I think the guy was a well-intentioned individual who thought that by ingratiating himself with the Libyan populace, they would see that he was only there to help their countrymen. Apparently, he didn’t read the Koran very thoroughly or if at all. A useful martyr for the SD and Obama.
I think he was very well informed indeed.
And he knew the risks.
T.E. Lawrence is a very good example of the type. There have been a LOT of British “Lawrence of Arabias”. They were successful to a degree, because it is in fact not extraordinary that a sympathetic foreigner can organize an irregular Arab armed force, or can stir up a revolt, or can even generate fierce personal loyalty.
And it does not seem to matter much if they are homosexual. Plenty of Arabs are, and plenty of Arab leaders.
Also typical of the type is a rather paternalistic view of the Arabs as an endearing but rather hopeless lot. Lawrence certainly didn’t think much of their prospects. His defensive attitude towards them seems to have been a mix of loyalty to his friends (the Hashemite royals) and the sort of protective feelings a naturalist has to an endangered species.