"Jihad": A few things don't add up...?

[Beachtastic]

I know it's early days and we don't have much info to go on about the killer at the Manchester synagogue. But this BBC news article is very confusing.

He's described as a "35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent" who "was granted British citizenship in 2006 when he was around the age of 16" ... my maths is shit, but 2025 minus 2006 = 19...? Other articles says he was a minor when he was given citizenship.

Apparently he was "on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of rape at the time of the killings" but "was not charged with the offence."

His parents, understandably, have made a strong statement distancing themselves from his actions, but the article goes on to say:

A post on his father's Facebook page, which has been verified by the BBC, appears to praise the 7 October attack by Hamas.
... The post reads: "The scenes broadcast by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades showing a group of fighters storming an occupation army camp with simple means, balloons and motorcycles, prove beyond any doubt that Israel is not here to stay.
"Men like these prove that they are Allah's men on earth, regardless of who leads them, they are the true compass for men confident in their victory, even if their resources are few."

It also says his father is a surgeon... and that "Jihad" was his birth name.

I'm not sure where to begin processing all this information, if it's true. Quite surprised to find it reported by the BBC to be honest.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q7y72kppgo

I have a question, it's a serious one, but I've name changed, as I'm too scared to use my other alias, as I've put a lot if identifiable information on here,

I live near a lot of Muslims, literally most of my estate. Most are OK.

There is one though, who worries me.

He took his sons out of the UK and took them to Pakistan, to be "good Islamic scholars". His wife and daughter stayed here.

He was gone for 5 years, but returned thus Year,

His younger son is still at school, but now goes to a Muslim school.

He has shared posts from one of our mosques, this one must be creating radicals.

One post was a flyer for a special teaching they had on Christmas Day it was about how corrupt and fallen the West is, with an image of Tower Bridge, the Eiffel Tower and other Western landmarks, destroyed and in flames.

I'm afraid that these boys are not going to be able to integrate in the UK, when they were taken from thus country and have only had an Islamic education.

Please note I am only talking about one Muslim family, obviously DC has lots of Muslim friends and my neighbours are nice.

I'm also concerned about the members of this mosque, apart from that example I've seen what the Imam posts online, it is pretty extreme.

@Sayitorshutup possibly go through this website?

https://actearly.uk

That's right ..the original meaning of the word was about spiritual struggles , not killing for Islam.

Absolute rubbish. There isn’t one passage in the Quran that says to harm Jews at all.

Indeed, those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians — whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good — will have their reward with their Lord. No fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.”
— Qur’an 2:62

I find any antisemitism or Islamophobia abhorrent but to compare Islamophobia to antisemitism is just plain wrong, you only had to watch the undercover footage on YouTube of the man in disguise to hear the blatant Islamophobia Muslims face, the burning of the Quran and the ripping up of flags. When do you see this hate towards any other faith? Mainstream media itself is Islamophobic and has been a huge cause of fuelling the hatred in this country. The panorama report on the met police, a huge majority of it was aimed at Muslims. I do not see even remotely similar towards the Jewish community. Many many millions of Christian’s live peacefully in Islamic countries but with the way Muslims are portrayed you wouldn’t know about it.

when people of different faiths kill like the Charlie Kirk murder or the recent attack on the Mormon church it is played down and each time I sigh relief because I know had they been Muslim then the press and the British public will have a field day with it and the perpetrator in these attacks will be described as mentally ill but the minute it’s a Muslim then the narrative changes and as a community we all pay the price. One crazy man who goes against the teachings of Islam causes nothing but pain for the Muslims all over the uk because slagging off Islam is just normal now and fully accepted unfortunately and us Muslims face hatred now on a regular basis.

I was referring to my missed vocation as an acountant.

Anything to do with adding and subtracting would have landed me in jail sooner or later...

Yes, it's clearly a carefully worded statement by someone with PR (?) experience. I'm not sure who drafts this sort of thing.

Leave it with me, I'm sure I can make those numbers work!!!

Thank you

This is very true. Jihad is quite a common Arabic name. Jihad is an important part of Islam and means an internal struggle or striving towards spirituality. Absolutely has been corrupted by extremists.

