Posted on 07/26/2018 9:42:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A shooting in the Greektown area of Toronto Monday evening killed two and injured 13 more victims:
On Tuesday, Canadian authorities identified the mass shooter as Faisal Hussain:
Early on Wednesday, ISIS claimed credit for Monday's attack, calling Hussain a "soldier of the Islamic State":
But later in the day, New York Times reporter Rukmini Callamachi claimed that because Hussain killed himself immediately following the attack, he could not possibly have been inspired by ISIS:
Now, alert readers might be a bit confused here. Not only did ISIS claim credit for the attack, as seen in the earlier tweet, but Callamachi herself had reported it.
Strangely, Callamachi was on Canadian TV giving an interview earlier today following the ISIS claim of credit acknowledging that, at least from ISIS's point of view, they were praising Hussain for responding to their call for supporters to conduct attacks at home to terrorize Western countries:
The phrasing that refers to responding to calls to target coalition countries, that refers to a famous speech put out in 2014 by ISIS's then spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani, where they called on people who could not travel to the Islamic State who were still back home in Western countries and elsewhere in the world to carry out attacks in situ, in their own communities, anyway they could. It was in that speech that they spoke about using cars to run people over, even using rocks to use them to smash the heads of their enemies.
So what the phrasing indicates is that from ISIS' perspective this was a man who was most likely self-radicalized, who was inspired by their propaganda, and not somebody who actually traveled to Syria, or took more concrete direction from the group.
So ISIS had no apparent stated problem with his suicide. And ISIS believed -- according to Callamachi -- that the attack was in response to their own propaganda. How does the manner of his suicide preclude that Hussain was an ISIS supporter and acting on the group's call for adherents to conduct attacks in the West?
Well, it doesn't.
Making the issue even more straightforward, media have reported that evidence shows Hussain may have been an ISIS supporter:
Huge scoops here from @joe_warmington. "Files being reviewed by police include concern Hussain expressed “support” for a web site that was seen as “pro-ISIL,” says a law enforcement source." https://t.co/nhwNmj8fuz
— Ezra Levant ???? (@ezralevant) July 24, 2018
More from Joe: "Hussain apparently had been spoken-to by authorities about his online activities. Sources say Toronto Police, the OPP and the RCMP have all had an interest in the now-deceased alleged shooter." https://t.co/nhwNmj8fuz
— Ezra Levant ???? (@ezralevant) July 24, 2018
"Sources say police in Toronto and CSIS officials in Ottawa, as well as the RCMP, are looking into his past which sources say include his residence in Afghanistan and Pakistan." https://t.co/nhwNmj8fuz
— Ezra Levant ???? (@ezralevant) July 24, 2018
[A] law enforcement source told CBS News that Faisal Hussain visited Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) websites and may have expressed support for the terrorist group.They were looking into whether Hussain may have lived at one time in Afghanistan and possibly Pakistan, the source said. There is no indication that Hussain was directed by ISIS to carry out the attack.Authorities have said they have yet to find any direct connection between Hussain and ISIS:
BREAKING: Toronto police chief says investigators have found "no evidence to support" ISIS claim of responsibility for Danforth shooting https://t.co/KJWhdVeypZ pic.twitter.com/Xi1pMwio5L
— CBC Toronto (@CBCToronto) July 25, 2018
Historically, Islam has considered suicide as haram (impermissible). That's not really in question.
But in recent decades, beginning with the Soviet war in Afghanistan and the rise of Palestinian terror groups in the late 1980s, there has been considerable debate in the Sunni world about whether suicide attacks are not suicide and therefore permissible. A few senior Sunni Islamic clerics, such as the Qatar-based Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, have endorsed the practice. While it is a minority view in the Islamic world following the 9/11 attacks, it is not without supporters -- including the Islamic State.
In fact, ISIS actively recruits for suicide (martyrdom) attacks.
Don't just take my word for it:
So wild. A western recruit explaining ISIS onboarding to @rcallimachi: "They asked if you wanted to become a suicide bomber or do you want an administration job?" https://t.co/EAUSEbbT1POthers noted that the acceptability of suicide in conducting attacks among those who endorse such practices (including ISIS) is highly subjective, but is generally based on the utility of the suicide:
— Brett Murphy (@BrettMmurphy) April 27, 2018
Given the existence of suicide vests and VBIEDs, I think most would agree that the "no-no-ness" of suicide in jihadist circles is pretty open to debate. I wrote a Master's paper on this.
— C. August Elliott (@CAugustElliott) July 26, 2018
Key point to note here is the distinction b. a suicide of no gain (intihar) and a tactical suicide.
"Istishhad" = a sacrifice. A rite conducted in exchange for something. To gain something. If there is tactical gain by strapping on the vest then it is seen as halal. No gain=haramOther scholars have noted that jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS have been openly debating this question for a while.
— C. August Elliott (@CAugustElliott) July 26, 2018
Many jihadis are mentally unstable and suicidal — those are “pre-jihadi” mindsets that draw them to the jihad, which amounts to religiously sanctioned suicide. So this tweet is highly misleading. https://t.co/aPhfBxFClJ
— Mike (@Doranimated) July 26, 2018
It must really hurt to twist yourself into a pretzel every day.
Who cares about actual evidence. There’s no way he could have been pro-ISIS.
The New York Slimes wrong again.
NYT reports are unemcumbered by facts and reality.
“As @CruickshankPaul and others have explained, suicide is a big no-no for jihadists.”
Yeah, except that jihadists are constantly committing SUICIDE bombings, so anyone with an IQ above room temperature knows that isn’t true.
Once again the NYT shows us their ignorance .
Even if he isn’t clearly a certain dogma is responsible for his actions.
Thanks SeekAndFind.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.