Background and childhood
Gadahn’s Jewish paternal grandfather, Carl Pearlman, was a prominent surgeon and on the Board of Directors of the Anti-Defamation League; his paternal grandmother, Agnes Branch, was an editor for The Chronicle Christian Newspaper.[6]
Gadahan’s father, originally Phil Pearlman, grew up in Orange County, California. He was involved in the counterculture movement at the University of California at Irvine, and before Adam’s birth became a self-styled religious Christian. He and his wife Jennifer changed their name to Gadahan, after the Biblical warrior Gid’on or Gideon[1].
Gadahn was born in Oregon and raised and homeschooled through high school by his parents on an isolated farm in Southern California where they raised goats.[1] He played Little League baseball and participated in Christian homeschool support groups. As an adolescent he became very involved in the Death metal community, making contact with fans and musicians through alternative magazines. During the summer of 1993, he formed his own one-man band called Aphasia[1]. Gadahn contributed music reviews and artwork to a zine called Xenocide.
In 1995, at age 16, Gadahn moved in with his grandparents in Santa Ana, California, where he worked in a computer store and explored the Internet.
Conversion to Islam
While living with his grandparents, Gadahn described himself as having a “yawning emptiness”, and he sought ways “to fill that void.” He explored Christianity on the Internet, radio, and locally, but later said that he found evangelical Christianity’s “apocalyptic ramblings” to be “paranoid” and hollow. [1]
In 1995, at age 17, Gadahn began studying Islam at the Islamic Society of Orange County. Members of Gadahn’s study group were young fundamentalists who “targeted the mosque’s chairman, Hitham ‘Danny’ Bundakji,” whom they referred to as `Danny the Jew,` for his practice of “wearing Western clothes and being overly friendly with Jews.” [8]
Gadahn converted to Islam later that year, and shortly thereafter posted an essay to the USC website describing his conversion, entitled “Becoming a Muslim.”[9]
According to his parents, Adam was arrested and convicted of assaulting his former mentor Haitham Bundakji in May 1997, he served two days in jail, but his failure to do 40 hours of community services leaves a warrant for his arrest active.[10]
Move to Pakistan
Gadahn moved to Pakistan in 1998, where he married an Afghan refugee and maintained intermittent contact with his family.[11]
In Pakistan during 2003, Adam was asked by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to participate in a suicide attack in Maryland, but Adam decided against it citing “he had recently married and his wife was pregnant.”[12] However, a CIA official added that: “Gadahn participated in a number of “face-to-face brainstorming sessions” with Mohammed.”[13]
I wonder if they even know?
said that he found evangelical Christianity’s “apocalyptic ramblings” to be “paranoid” and hollow.
And he liked it so much he looked for something even more paranoid and hollow!
Just put out the word that he is part Jewish. His muslim buddies will do the rest.