UK: “Gifted” Muslim Student Becomes Would-Be ISIS Jihad Murderer

This article tries to give the impression that the Internet has some mysterious, magical power to “radicalize” otherwise loyal, law-abiding Muslims in the West. This is nonsense.

Young Muslims such as Mubashir Jamil would never be susceptible to what they saw on the Internet if it didn’t coincide with what they learned at home and at the local mosque.

“‘Gifted’ student became would-be IS fighter from surfing internet, court told,” Express, March 6, 2017:

A “GIFTED” straight-A student turned from computer gamer to would-be Islamic State fighter from surfing the web, a court heard.

Mubashir Jamil, 22, from Luton, became obsessed with dead martyrs and fascinated with violence before he allegedly made plans to go to Syria in April last year, the Old Bailey was told.

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson told how the former Challney High School for Boys pupil got A grades in his GCSEs and did work experience at an accountancy firm.

He worked in a local Amazon warehouse and listed his interests as reading fiction, surfing the internet and physical training.

Mr Jameson said: “When not working he led a low-profile existence, spending much of the time at home in Belmont Road playing computer games.

“He spent a good deal of time, as we shall see, surfing the internet.

“It was through the internet that the defendant was drawn into a world poles apart from that of a gifted schoolboy with A* in both the arts and the sciences.

“Through the world wide web the defendant became an extreme jihadist radical and follower of Islamic State.

“He became a would-be IS recruit willing to sacrifice his life for IS and indeed the lives of others.

“He turned from a player of video games into someone willing to carry out suicide attacks in this country on behalf of IS.

“His preference, however, was to go to Syria and join IS as a jihadist fighter.”

The defendant became intent in bringing what he described as “intense pain” to the enemies of IS, the court heard.

Mr Jameson said Jamil had a “fascination with violence”, including the murder of Western hostages by IS.

“He also had something of an obsession with images of dead jihadi fighters or martyrs,” the prosecutor said.

Jamil actively engaged around March last year after getting the encrypted messaging app Telegram, jurors heard.

He used it to chat with someone called Abdul who said he was working on the Syrian border, the court heard.

As he applied to join IS, he allegedly told Abdul: “I am not afraid of violent fighting, getting hurt and tortured and hurting others.”…