@CrispsPlease

There is cultural and religious norms that are vastly different to the average UK born non Muslim western family. That's just truth. And it'd be better if it was acknowledged. There's so many faux pas on here of women invited their Muslim female neighbour over for "coffee and biccies and a chat" then scratching their head when there's tumbleweed in the form of a reply.
Or people "concerned" that their Muslim neighbour is suffering domestic abuse because she's rarely seen out without her husband. They're applying western cultural norms to a non Western family. It's both ignorant and naive.
Multiculturalism does not truly exist. It doesn't mean it's bad per se. Just realistic. So long as you can accept that it is what it is. Rather than try to be a do gooder and force your western values on your Muslim peers and then scratch your head when it doesn't go right. (I don't mean you by the way ^ !)^
Liberal left just can't take the blinkers off and see facts regarding integration.

Thank you for "thinking out loud", as I am trying to do here. I'm worried that our well-meaning tendency to draw a veil over cultural differences, in the interests of a harmonious society, does not reflect reality and does not accurately describe or even acknowledge the problems we face. It feels as though this could backfire badly, especially when a whole spectrum of beliefs and behaviours are labelled "Muslim/Islam" as though one size fits all.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, too. I've heard the phrase "stochastic terrorism" but just had to look up what it means! 🫣 and it pinpoints what I'm anxious about: "the use of mass communications to stir up random lone wolves to carry out violent or terrorist acts that are statistically predictable but individually unpredictable" -- inciting random acts of violence by individuals who are not directly instructed or coordinated.

📣 How It Works

• A public figure or influencer repeatedly uses hostile, dehumanizing, or inflammatory rhetoric.
• This rhetoric is amplified across media and social platforms.
• It raises the statistical likelihood that someone will commit violence, even though:
• No specific person is targeted to act.
• No explicit instructions are given.
• The timing and identity of the attacker are unknown.

🧠 Why It Matters

• Legal ambiguity: Because the speech lacks direct incitement, it often falls outside criminal liability.
• Social impact: It can normalize hatred, escalate polarization, and provoke violence against marginalized groups.
• Media dynamics: Echo chambers and confirmation bias on social media intensify the effect

This is a good description of what has upset me since 7 Oct 2023, when MN was flooded with spamming threads (now deleted) gloating over the attacks and denying the atrocities. There was so much antisemitic vitriol that I am now scared and angered by the "pro-Pal" rallies, such as those that took place on Yom Kippur after the synagogue attack. It blows my mind that the first rally in London was organised as the attacks were still unfolding in Israel, and that people were ready to be arrested in support of Palestine Action whose co-founder spoke in praise of Hamas on 8 Oct 2023.

We are traditionally a tolerant and liberal country, but I'm wary that this leaves us open to manipulation. Just over the past 2 years, our whole society seems to have fractured and polarised. If I feel frightened and helpless in the face of this, then "disaffected" (for want of a better word; I am struggling to express myself) groups are likely to feel angry and even violent. Where are we headed?

I don't have any solutions. I want free speech for everyone, but I also want people to be less mad, and that's not going to happen any time soon. I wish I could put the clock back to pre-internet days. (Or, rig it so that only I have access to it 😉)

@soulofmysoul
When do you see this hate towards any other faith?

I see it towards the Jewish community here in the UK. Here on MN, but also out in the streets where they are regularly intimidated (I am not Jewish, by the way). And of course the synagogue attack, which it seems might not just be the actions of a lone loony.

I'm worried that people who think they are peacefully protesting against an ugly war are being led by the nose to serve the purpose of something more organised.

I'm sorry that the Muslim community also feels under threat. There are no winners in this horrible situation, which seems to be escalating.

We are a tolerant and liberal country that runs on a several tier system allowing intolerance and sexism to flourish under the banner of liberalism .

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/first-name-meaning/jihad?srsltid=AfmBOoqKN-qQOVRU4t_EqLOixDXJxXVxX0torItDBBjOL9z5NxAbZ51P

In the context of 35 years ago and the father's ideological bent, I think 'Jihad' means 'struggle' about as much as 'gay' means 'happy.'

