Jerry Bowyer, TCS;
This morning I read that the Virginia Tech shooter died with the name Ismail Ax written in red ink on his arm. The mainstream press doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what this might mean. To quote Indiana Jones, “Didn’t any of you guys go to Sunday School?”
OMG.
So Bush is implicated after all?
Ibrahim confronts his people and rejects their idols
He left his father after he lost hope to convert him to the right path, and directed his efforts towards the people of the town, but they rejected his call and threatened him. By Allah, he said, I shall plot a plan to destroy their idols. He knew that a big celebration was coming soon, where everybody would leave town for a big feast on the riverbank. After making sure that nobody was left in town, Ibrahim went towards the temple armed with an ax. Statues of all shapes and sizes were sitting there adorned with decorations. Plates of food were offered to them, but the food was untouched. “Well, why don’t you eat? The food is getting cold.” He said to the statues, joking; then with his ax he destroyed all the statues except one, the biggest of them. He hung the ax around its neck and left.
How big was the shock when the people entered the temple! They gathered inside watching in awe their gods broken in pieces. They wondered who might have done this? Then they all remembered that the young Ibrahim was talking evil of their idols. They brought him to the temple and asked him: “Are you the one who has done this to our gods?” Ibrahim said: “No, this statue, the biggest of them has done it. Ask them if they can speak.” “You know well that these idols don’t speak!” They said impatiently. “Then how come you worship things that can neither speak nor see, nor even fend for themselves? Have you lost your minds?”
They kept silent for a while, for he got a point there. Their minds and their senses were telling them that the Truth is with Ibrahim, but their pride prevented them to accept it, and reject the idols they were worshipping for generations. This they thought would be total defeat. They started yelling at him and shouting: “Burn him! Burn him! Take revenge for your gods !”
The Miracle: Allah saves Ibrahim from the fire.
The decision to burn Ibrahim to death was affirmed by the priests and the king of Babylon, Nimrod. The news spread like a fire in the kingdom, and people were coming from all places to watch the execution. A huge pit was dug up and a large quantity of wood was piled up. Then the biggest fire people ever witnessed was lit. The fire flames were so high up in the sky that the birds could not fly over it for fear of being burned ! Ibrahim’s hands and feet were chained, and he was put in a catapult to throw him into the fire. At that time, Angel Jibreel came to him and said: “O Ibrahim! Is there anything you wish for?” Ibrahim could have asked to be saved from the fire, to be taken away, but no, he said: “I only wish that Allah be pleased with me.” The catapult was released, and Ibrahim was thrown in the heart of the fire. But Allah would not allow His Prophet to be killed, He ordered the fire: “O fire! Be coolness and safety for Ibrahim!” And the miracle happened. The fire obeyed and burned only his chains. Ibrahim came out from it as if he was coming out from a garden, peaceful, his face illuminated, and not a trace of smoke on his clothes. People watched in shock and said: “Amazing ! Ibrahim’ s God has saved him from the fire!”
I bet they Gamil Gharbi this info at the MSM’s
Ax of Ismail?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail
Ishmael, son of Abraham, mentioned in both the Torah and the Qur’an
There is also rumors of Islam targeting asians in recent years.
Mind you who is really running the Islamic terror groups? You would be surprised to know.
So this joker decides he’s gonna destroy the “idols” and be saved from death by Allah?? Not surprised there was a Muzzie bent to his actions.
Real Conservative, who is? Surprise me.
This gives whole new meaning to my question: if that was true, that he bought his 1st handgun on Mar 13, how did he manage to master handgun killing to a degree, where he was able to kill more than a half of his victims. I suspect that he received extensive training. Fatality rate of this kind of 9mm handgun shooting should have been much lower if he was a newbie with a handgun.
That’s my thinking Aaron. He’s got a really high number of killed vs. wounded for a 9mm pistol. It appears this kid practiced. A lot.
That may just be due to bad reporting, but we shall see.
Aaron: Except that according one trauma doctor at the hospital all the wounded being treated had been shot at least three times. It will be gruesome to learn the number of wounds on the dead.
Mark
Ottawa
Aw, Collins. Why did you have to go spoil a perfectly good conspiracy theory. You have no idea where the tall foreheads on here would have taken it.
This kid was a loose cannon, a basket case with the potential for danger, considered as such by his classmates:
After hearing about the mass shootings, I sent one of my friends a Facebook message asking him if he knew anything about Seung Cho and if he could have been involved. He replied: “dude that’s EXACTLY what I was thinking! No, I haven’t heard anything, but seriously, that was the first thing I thought when I heard he was Asian.”
http://newsbloggers.aol.com/2007/04/17/cho-seung-huis-plays/
Lots of hard questions on when is it actionable to intervene with someone like this. I suspect his symbolisms have little valid political meaning and are more the tangential thinking of psychosis.
