Personal experience, true story, New Orleans during Mardi Gras 2001:
I was at that time living in New Orleans, and like many natives, didn’t bother to attend the parades.
I happened to go into a little grocery store / deli run by some middle eastern guys, where I often went to get my newspaper and some pretty good falafel and baba ganoush.
At that time, I didn’t have any particular suspicion or fear of Middle Easterners. AFAIK, if they were here, they were Americans.
While paying, I jovially asked the young Muslim guy, “Hey, why you workin’? How come you’re not out at Mardi Gras?”
And he goes, “I go one day. You’ll see.”
I laughed, totally clueless. Just small talk with the store clerk, nothing more.
When the WTC was hit a few months later, and there was much discussion of “sleeper cells”, that jovial little conversation took on a whole new meaning.
I reported it to the FBI, and I was told the grocery/ deli would receive a visit.
So, yeah, I’m thinkin’ about that conversation again, now that 10,000 of them have landed in NOLA and Mardi Gras is coming up.
Thank you for posting the story. If and when the time comes I have not doubt the people like you talked to will join the Jihad.