The Virginia Killer a Muslim?

[surria]

Internet abuzz over shooter's mysterious markings
By Eric Benderoff

Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO — All at once, the world went searching for the meaning of "Ismail Ax."

Those two words, written in red ink on one arm of Cho Seung-Hui, the 23-year-old Virginia Tech student suspected of the campus shooting spree, set off a massive Internet hunt by the public Tuesday for clues to what might have motivated the nation's worst mass killings.

Almost as soon as the Chicago Tribune's Web site reported that detail, which then was picked up by news organizations around the world, the blogosphere filled with theories about the possible meaning of "Ismail Ax." Hundreds of bloggers speculated on a link to Islam or to literature; thousands offered their opinions and millions read the commentaries, according to Technorati.com.

Technorati.com, a Web site that tracks the blogosphere, said that by late afternoon Tuesday, there were nearly 300 blog posts regarding Ismail Ax. There were other reactions. A TV repair-shop owner in Corpus Christi, Texas, registered the domain name www.ismailax.com Tuesday morning.

"When I hear a name, I register it. I have about 200 names right now," said Raymond Patterson, who registered the site five minutes after he heard the phrase "Ismail Ax" mentioned on a Fox News broadcast. He said he had no intention of making "blood money" from the site.

As for the term's meaning, one popular theory comes from a story in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, about Ibrahim and his son, Ismail. This theory picked up speed because many bloggers wondered if the shootings could be related to terrorism.

In Islam, Ibrahim is known as the father of the prophets and, upset that people in his hometown still worshiped idols and not Allah, he smashed all but one statue in a local temple with an ax. Ibrahim's son is Ismail, who also became a prophet. Ibrahim is Arabic for Abraham, who plays a significant role in Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Two theories come from literature, where Ismail is spelled Ishmael.

In one, tied to James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Prairie," Ishmael Bush is known as an outlawed warrior, according to an essay written in 1969 by William Goetzmann, a University of Texas History professor. In Cooper's book, "Bush carries the prime symbol of evil — the spoiler's axe," the professor wrote.

Also, the narrator from "Moby ceeb," Ishmael, is considered an enigma who is well-educated yet considers his time on a whaling ship worthy of time at Yale or Harvard, according to education site Sparknotes.com.

Cho was an English major at Virginia Tech.

Other theories speculate that Ismail Ax could be a reference to Cho's nickname on a video-gaming site or that it is a misspelling of Turkish hip-hop artist Ismail YK.

[FAH1223]

every terror attack has to be related to Islam eh?

they got nothing, this guy was a christian maniac

[DANGIRL]

You have to be really dumb to believe this guy has anything to do with Islam.

[michael_ital]

Crazy chinque

[e!]

he looks low quality

[musika man]

[quote="e!"]he looks low quality[/quote]


^^^

seek help, you are disturbed too.

[e!]

[quote="musika man"][quote="e!"]he looks low quality[/quote]


^^^

seek help, you are disturbed too.[/quote]


hop off my dik

[Steeler [Crawler2]]

The motives here were not political. The guy was mentally ill.

[*jr]

Ah! that type of violence makes me question the 'Bill of Rights', the so called "the right to bear arms" .....for God sakes! the Brits aren't coming any more...and they never will....so drop the stupid "right to bear arms" bull shit, and get rid off it.

[Steeler [Crawler2]]

Junior
First of all, changing the US consistution is a hugely difficult proposition, and frankly, I don't think you will see it happen.

Secondly, you have to understand that Americans are not Europeans. Americans have, from a variety of influences, a violent culture. There are some 200 million guns in circulation in America. You are not going to change that, no matter what law you pass.

The same freedom that allows Americans to own weapons is the same freedom that allows enormous entrenpreneurship and allows inividuals freedom to entertain other pursuits and, fundamentally, the pursuit of happiness. Governments are all about control. The American people want the government to have minimal control over their lives. Hence the Faustian deal between people and government is more limited than it is in Europe.

[*jr]

MAC,

I understand the idea behind it....of course it takes two thirds of congress and majority of fifty states to emend the constitution... however the idea that someone in Virginia can easily buy a gun without regulation (once a month) is a mind boggling...

mind you, the right to keep and bear arms did not originate from Bill of Rights, rather, the second amendment was the codification of the six centuries old responsibility to keep and bear arms for king and country that was inherited from the English colonists that settled North America before said constitution ever came about, hence have no bearing to the constitution and was added as amendment.

So, rightfully, yes, if you are able to purchase a gun from all corners of the state once every month, and without waiting period, or inquiry, then there is consiquence....and that is what we have happened here, and its rather scary.

[Steeler [Crawler2]]

"I understand the idea behind it....of course it takes two thirds of congress and majority of fifty states to emend the constitution... however the idea that someone in Virginia can easily buy a gun without regulation (once a month) is a mind boggling..."

That's up to the state of Virgina. If the State of Virginia wants to change it's gun laws, it is welcome to do so. I don't live in Virginia nor do I intend to do so, so I would not venture to tell the good citizens of Virginia what laws they should or should not pass in regards to gun regulation.

"mind you, the right to keep and bear arms did not originate from Bill of Rights, rather, the second amendment was the codification of the six centuries old responsibility to keep and bear arms for king and country that was inherited from the English colonists that settled North America before said constitution ever came about, hence have no bearing to the constitution and was added as amendment."

That was part of the origin. Not the only part. There was also a keen awareness on the part of the framers that without individual gun ownership, the revolution could not have been won. It was, in short, designed as an insursance measure against Tyranical government.

"So, rightfully, yes, if you are able to purchase a gun from all corners of the state once every month, and without waiting period, or inquiry, then there is consiquence....and that is what we have happened here, and its rather scary."

Not scary for me. I don't live in the US. BUT, if I did, I would travel armed to be able to protect myself.

[eyes-only]

crappiest article ever.....

but the last theory sounds probable.

[quote="surria"]
Other theories speculate that Ismail Ax could be a reference to Cho's nickname on a video-gaming site or that it is a misspelling of Turkish hip-hop artist Ismail YK.[/quote]

[007.MALI]

How foolish. If they had any sense they would at least give the Honors student some credit in knowing how to spell ''Axe'' properly. Ax and Axe is not necessarily the same thing.

[xamari_gash]

SAY WALLAHI U LOT ALL READ DAT