D.C. couple killed in ISIS-claimed attack were cycling around world

[Major Nikon]

The two Americans killed in an ISIS-claimed attack in Tajikistan over the weekend were a couple from Washington D.C. who left their lives in the nation's capital to see the world together by bicycle. According to Lauren Geoghegan's parents, the year-long cycle adventure was typical of their daughter's "openness to new people and places, and her quest for a better understanding of the world."

Robert and Elvira Geoghegan confirmed in a statement sent to CBS News that Lauren and her boyfriend Jay Austin, both 29 years old, were killed in the attack on Sunday as they rode through Tajikistan with a group of other foreign cyclists. A car rammed into the group and then five men got out and attacked the tourists with knives. A Dutch and Swiss national were killed along with Geoghegan and Austin.

Tajik authorities blamed a domestic Islamic separatist group, but ISIS followed an initial claim of responsibility in print with a video showing the five purported attackers pledging allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

...

Under the couple's recent blog entries, comments poured in from fellow-travellers and others simply inspired by the pair's dedication to studying humanity, and their conviction that, while "badness exists… by and large, humans are kind. Self-interested sometimes, myopic sometimes, but kind. Generous and wonderful and kind. No greater revelation has come from our journey than this."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-dc-couple-american-cyclists-tajikistan-isis-lauren-geoghegan-jay-austin/

This is a very sad case of people who I'm sure were the kindest you're going to find anywhere. While the idea that people are generally good isn't a bad concept, that doesn't really apply when you are dealing with religious fundamentalism. They were killed for no other reason than not subscribing to the same imaginary friend.

[Historic NY]

1. I'm sorry stupid people going where they shouldn't be

in unstable parts of the world

[Major Nikon]

2. That's the easy way to look at it

Another way is they were trying to show the world isn't such a scary place as some make it out to be and pretending that it is fuels demagoguery and xenophobia. So I don't think what they were trying to do was stupid at all, but unfortunately their deaths will be inevitably held up as an example as to why such irrational fears are anything but.

[Historic NY]

3. Well its certainly raised the terror alert warning from the State Dept.

[Act_of_Reparation]

4. "Wrong place, wrong time"

Yeah, and fuckhead in the fatigues swinging a machete is Jonny-on-the-fucking-Spot...

[Voltaire2]

5. Blame the victims much?

[Historic NY]

6. Yeah when they go into harms way I do.