FLASHBACK: Mark Steyn on Mohammeds in the news, from 2005.

These days, whenever something goofy turns up on the news, chances are it involves a fellow called Mohammed. A plane flies into the World Trade Centre? Mohammed Atta. A gunman shoots up the El Al counter at Los Angeles airport? Hesham Mohamed Hedayet. A sniper starts killing petrol station customers around Washington, DC? John Allen Muhammed. A guy fatally stabs a Dutch movie director? Mohammed Bouyeri. A terrorist slaughters dozens in Bali? Noordin Mohamed. A gang-rapist in Sydney? Mohammed Skaf.

A tale of five Muhammads, by Scott Johnson (14 June 2016).

Attending the Somali terrorism trial before Judge Michael Davis in Minneapolis was an incredibly rich experience…. Like the Orlando massacre, the case lies at the intersection of Islam, immigration and terrorism. The group of Somali Minnesotans charged in the case or gone to ISIS in Syria without being charged numbers 12 or 13 or 14. …

From the time that I first started following pretrial proceedings in the case, I was struck by the Muhammads involved in the case. They seemed to represent a variation of the town hall meeting in Blazing Saddles featuring one speaker after another named Johnson — Gabby Johnson, Howard Johnson, Samuel Johnson and so on. …

The first Muhammad is of course the prophet of Islam. …

The second Muhammad is Mohamed Farah (photo at right). Farah was one of the three defendants at trial. …

The third Muhammad represented Farah at trial. Murad Mohammad was Farah’s attorney. …

The fourth Muhammad is a legal assistant who withdrew as a member of Farah’s defense team. His name is Hassan “Jaamici” Mohamud. …

The fifth Muhammad turned up late in the trial. His name is Burhan Mohumed. Mohumed is a Somali “community organizer” and friend of defendants.