I wonder what happened to change him? Drugs? Rejection by gf? Something happened to change him to depression.
Dating, any kind of premarital physical contact, and drugs, among observant muslims are officially "haraam". Actually, pretty much anything involving western lifestyles is "haraam".
Haram (/ˈhɛərəm, ˈhær-/; Arabic: حَرَام‎‎ ḥarām) is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden".
In Islamic jurisprudence, haram is used to refer to any act that is forbidden by Allah, and is one of five Islamic commandments (الأحكام الخمسة‎ (al-ahkam al-khamsah)) that define the morality of human action.[1] Acts that are haram are typically prohibited in the religious texts of the Quran and the Sunnah. The category of haram is the highest status of prohibition. Islam teaches that a haram (sinful) act is recorded by an angel on the person's left shoulder.[2] If something is considered haram, it remains prohibited no matter how good the intention is or how honorable the purpose is.[3] A haram is converted into a gravitational force on the day of judgment and placed on mizan (weighing scales).[4][5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haram
Lots more at the link, and "haram" or "haraam" is easily searched.
I don't agree at all that he, or any other radicalized young muslims, are "depressed" when they carry out rampages. Conversely to "depression", I think that the process of radicalization provides the budding young terrorist with
a purpose, indeed a
"higher purpose" in their life, in the murders they aspire to commit, and in their deaths as martyrs. Just like inner city youths who aspire to belong to criminal gangs to find a sense of family and purpose they lack in their upbringing, so do young muslims who gravitate toward radicalization aspire to be "more" than they are.
Terrorists need a sense of purpose, and a sense of belonging. It's
essential, IMO, that they feel this confidence, belonging, and affinity to the radicalized ideas, in order to justify their actions and their martyrdom. Otherwise, they're just one lonely, murderous, misfit, nutjob-- and THAT would be a depressing thought to them, IMO! (Your'e not getting into heaven if you're a lonely, murderous, misfit, nutjob-- only if you're a "virtuous martyr".)
I think a lot of young muslim men in this country feel like they are not a part of
either culture-- their islamic homeland culture, and western culture. (And I'm referring to refugees, or those born here to refugee muslim parents-- refugees, not immigrants, there's quite an enormous difference, IMO, between immigrants, and refugees.) They don't fit in western culture (especially in the midwest), and they don't "fit" in the role of "man" in their muslim refugee communities. They are lost between 2 worlds, and the way some of them choose to "be a man" and "fit" somewhere is to embrace radical islam. And radicalizing elements are predatory, always on the lookout for ripe, receptive men. The dilemma all refugee muslims have is the struggle between trying to continue living their religion and culture
here, with assimilation to western lifestyles. The more they assimilate to western ideals, morals, lifestyle, and values, the more they struggle with culture and family, and the more "ripe" they become for radicalization from the internal struggle.
There is plenty written by experts in the past 20 years about the psychology of islamic radicalization-- dozens of books for the lay public, as well as commissioned governmental studies. These are not just my opinions and ideas.
It takes a fair amount of resolve, and confidence, to carry out a terrorist attack-- especially with a knife. A knife is a very "personal" weapon, not like a gun. A murderous rampage is not a sign of depression, IMO. They're not depressed, they're radicalized, and confident.
Enormous difference.
