Another Mentally Ill Convert?
A few posts ago, I mentioned that the type of American converts that would be a danger would be those that are mentally ill.
Well, this guy made a video tape for that infamous group of deranged lunatics popularly known as “Al-Qaidah”, and his past makes me think that he may be mentally ill as well. Before becoming Muslim he was a fanatical devotee of “death metal” and after becoming Muslim others described him as “tense and depressed” and he was banned from a masjid after getting into a couple of fights, one of which he was arrested for and charged with assault after punching another man at the masjid in the face. Now he has appeared on a videotape making a bunch of insane rants
At the end of the day, it is too bad some will use this to make all converts look deranged
Filed under: Convert Issues
I think its a combination of previous issues before Islam, possible mental issues, and sometimes just being slow. Some people embrace Islam for the right reasons and are otherwise good people, but they suffer what I call slowness. I dont want to say stupid, but some brothers I have come across are just challenged when it comes to common sense.
In my community here (I live in scandinavia), we have one brother who is a convert. He has been with the Tabligh for a few years and is generally a good hearted brother. Recently, he left the Tabligh calling it a Bidah. Well, someone decided it would be a good idea to show him some videos of the fighting in Chechnya. Soon after that, he was running in the forest with a huge backpack wearing a thawb and turban.
Well, it gets better. the Jumah before last, he was nowhere to be seen. One brother told me that he had confided in him that he was leaving the country-supposedly for Chechnya!
But wait, it gets better. Last thursday he returns here. We see him at the Masjid, and yes, it does turn out that he tried to go to Chechnya. Apparently, he flew to Georgia, wearing a Thawb and Turban (not to mention his huge sunnah beard), carrying a backpack with 30 kilos of camping gear in it. As he relates it, he heads out of the airport, catches a taxi and tells him to drive all the way to the biggest mountain on the outskirts of the city.
There he proceeds to hike, with a Thawb on, carrying three knives in his backpack, and tries to get thru the border to Chechnya. He actually talked to the border guards trying to convince them. When the naturally grew suspicious, he fled, hiding in the mountains for three days trying to sneak in to Chechnya. Now, bear in mind, this brother doesnt know Arabic or Russian, and knows absolutely no one in Chechnya. When I asked him, he said that he planned on waiting in the woods until he saw some mujahidin and then he would join up with them!
Anyway, the police eventually caught him and thought that he was a spy. His court appointed lawyer told him to be clear about what he wanted to do, otherwise they could jail him for up to five years. He was then deported back here.
But wait, it gets better. It seems that the Georgian media published a story about a spy being caught at the border, and one our local journalists here picked up on it. The journalist for our local paper called this brother and wanted to get an interview. I was led to believe that the brother had refused the interview, but this morning, guess what I read? Yes. Not only did he give an interview, but he also had pictures taken of him in the same Thawb and turban i bet he wore on his adventure. In the interview he said that it is his right to do what he did. Then, when asked if he will try to go again, he said “Thats a secret.”!
Needless to say, our small community here is very angry at his irresponsible behavior and no one wants anything to do with him.
May Allah protect us from foolishness.
Ameen to the above dua.
I don’t understand how these people think they will attract people to Islam. I’m already Muslim and the rhetoric and actions for which they have claimed responsiblity are a huge turn off for me. Although, 9/11 was a major source of motivation for me to learn more about Islam.
Sad that people always allow our nutters to paint our whole religion! They dont do this to others. David Koresh, Jim Jones, they certainly are not used to paint all Christians.
The media always loves to concentrate on the fanatical elements of Islam, without truly looking at the pure Islam.
How sad that is, because as long as they continue to look at Islam from such a narrow perspective, they will never understand Muslims or Islam, because Islam has a lot to offer from society, but the media chooses to pick the bad.
Salaam alaykum.
When I listened to him, he spoke a straightforward word, like we’re commanded to do. He even spoke to those who were fence-straddlers, warning them against being like Abu Talib.
The guy in England who attempted to get into Chechnya probably isn’t crazy, either. But he does sound ill-informed. He was brave to say what he said openly, and he could only be blamed for ebig reckless. Jihad is an obligation on us individually, due to siezing of Muslim lands according to the consenus of scholars. We should not blame those who attempt to obey this and fight back against the oppressors, but whatever tactics they discolse openly are subject to comment. Really, he should be advised on how to properly execute his plans, not derided. We won’t repel aggressors and relived the oppressed by jihad al-nafs alone or by dhikr-Allah without some dhikr-al-beat down, too.
I forgot to mention…
while Adam may be insane or sane, his fights were reportedly with the imam for siding with disbelievers against believers and for imitating believers. Honestly, no an imam should look exaclty like a preacher, and not all the time if ever.
What is sad is that when they first thought it was Adam Ghaddan, it was that imam who led the FBI in his direction. That imam, clean-shaven as a catholic priest’s wet dream, with his dhikr beads, was telling the FBI on national TV “Oh yes, I recognize that voice! He used to come here. He was violent extremist! (Now can I have citizenship, Boss?)”
A Muslim is a brother to another Muslim, and doesn’t give him up. Especially without first stating the Muslim brother’s legitmiate grievance against the disbelievers.
The brother wasnt from England, he is from Scandinavia. While I agree with what you are saying in general Black Lion, You have to understand that this particular brother-that I know personally-is a bit slow. He was a very heavy drug user before Islam and that affected his brain-as he admits. This brothers personality leads him to embrace something 120 percent, even if he doesnt understand all of what he is getting into. When he gets tired of it or someone talks to him convincing him otherwise, he flips to another extreme.
I can almost guarantee you that after a couple of months, the brother will find something else to be passionate about, and will fling headlong into it. Ive seen it too many times from him in the past.
This brother has caused so many problems here-not because he tried to go to chechnya-because i cant think of anyone that isnt sypathetic to that, but it is the way that he did it and the way that he brought negative attention to the muslims here by giving an interview and having his picture taken.
If the brother was all together in his head, he would have just gone where he wanted to go without announcing it to the world and sticking out like a sore thumb, and if he didnt get where he wanted to go, he would have just come back and keep his stuff to himself. When brothers behave like he did, it just gives problems for others.
Now that you explained it like that, I certainly understand. And thanks for the extra facts so that I won’t be in the dark. All that was important to me was that we don’t knock him for the jihad itself.
If he’s touched like that, he should ask a scholar if he is even eligible for the obligation of jihad, unless he has elaready been informed that he is.
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There is also a somewhat indepth article at the New Yorker magazine about the Adam kid. It’s a good read and deals with issues from a sociological perspective. Highly recomended. Sorry no link but I’m sure y’all can find it at newyorker.com.
Azzam the American by Raffi Khatchadourian
Thanks Yusuf.
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