i would not hire him. That plus the fact of a recent DUI which would not enhance his resume, probably convinced him he had no future in the USA. Thus he decided to go to Allah.
Yes 9/11 happened, how did invading Iraq help? The hijackers were Saudis.
Slohrss-
I agree that “evil is evil.” In fact, you earlier said, “If the man chose to hate, he probably would have found some other emotional vehicle to ride to the conclusion of his heinous deed.” I couldn’t agree more. I just disagree with the idea the WE are somehow at fault when these psychopaths engage in barbaric behavior. Should we have gone into Afghanistan? Yes. Iraq? No. But I refuse to accept the idea that people like this would have left us alone if we didn’t go into Iraq.
Anyway, reasonable minds can disagree. And the point you are making is certainly more nuanced and reasonable than Annie’s tripe.
Annie said, “Should not the concern instead be that it was insane to think that we are safe on our own soil because we sent our troops to Iraq”.
Add 9/11 hijackers taking flying lessons in US and 1993 oil/fertilizer WTC bombing.
Thank Bill Clinton for the fertile fields and thank Hillary Clinton for the policy of unarmed military in civilian in recruitment centers.
Well, Edward, you have a point. But as I said, evil is evil. We don’t give gangs in this country the best military hardware, and we probably… maybe could have seen what was going to happen over there? It ain’t that big of a stretch. If we would have left them there to ride around on whatever they could find, they wouldn’t be this century’s return of the Vandals. They don’t have a navy or air force yet, but you never know.
I don’t disagree with you Annie. I suspect we have already droned Khan’s family in Pakistan, and it’s just a matter of time before he brings revenge best served cold to our country. It may not be box cutters next time. Who knows what the product of a genius, angry mind, stewing for years, will produce. Of course we need to wake up at some point and realize we can’t fight the entire world, which is pretty much where we’re heading. More troubling to me, as Olly points out, there is a common “glue” to our culture and country that appears to be eroding away. We talk about the incivility of other cultures, but we point out everyday the recognized sins (sorry for loaded term…) we see acted out here from the very top to the very bottom of society, and we just choose to forget them and move on.
I’m sure all those people on the subway train made it through the rest of the day telling themselves, “Wow, glad it wasn’t me…” instead of possibly, “I could have made a difference, and maybe that man could still be alive.”