The actual spelling is “Ismale Ax” according to hotair.com. Can we please stop trying to make this a bout of Sudden Jihad Syndrome? It was a stretch at the beginning, and now it has become beyond parody.
Not every act of terrorism, which this was, has to have a link to the “Religion of Peace”.
Good point about his prior expertise, Aaron and The Phantom. It makes me wonder where he had gotten it from.
Interesting entry at Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail_ax
The Washington Post’s Emil Steiner has some interesting research he has done on the phrase….
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbeat/2007/04/ismail_ax_the_vt_gunmans_final.html
“Can we please stop trying to make this a bout of Sudden Jihad Syndrome?”
I agree. Leave the conspiracy theories with the lefty fruitcakes, like the jews were all told to leave the twin towers, or a missile hit the Pentagon.
The phrase is not so obvious. Here is a comment that I have found the most compelling so far: “in James Fennimore Cooper’s story “The Prairie,” the settler Ishmael Bush, who is attempting to escape from civilization, sets out across the prairie with two key tools, a gun and an axe. Each has a symbolic meaning. The axe — which can either kill or provide shelter — stands for both creation and destruction. Given that the VT killer was an English major, might this be the likely meaning of the words on his arm?”
I read that he had two handguns, one of which was purchased in March. That could mean he was well-practised with the first one, and that he acquired a second one to use in a premeditated killing spree (i.e., less reloading with two handguns).
being a former soldier and hunter, I must agree with the previous posts vis-a-vis this madman’s efficiency….some rookie punk does not become a killing machine overnight, I do not care how deranged he is….it will be interesting to see how many rounds the idiot fired……sad days indeed
“That’s my thinking Aaron. He’s got a really high number of killed vs. wounded for a 9mm pistol. It appears this kid practiced. A lot.”
“Good point about his prior expertise, Aaron and The Phantom. It makes me wonder where he had gotten it from.”
Actually, the Glock is a pretty natural pointer, and rather easy to learn to use. Especially if the targets are not moving, and not fighting back, and at relatively close range.
The high kill to wound rate is probably the result of double-taps, and of course (and probably more important) the bullet selection. Frangible hollow points or some variety of “Talons”, even at low velocity, can be very deadly.
A little dry-fire practice, and a brick of 50 rounds expended would have been enough. Probably no conspiracy required.
Note: Breaking news at this moment of a “manifesto” mailed to MSM from the shooter makes it look like well-planned *event*.
The whole story about Ibrahim and the fire raises serious questions to me about the reliability of Islamic history.
Ibrahim was put into a catapult to the thrown into the fire. Although catapults were well known in 700 AD when Islam was developed, Ibrahim (Abraham) lived around 1700 BC.
However, the earliest catapults were developed around 400-300 BC in Greece and China.
Hmmmmm.
I’m surprised it took this long for someone to start calling him a terrorist or a Islamofascist.
He was a nut. Certifiable. He was committed for a while even. The school authorities were concerned about him and already on him.
I’ve read this rumour about the tattoo and seen it grow on conservative websites. But I’ve yet to find anyone of these writers point to a verifiable source. It is all “I heard” with no link or only a link to another “I heard” claim. Even TCS Daily, to which Kate links, says only “This morning I read that the Virginia Tech shooter died with the name Ismail Ax written in red ink on his arm.” Where? Where did you read that? On someone’s blog? Funny that a technology website article doesn’t know how to employ a link to the original source.
Maybe there was a tattoo or maybe not, but a lot of these blogs and onlines sources have claimed their strength is putting out the facts so we can make up our own minds. So give me the facts so I can make up my own mind.
If there is no mention of Allah in his suicide note, when the full contents are revealed, will everyone promise to drop this meme?
Isn’t it more likely that Ismail Ax was just his video game screen name? Of all the theories I’ve seen that makes the most sense.
Nerd plays on-line ‘Counter-strike’. He has to choose a screen-name, so being an English major he says ‘call me ismail’. Unfortunately ‘ismail’ is taken so it becomes ‘ismail ax’. He shoots a lot of people during the game and then when he goes to act it out in real life, he writes the name on his arm.
A lot of terror attacks have been carried out in the Religion of Peace’s name – 8078 since 9-11 – but I think laying this one at it’s door is reaching. Why engineers? If he were an islamist, why not the Judaic studies department? or women’s studies?
nobody said he was al qaida….just seems a little fishy
Remember the axe planting youth who placed said blade in the back of one of our military negotiators heads during an Afghan, round table?
