9 ISIS supporters arrested near D.C. seemed normal, middle-class, by Garth Kant.
It may have been shocking when nine people accused of supporting the Islamic State, or ISIS, were recently arrested in the posh suburbs of Northern Virginia, so close to Washington, D.C.
But it may be even more disturbing, upon closer inspection, that so many of them seemed so normal, not fitting what most Americans might consider the profile of a supporter of jihad.
For starters, one was named Heather Coffman. Another was Nicholas Young.
As the Washington Times reported: “They included a police officer, a Starbucks barista, Army soldiers, bankers and a cabdriver. Four of the nine graduated from Northern Virginia high schools, one with honors. Two attended Northern Virginia Community College.” …
One of the nation’s top Middle East experts, Clare Lopez, told WND, “These nine arrests highlight once again that Islam is not a race: it’s a global political system of societal control bound by law, Islamic Law, with some associated religious practices, that is achieved by conquest and maintained by force, not by consent of the governed.” …
She further observed, “Nor is devotion to Islam limited to those of less education, lower economic status, or lack of opportunity. In fact, quite the opposite is often true, as with these would-be jihadis for the Islamic State.”
When potential Islamic terrorists have names that don’t seem Islamic, are well-educated, have careers and seem typically middle-class, how is the average American supposed to spot the jihadi next door?
Why? The article quotes former Department of Homeland Security intelligence analyst Philip Haney:
“It’s not jihad they are attracted to, per se,” he said. “Jihad is only a tactic. So what is the tactic for? What is the purpose of it all? What is the purpose of ISIS? What is the purpose of the Muslim Students Association? What is the purpose of the mosque? In that sense, it’s the same for all: promotion of sharia law.”
Haney called sharia law “the gravitational force of the entire global Islamic community.”
Haney noted one thing not mentioned in the report was the nationality or immigration status of the suspects.
hat-tip Stephen Neil
