It's important for the same reason pointing out "johnnie talibans" race was important. A lot of people this that in a certain conflict the people can be assumed to look a certain way. If there turn out to be a lot of exceptions to this it raises eyebrows and challenges certain racial profiling assumptions. Furthermore, the black muslim movement in this country has been suspect for quite some time and you are hard pressed not to wonder about it here.
I'm not convinced that "johnnie talibans" race WAS important or relevant.
A lot of people this that in a certain conflict the people can be assumed to look a certain way. If there turn out to be a lot of exceptions to this
I don't see how one admittedly "preliminary" report of the man's race (disclosed in the body of the article) equates to a "lot of exceptions".
Furthermore, the black muslim movement in this country has been suspect for quite some time and you are hard pressed not to wonder about it here.
The original article did not claim that the individual was a "black muslim". It merely said "Afro American". Unless of course you have additional information about the individual not disclosed in the original article - if you do, please share it with us?
But the article never said he was a muslim.