The father has made a series of Islamofascist-supporting and seriously disturbing posts on social media. He is living in France with his second family but recently attended a pro-Palestine in Manchester. I hope there is an investigation into his activities, associations and fitness to practise.

There needs to be a serious investigation of the medical profession in the UK. Medical workers are not necessarily angels or detached professionals and we need to know if racism, religious attitudes or hardline ideological stances are leading to abuses of patients and differences in outcomes.

We also need a complete overhaul of the immigration and asylum system to guarantee that anyone allowed to stay will not bring the problems of the country they are leaving to the UK.

As the daughter of Asian immigrant doctors invited here to work for the NHS, I fully agree that doctors should leave their religious views at home. And not bw anti-vaxers or extremists!
Extremists make it hard for all us brown people. I feel like I have to be constantly defend myself now.

Yes, extremists make it hard for everyone. I agree with @EsmaCannonball that more needs to be done about weeding out those with malicious intent. Surely rabid posts on social media are a bit of a giveaway? Can anyone enlighten me on why no action is taken on this sort of thing? Would it just drive maniacs to be more discreet? Is it even possible to police terrorism? I find myself stupidly nostalgic for the "good old days" when the only terrorist threat we were aware of was IRA bombs. This is on a whole new scale that I just don't think the UK is equipped to deal with.

Mind you, back then we were also terrified of nuclear war. I remember the Protect and Survive pamphlet advising us to create a reinforced shelter, perhaps a stair cupboard or under a table. It sometimes felt as though humanity was on the brink of extinction. Yet here we are, having muddled through so far. I suppose we will find a way to muddle through all this too, and this is just another cycle of fear, but I wish I felt better protected.

The medical profession has been involved in many horrific abuses and scandals over the centuries. I know I am probably breaking some kind of internet law here but I remember reading in Sarah Helm's book on Rävensbruck that the single biggest profession to join the SS was the medical profession, and that doesn't even count the number of doctors all over the Reich who sent their disabled patients (mostly children) to be gassed. Doctors in Gaza are active Hamas members, not only turning their hospitals into military bases but helping to torture the hostages. There's even the recent scandal about criminal staff and patients being abused at the hospital in Blackpool. I'm reading Matthew Syed's Black-Box Thinking at the moment and the amount of bad outcomes caused by the culture of cover-up and collusion in hospitals is outrageous.

Actually, when I mentioned extremists in the NHS I was thinking mainly about a lot of white, western staff who have hardline political views. You do wonder if it affects patient outcomes.

Police are apparently suspicious that he had been influenced by islamic extremists - no shit Sherlock!

You’re right. No one wins OP 😔

😄

When do you see this hate towards any other faith?

Are you fucking serious? You do know this thread is about an attack on a Synagogue? An attack which likely would have been worse if it wasn't for the security that Synagogues and other Jewish places need.

Social media has a lot to answer for by way of spreading lies and misinformation, with lots of users treating what they read/watch there, as facts. I think the world was a better place without Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook to name a few. Smartphones have improved my life but on balance, I think they’re done far more harm. And when it comes to spreading propaganda, the combination of both those technologies have proven to be lethal, over and over again.

I believe that there are some people who attend the pro-Palestine marches and genuinely believe they are doing their moral duty to support people in Gaza. But at the same time, I also believe the marches have a lot of attendees who are anti-Semitic and use them as an opportunity to publicly display it with impunity. The marches, also much like the sit-ins in American universities have a lot of Hamas orchestration and organization behind the scenes and it’s frightening how neither the government nor most of the media are willing to acknowledge that.

I would like to be able to talk about extremism in several faiths without the conversation exploding, but it seems almost impossible.

I’d like to talk about radical Islamists vs moderate Muslims and where as a nation we think the line should become worrying.

I’d like to talk about the right wing Christian Nationalists wreaking havoc in America. It doesn’t mean i’m anti Christian.

I’d like to talk about extreme Zionism and it’s relation to anti-semitism without being accused of the latter.

I’d like to be able to acknowledge that extremism exists in all faiths, that all holy texts can and have been twisted to cause harm to other groups.