The history outlined above seems to fit. Beware Muslim boys who happen to dragging an axe about behind them. = TG
I don’t think this is a case of Sudden Jihad Syndrome, either. But if it’s true that he wrote Ismail Ax in red on his arm surely it makes sense to try to figure out what he meant by that. And we should expect journalists to be familiar with the story of Ishmael in the Bible, though it’s pretty clear the Bible is the last thing today’s journalists are familiar with.
I would say, though, that his fixations in that creepy McBeef story bear a similarity to the themes in Iran’s typical denunciations of the Great Satan. But then so does the typical leftist academic. This Psy-Cho just sounded a lot creepier about it.
Late breaking news — MSNBC reports that at least two people have been shot at the University of Missouri.
Appears not to be a campus shooting. University police issued this statement via e-mail to students:
“This is a notification from University of Missouri-Columbia Police that a shooting occurred in the proximity of Grindstone Parkway and Bearfield Road earlier this afternoon in southeast Columbia. Both cars involved in the shooting have been located. In response to those who have made inquiries, the shooting did not occur on campus.”
Bridget Johnson posted this tidbit, relating not to Islamists, but another member of the AX-is of Evil:
“..And about the “ax”? What comes to mind is the “Ax incident” in August 1976, when American soldiers in Korea cut down a tree to get a better view of the Bridge of No Return across the DMZ. A group of North Koreans descended upon the soldiers, got the ax and killed two. Not a pretty story.”
http://gopvixen.blogs.com/gop_vixen/2007/04/campus_shooter_.html
I’m with Penney on this one:
“I suspect his symbolisms have little valid political meaning and are more the tangential thinking of psychosis.”
If this was really Jihad related we’d see the usual hallmarks in the note: Allah this, Muhammed that, yadda yadda pboh. There’s none. The Ismail Ax bit is just where parts of his mind stuck during its high speed spin cycle.
Discussion should be centering on how to spot and help people like this before they blow, not doing a similar tangential variation and heading for gun control or jihad.
I find it ironic that the mayor of Nagasaki, with Japan’s incredibly restrictive gun control, was shot the same day.
Every time more surfaces on this guy, now his videos, I revise my opinion from psychotic to narcissistic personality and back which doesn’t matter past the point that he was perceived by others in their encounters with him as a danger to others. Where were the adults in this situation, mental health, the professor that dismissed him from her class as too creepy, in protecting these kids?
I’m sure he picked symbols to offend and cower the maximum number of people. Ironically he isn’t different from the jihadist that takes out as many innocents as possile on a daily basis.
We live in the Age of the Sociopath. I refuse to live like Europeans as sitting ducks.
The school authorities were concerned about him and already on him.
Hey, Ted, they weren’t. That’s the point of this tragedy. He remained on that campus, in his dorm, in classes, at large on campus long after a normal person would have had him removed.
The Ishmael Ax reference as a reference to The Prairies (James Fennimore Cooper) looks more compelling with the NBC material. The picture shows the spelling as Ishmael. He holds a hammer in one photo with two hands, as one would hold an ax. He was an English major. No indication he was steeped in Biblical lore.
I think he was spot on in the video when he refers to himself as having a cancer of the brain. The poor git’s wires were crossed, a neural tossed salad. There is not much sense to be made, other then to take the pieces and reassemble the ingredients–a tomato, an onion, a leaf of lettuce, whatever else was in the fridge at the time.
The University was definitely not “on it.” Ted’s assessment is peculiar as usual. This guy was a mean, frightening nutbar. One professor threatened to resign if “Psy-Cho” was not removed from her class and the administration removed him but seems to have done little else. Damn shame.
The University was definitely not “on it.”
Did political correctness keep this guy on campus? Everything revealed about this guy’s behavior, plus, his obvious academic under performance, I’m wondering would he have been toast if he had been the run-of-the-mill suburban white kid?
Was his minority status at play here? I’m of the opinion that you get more passes when you are riding the sacred minority status.
At first, the rumours had this being a jealous ex boyfriend, now a psychopath.
I’m reserving judgement on any and all “theories” including SJS.
Ted: ” … He was a nut. Certifiable. … will everyone promise to drop this meme?”
It’s not often I would agree with you Ted … but I agree.
It’s almost a miracle how these “nuts” are suddenly cured when faced with their own impending doom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_School_of_Law_shooting
Someone has already secured the domain name Ismailax.com…talk about connonizing the demented .
“It’s almost a miracle how these “nuts” are suddenly cured when faced with their own impending doom.”
