Wouldn’t you know it: friends of Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the Somali refugee who terrorized the Ohio State university campus in a knife-wielding ambush, say that he “loved America.”
Forget the message Artan posted on Facebook only minutes before his murderous rampage, which spoke of hatred of the United States while mentioning ISIS and “lone wolf attacks.” NBC News took the time to interview friends of Artan’s; their protestations that the warm, loving Artan loved America should mitigate our anger at someone who violently knifed innocent young people.
Ameer Kadar, who last saw Artan two weeks ago, told NBC, “He actually loved America. He loved the fact of the opportunity he had here to go to school… He loved the fact that he was able to get a college degree.”
Oh.
Haroon Khan, who met Artan and his family when they lived in Pakistan, was astonished that Artan could act so violently, saying, “He was a very sweet and humble person. He can never do such an act, honestly.”
Of course not.
Khan added, “He was a very, very nice person.”
NBC reported, “Investigators have not yet pinpointed a motive for Monday’s ambush, which sent 11 people to the hospital, but none with life-threatening injuries. But the Facebook post is a valuable clue to Artan’s state of mind …
Ya think?
The Facebook post showed a document on a Dell computer screen with the warning: “Screenshot this before it gets deleted.” Underneath was a rambling statement that revolved around the treatment of Muslims globally, and a warning that the U.S. could stop “lone wolf attacks” by making peace with “dawla in al sham,” a former name for ISIS. The post stated that the author had reached “a boiling point” and a vow to “kill a billion infidels” to save a single Muslim. The post referred to Islamist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, calling him a “hero.” It also stated, “By Allah, we will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims. You will not celebrate or enjoy any holiday.”
Richard Clarke, former U.S. National Coordinator for Security and Counter-terrorism, told ABC News, “So many people, who are flipped by ISIS propaganda remotely, look like they are leading successful lives. It’s so hard to predict when the propaganda will get through to them to the point where they crack and go violent.”
?He actually loved America. He loved the fact of the opportunity he had here to go to school… He loved the fact that he was able to get a college degree.”
Ameer Kadar, friend of Ohio State attacker Abdul Razak Ali Artan
Just a couple of hours before he knifed students at OSU, Artan posted this: “Forgive and forget. Love.”
There is no forgiveness and no forgetting.