Tamerlan Tsarnaev was apparently a fan of Salafi preacher, Feiz Mohammed

[cali]

The alleged Boston Marathon bomber who was killed in a shootout early Friday morning with police was, according to what appears to be his social-media profile, a fan of the radical and ascetic brand of Islam associated with al Qaeda.

The YouTube page belonging to someone named Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the same name as one of the two brothers who allegedly dropped pressure-cooker bombs at the finish line of the marathon Monday, includes several links to videos from an Australian Muslim preacher who has called for the beheading of a Dutch politician.


he videos were sermons delivered by Feiz Mohammad, a former boxer of Lebanese descent who now preaches an extreme version of Sunni Islam known as Salafism. (Tsarnaev also appears to have been a boxer.) In 2007 Mohammed came under fire for a series of messages that called on young Muslims to become holy warriors. Three years later the Dutch press reported that Mohammad had called for the beheading of Geert Wilders, a Dutch politician who has compared radical Islam to Nazi ideology.

Also on Tsarnaev’s apparent YouTube site were videos in Russian from Abdel al-Hamid al-Juhani. Mary Habeck, an expert in radical Islam at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies who is a Russian speaker, said al-Juhani “is an important ideologue for al Qaeda in Chechnya and the Caucases.”

<snip>

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/19/the-sheikh-who-may-have-influenced-boston-s-tsarnaev-brothers.html


The YouTube account belonging to "Tamerlan Tsarnaev" hes held up under scrutinity, and Eli Lake has pored through the dead suspect's favorites and likes to create a picture of his influences. There are plenty of links to sermons from Feiz Mohammad, "a former boxer of Lebanese descent who now preaches an extreme version of Sunni Islam known as Salafism," and who, like Tamerlan, was a boxer.

<snip>

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/04/19/meet_the_muslims_quoted_and_cited_and_favorited_by_the_boston_bombing_suspects.html

[cali]

1. I know it's unpopular to say this but the evidence is mounting that

radical salifism was a significant influence on Tamerlan Tsarnaev. For all the talk that these were American kids, the influences that led Tamerlan to doing what he did, are not domestic.

Did he have any connections to any group? We don't know. Was religion a factor? Looks that way.

[zappaman]

3. Wrong.

I read a thread started by an expert-can't recall who- that says this is INTERNAL.

So, sorry.

[cali]

7. I know, I know. I'll forget the evidence

and go along with the internal meme- which I could actually go along with in part if those pushing the American kids did this! meme, recognized that the influences that apparently swayed the Tsarnaev brothers is clearly not domestic.

I'm learning quite a bit about the Chechen Diaspora

[B2G]

11. Morals are formed between the ages of 19-26

It's a well know fact.

[RZM]

17. Yes. This has always bothered me about the notion of 'homegrown terrorism'

Homegrown terrorism is people like Timothy McVeigh, who was born here and spent his whole life here, except when he was deployed overseas in the army.

Somebody who came to this country as a teen or an adult is not 'homegrown.' While teens are not fully-formed adults, they are well on their way to being so.

[B2G]

21. A lot of ignorance around terrorist tactics

These groups don't have long range missles (yet) that they can lob at us from overseas. The most effective means of attack is infiltration locally.

The 911 bombers lived among us and attacked us on US soil. Was that homegrown just because they were here physically prior to hijacking the planes? I mean, the got training at our flight schools, lived here and all.

The 'logic' boggles the mind quite frankly

[Dreamer Tatum]

4. I would bet that religion is a factor with this kid

the way heavy metal was a factor when kids did bad things back in the late 70's and early 80's.

It was probably something for him to latch onto rather than something that guided all of his actions.

I would not say this was done, for example, in the name of Islam.

[cali]

12. We just don't know yet, but the evidence is mounting

He was devout. He was a follower of radical salafists. He traveled to Russia for six months last year.

[Dreamer Tatum]

14. Possibly salient points, all

Would not shock me to learn that he did embrace radical Islam.

[Fumesucker]

23. You forgot to mention Dungeons and Dragons as an evil influence in kids in the 70's and 80's n/t

[cali]

24. maybe because

I grasp what evidence is and you don't. and maybe because, having studied history through grad school, I know how to research and can recognize the importance of frickin' primary sources.

[Fumesucker]

26. With all that education one would think you'd be able to tell I'm talking to Dreamer Tatum, not you

But then I tend to give the benefit of the doubt.

[avaistheone1]

5. Good points.

Some reports are that he was very religious.

[maddezmom]

8. And now it is known he traveled out of the country last year for 6 months

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022711982

[cali]

9. I didn't know that but thank you for the information

[HiPointDem]

10. thought you weren't believing *anything* you heard, cali.

[cali]

15. a lot has happened in the last two days

we now have access to background as well as primary source materials. And if primary source materials can be confirmed as such, we can learn a great deal.

[HiPointDem]

16. that's the ticket.

[cali]

18. whatevah, dahling.

[HiPointDem]

20. ah, cali, i thought you were better than the rotfl icon. whatevah; your slip is showing....

[cali]

22. "my slip"? do elaborate- if you have the guts

which I completely doubt.

And I like that icon. Use it quite a bit, dear.

[HiPointDem]

25. i'm not your 'dear,' my dear. and whether or not i elaborate has nothing to do with guts.

i mean there's a bias in the kind of unproven information you deem acceptable to speculate upon.

[formercia]

2. Hey Feiz, Is that a Hellfire Missile I hear, coming your way?

Will be soon.

[CJCRANE]

6. Youtube and other social media can be accessed anywhere in the world...

so I agree that these guys are not uniquely American...but neither are they really Chechnyan or anything else for that matter.

They are losers beguiled by an ideology that preys on weak minds.

[AsahinaKimi]

13. Youtube and other social media can be accessed anywhere in the world...

except for China. Its blocked there, FYI. I won't even mention NK, as they don't have internet access. (correction, common people do not..)

[cali]

19. The Chechen Diaspora

http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4816

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chechen_diaspora

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/20/us/details-of-tsarnaev-brothers-boston-suspects-emerge.html?pagewanted=all