I think it is more a matter of the nut being put off his script by an intervening event–like a record being knocked out of the groove–more than being “cured” or made to see reason. Nonetheless, an unexpected armed response is an effective intervening event.
Aarin said:”how did he manage to master handgun killing to a degree,”
What makes you think executing people from 20 feet takes skill? I’ve shot competative HG for over 20 years and from the descriptions ciming out he shot at immobile targets at no more than 30 feet….only way to get a kill with a .22LR rimfire.
We also learn that this was deeply premeditated as he had the right to buy hiis guns in Virginia but because he had bee treated for mental issues, it would flag a no sale on his background check….so he bought the guns in another state which is not on line to Virginia’s background data base…he also filed the serial numbers off the guns…either because he intended to survive the affair and go undetcted and drop the gun at the scene or sell them after black market.
This connection of Cho>>Ismail>>Ibraham>>Ax>>Story of the Idol smashing is ridiculous! Perhaps we should find the seven steps connecting to Kevin Bacon? Or perhaps Ax>>Idol Smashing>>American Idol>>Sanjaya Malakar getting the axe! We need a ban to restrict some of you from using Search Engines. You are dangerous!!
This massacre was logicistically well-planned and confidently well-executed. That’s not praise for what was done, just an observation of how this “operation” played out from preparation to its culmination. He posted the materials he sent to NBC — after killing two and before moving on with his phase two.
It is reasonable to question whether this was not a one-man operation.
The story of Ibraham smashing the idols is actually taken from the story of “Bel and the Dragon” and it was about Daniel smashing the idols but blaming it on the one big idol because it was jealous. This story has been recorded since 200 BC. However at about 700 AD Mohammed heard this story along with other Hebrew stories from merchant travelers but being illiterate Mohammed confused the people and the facts.
At about 700 AD Mohammed heard many Hebrew stories from merchant travelers but being illiterate Mohammed confused the people and the facts of the stories. He heard that Jesus was the son of Miriam. (The names Miriam and Mary are interchangeable like James and Jimmy.) Well, another story he heard was about Miriam who was the sister of Moses and Aaron. Mohammed mistakenly thought that Jesus was the nephew of Moses! Reality check: Moses and his sister Miriam lived and died 1200 years before Jesus lived. And Jesus lived 600+ years before Mohammed. I guess Mohammed’s version is good enough for the Quran.
I started researching this yesterday when I read what he wrote. Hearing that he sighned his note with this makes me a beleiver in what I have found. “ismail Ax” is referenced as an unknown word grouping in what is called text tagging. To summarize, text tagging is used to conduct searches based on text, language etc. Anyway….The phrase “ismail Ax” is tagged as NN,NNP those tags reference that the phrase is, ambiguous, or improperly labled, ie it is in question. Since we allready know Cho was known for signing his name as a question mark I belive he simply adopted this unknow word gropuing as his name by capitilizing the “I” in ismail it now becomes a proper noun. the name Ismail Ax Literally means Question
deep examination of ismael in the context of religion
Ishmael was the first born of Abraham.Ishmael’s mother was Hagar,a handmaiden to Sarai.Gen.16:11,12 tells of Jah’s relaying through an angel who Ishmael was to be.
Gen.21:8-21 explains the rocky relationship between Ishmael and Isaac,Hagar and Sarah.Sarah asked(demanded) that Ishmael and Hagar be driven away(Gen.21:10)
At first I thought maybe the guy was saying he represented the axe that Ishmael would have used on Isaac,had Ishmael used an axe on Isaac!
Or that he represented Ishmael’s weapon of revenge.
But,because of the shooter’s reference to Jesus he may have ment that he represented the axe that would be used against Ishmael by Isaac because of Ishmaels taunting Isaac(Gen.21:9)if,of course,Isaac had used an axe to extract revenge on Ishmael.
Ishmael was the first born of Abraham.Ishmael’s mother was Hagar,a handmaiden to Sarai.Gen.16:11,12 tells of Jah’s relaying through an angel who Ishmael was to be.
Gen.21:8-21 explains the rocky relationship between Ishmael and Isaac,Hagar and Sarah.Sarah asked(demanded) that Ishmael and Hagar be driven away(Gen.21:10)
At first I thought maybe the guy was saying he represented the axe that Ishmael would have used on Isaac,had Ishmael used an axe on Isaac!
Or that he represented Ishmael’s weapon of revenge.
But,because of the shooter’s reference to Jesus he may have ment that he represented the axe that would be used against Ishmael by Isaac because of Ishmaels taunting Isaac(Gen.21:9)if,of course,Isaac had used an axe to extract revenge on Ishmael.