UNC Jihadi claims Islamic Motivation; FBI don't get it.

On Friday last week a 23-year-old Iranian, Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, drove a large rented SUV Jeep Grand Cherokee into a crowd of 500-1000 people at the University of Norch Carolina with the expressed intention of killing as many as he possibly could to "avenge the deaths of Muslims." He drove his vehicle into "The Pit" at the UNC-Chapel Hill campus around noon Friday.

The details follow in three articles from local news publications. What we do not find great mention of is that a Muslim, motivated by Islamic ideology, tried to murder people because of Islam. Our intelligentsia are in agressive denial mode. They are shockingly obvious in their pursiut of lies and obfuscations.

To clarify this story somewhat we turn first to two commentors from http://jihadwatch.org for some truth.:
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A friend who lives in Chapel Hill told me this: "Chapel Hill is a very upscale area that refuses to acknowledge any kind of crime problem. If news leaked out that Chapel Hill had a crime problem, UNC Medical would lose millions of dollars in tuition and government grants. Affluent people would start to leave the area and property values would drop. After all, rich people don't spend money to send their children to schools that get attacked by terrorists. Chapel Hill/UNC Medical will be crime free. That means no terrorists, no problems. Just a nice safe environment where your kids can go to get an education. That is why the school doesn't want to label this as "an act of terrorism". Nothing to see her folks, so move along. No terrorism, no Muslim fundamentalists, no Islamists. Smile. Be happy. It's business as usual."

Posted by: Bohemond_1069 at March 6, 2006 12:40 PM
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/010501.php#comments
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I was there on Friday. One of my two offices is located in Lenoir Hall a.k.a. the dining hall (In front of the Bookstore and across The Pit). He slowly drove his Cherokee on the south side of Lenoir Hall and turned left. His vehicle was idling and pointed towards the Pit. He then accelerated so quickly that he spun his back wheels and roared toward well over 500 to 1000 innocent students. He later calmly called 911 and stated his reasons for this "act of violence." Once he uttered his reason it became terrorism. His sole purpose was to "avenge the treatment of Muslims" kill and strike fear. That is terrorism as we know it today. If I drive my SUV through a crowded park because I see my wife embracing another man...that is a spontaneous act of violence. This was planned.

Posted by: Bill at March 8, 2006 10:56 AM

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FBI Joins Investigation Of UNC Hit-And-Run

Man Charged With Incident May Have Had Political Motive

POSTED: 12:30 pm EST March 3, 2006

UPDATED: 2:22 pm EST March 4, 2006

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Authorities say 23-year-old Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, who drove a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee into The Pit at the UNC-Chapel Hill campus around noon Friday, may have acted to avenge American treatment of Muslims.Police intend to charge Taheri-azar, who graduated from UNC in December with a dual degree in psychology and philosophy, with nine counts of attempted murder and nine counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, said Capt. George Hare of the UNC Department of Public Safety.The FBI joined the case because Taheri-azar, a native of Iran, "allegedly made statements that he acted to avenge the American treatment of Muslims. The ongoing investigation will work to confirm this," said Special Agent Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman in Washington.Last month, Muslim students at UNC protested the publication in The Daily Tar Heel student newspaper of an original cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad. Islam is interpreted to forbid any illustrations of Muhammad for fear they could lead to idolatry. The recent publication of a series of cartoons of Muhammad in European newspapers sparked violent protests in the Middle East and elsewhere.The Muslim Students Association, which was among the leading critics of the cartoon, said Teheri-azar had never been a member of the group and denounced him on its Web site."Regardless of what his intentions prove to be, we wholeheartedly deplore this action, and trust that our fellow classmates will be able to dissociate the actions of this one disturbed individual from the beliefs of the Muslim community as a whole," the statement said. "Peace be upon you all."All Injured Now Out Of HospitalSix people -- five students and a visiting lecturer -- were taken to UNC Hospitals with minor injuries, hospital spokesman Tom Hughes said. All six have been treated and released. Three other people declined treatment on the scene, according to police.Authorities found the vehicle used in the hit-and-run on Plant Road near Franklin Street and Taheri-azar was taken into custody. Authorities said that drugs and alcohol are not believed to have been involved.A student who witnessed the event, said that the SUV was going between 40 and 45 mph when it hit the students at the Pit, which is located in an open area surrounded by two libraries, a dining hall and the Frank Porter Graham Student Union on campus.Campus police said Taheri-azar used an area designed to give access to Lenoir Hall to work his way to the Pit. Coming from the parking lots in the north side of Davis Library, a car could travel down the side of the cafeteria and end up in the Pit from there. Normally, there are barricades up but on Friday, they were not in place.

