Here is an interesting intersection of “Ismail” and “Ax” in the Muslim story of Ibrahim (Abraham), who in the Muslim version of the story is a convert from paganism to Islam. In this story, Ibrahim was going to sacrfice his son, Ismail (instead of Isaac) but a sheep is sent down from “Heaven” and Ismail is spared. As in the Bible, Ismail’s mother is Hagar and she is sent away. When Ismail is grown and his mother has died, he meets Ibrahim again. Learns that Ibrahim has converted to Islam and that Ibrahim had taken an ax and attacked and destroyed all the pagan gods at a Temple except one after converting to Islam. He hung the ax around the single standing pagan idol. Ismail also converts to Islam.
The story appears at an Islamic web site:
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/ibrahim.htm
Agree with your assessment of Ismael Ax. Applying that story to the facts of the case, how do you interpret the meaning as it applies to Cho et al?