By: Mahmoud El-Yousseph

Mahmoud El-Yousseph
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 17:53:45 +0000

OSU ATTACKER WAS INFLUENCED BY ISIS PROPAGANDA

Abdul Razak Artan, the Ohio State University student who injured 11 people when he attacked pedestrians on campus with a car and a knife, was inspired by ISIS propaganda. How else could you explain that an honors student would suddenly give up everything and turn against innocent people on the street by using a car and knife as a weapon? My heart goes to all the victims including the Artan family for their loss.

Let me say it loud and clear, ISIS sucks! This misguided young man was influenced by ISIS, who according to the FBI, produces as many as 90,000 messagess on Twitter, YouTube, and social media in two dozen languages every day. Those messages are targeting young men (Muslims and nonMuslims alike) in the US and the West to declare war with whatever available means they have to them. If this student had been a member of ISIS, he would: 1) have used weapons and explosives in his attack, 2) he would not blow his cover and give an interview to OSU Lantern last August and 3) he would not have used someone else’s car to commit his crime.

As a retired USAF veteran and a 40 year residence of Central Ohio, I do know that Muslims are on the forefront when it comes to denouncing terrorism against innocent Jews and Christians here or abroad. So, let’s hope that public officials will not use this heinous attack to