What kind of terrorists do you usually have here?
Oh, we got both kinds: Muslim and Islamic.
Posted on 04/18/2007 5:35:28 PM PDT by jdm
Apr 18, 2007 — "Ismail-Ax." These two words were scribbled in red ink on the arm of Seung-hui Cho, the 23-year-old Virginia Tech student who killed 32 others and then himself in a bloody rampage Monday.Cho was an English major and poet whose writings had raised eyebrows in the past. But what could "Ismail-Ax" mean? Is the phrase spiritual, poetic or just a bizarre expression of a troubled student?
Watch the full story on "Nightline" tonight at 11:35 p.m. EDT
One "Nightline" viewer recognized "Ismail-Ax" from a poem he had read by Drum Hadley, the 1960s beat poet. The poem is called the "The Goat Ranchers" and in it Hadley, under the pseudonym Yonder Ridgeline, writes about "Ishmael's Ax."
Here's the excerpt:
Went where they'd herded goats when they were kids,
Went where they were lovers,
Went where they were married here, those fifty years ago.
Traces of Ishmael's ax on the scarred trunks of the cedar trees,
Crossing the canyons and winding arroyos.Do you know the meaning behind "Ismail-Ax?" Let us know on the "Nightline" message board.
While some may see a parallel, this poem does not have a disastrous ending like the tragedy in Virginia. Hadley writes of a couple, married 50 years, reflecting on their time together.
Others recognize the name Ismail for its religious significance . A similar name, Ishmael, is widely known as the name of the eldest son of Abraham, father of the Israelites. He appears in the Christian, Muslim and Islamic faiths, and his character is both revered and criticized throughout all three religions.
According to Strong's Dictionary, the name "Ishmael" literally translates as "God will hear."
With the origin of "Ismail-Ax" still unknown, the Internet has erupted with people trying to decipher its true meaning. Perhaps they hope that unlocking the secret behind "Ismail-Ax" will explain how a troubled kid could commit an act so terrible.
See my post # 100.
“God gave all the promises to Issac, not Ishmael.”
This may be a tie in with the nut’s warped view of the “spoiled rich kids, etc.”. Just like Ishamel, being the eldest son by custom (regardless if by a maid servant) SHOULD have had all the benefits and entitlements of being the first born. Instead it was Issac that got the Mercedes, the gold chains, etc. (God’s promise trumped the customs!)
This leads me to think of the prodigal son. The oldest son who stayed on the farm doesn’t get noticed, but the younger son who went out and partied and other “debauchery” is the one who is welcomed and shown affection.
What kind of terrorists do you usually have here?
Oh, we got both kinds: Muslim and Islamic.
How about we compare this with the Anthrax Letters sent to NBC after 9/11?
bottom line, ABC gets it wrong.....AGAIN
Yes, I agree. Nobody goes on a killing spree with the name of a psychiatrist tatooed on his arm.
Either he was a Muslim, or he read their writings and admired their terrorism.
He also seems to have been influenced by that violent movie by a Korean director; but that doesn’t explain where “Ismail” came from.
Two theories come from literature, where Ismail is spelled Ishmael.
In James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Prairie," Ishmael Bush is known as an outcast and outlawed warrior, according to an essay written in 1969 by William Goetzmann, a University of Texas history professor. In Cooper's book, "Bush carries the prime symbol of evil -- the spoiler's ax," the professor wrote.
Also, the narrator from "Moby Dick," Ishmael, is considered an enigma who is well educated yet considers his time on a whaling ship worthy of time at Yale or Harvard, according to education site Sparknotes.com.
Cho Seung Hui was an English major at Virginia Tech.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0704170800apr18,0,6351168.story
People will be appropriating this event to fit their personal agendas for years to come.
I speculated that Cho’s plan was to axe (uninstall) his sluggish ISMAIL anonymous remailer program once he was done with his killing spree and suicide.
Does this mean that the new threat is “going technical” ?
I concede defeat, good post.
Cho is everything to everybody. Cho will be the source of political/policy fundraisers for awhile.
NO, great minds think alike-:)
I can prove using the Bible that CHO was posessed by a demon or demons. The maniac of Gadera was posessed by demons and claim that Christ was tormenting them. Just as CHO claimed in the video. That to me or any Bible believeing Christian is proof enough. See Matthew 8:29.
the handwriting - no match.
But does he automatically go to Hell?
What would the significance be? On another thread, someone had read that survivors reported that he smelled very bad.
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