WRAL
Mohammed Taheri-azar was taken from the UNC Department of Human Safety to an undisclosed location Friday night after his arrest in the UNC-CH incident.Several witnesses saw the SUV as plowed through that part of campus."He was speeding up and swerving to hit people. One person got knocked onto the windshield, and he didn't care," said student Lauren Westafer, who saw the accident."I see everyone kind of part because there's a car coming through and the next thing I know, I'm on his windshield," sophomore Jeff Hoffman, his arm in a bandage, told the campus newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel.On a sunny, cool day like Friday, the Pit is a busy center of campus activities, with students perched along the walkways and steps. Friday's noontime crowd included a gathering of candidates for Black Student Movement elections.Nicholas Altman, who was having coffee nearby, said that one man was hit and thrown onto the hood of the SUV. That person was taken away on a stretcher, Altman said."I was on my phone and I heard somebody scream," Altman said. "I turned around and there was a white SUV. It looked like it hit a couple of people. One person in particular went over the hood."Student affairs staff and counselors have been providing support to students who watched the scene unfold.

Agents Surround Carrboro Apartments After Incident

Sky 5
State and local investigators converged outside the University Commons Apartments in Carrboro early Friday afternoon, where the suspect in the UNC incident is believed to have lived.Around two hours after the crash, state and local investigators surrounded Building D at University Commons Apartments at 303 Smith Level Road in Carrboro, where Taheri-azar lived with two roommates.Josh Curd, 26, who lives in the same building as Taheri-azar, said that at about 12:30 p.m. an officer knocked loudly on his door and "tells me to get out and run up the hill." Curd complied and remained outside after dark in nothing but medical scrubs and a T-shirt.A bomb squad from the State Bureau of Investigation spent about 4 1/2 hours at Taheri-azar's apartment at the request of police before declaring the building safe. Taheri-azar "encouraged the checking of his apartment" with comments made after he was arrested, Carrboro police spokesman Capt. Joel Booker said."He said it almost in a baiting type of way," Booker said.Local authorities declined to say what they found in Taheri-azar's apartment or to discuss a motive. Investigators continued to search the apartment Friday night for other evidence, Booker said."As far as delving into his motives and things like that, we're in the process of developing that in our investigation," Hare said.According to police records, Taheri-azar was convicted of unsafe movement in August 2003 after being charged with driving left of center and failing to obey a traffic officer in Orange County.A month later, he was convicted of reckless driving to endanger for speeding and reckless driving, also in Orange County.Incident Brings Back Grim Memories For UNCThe incident came just a week after the campus was shaken by the death of one of two students who crashed through a dormitory window, falling four stories onto the concrete below. The second student remained hospitalized in fair condition.Friday's incident brought back memories of a deadly day near campus from several years ago. Back in 1995, Wendell Williamson walked down a street near campus and opened fire. Two people died in the rampage.Williamson, who was a law student, was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to Dorothea Dix Mental Hospital, where he remains under care.
http://www.wral.com/news/7651436/detail.html
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UNC Professor: Taheri-azar 'Wasn't Shy About Expressing Opinions'

Hit-And-Run Suspect 'Acted Alone,' Authorities Believe

POSTED: 7:19 pm EST March 4, 2006

UPDATED: 11:57 am EST March 5, 2006CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Authorities said they believe Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, 23, acted alone when he allegedly drove his vehicle onto the UNC-Chapel Hill campus Friday afternoon and injured nine people.

"Our ongoing investigation indicates that the suspect's motive was to avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world," said Derek Parch, UNC-Chapel Hill's Director of Public Safety at a news conference Saturday afternoon. "There is every indication in this early stage of the investigation that he acted alone. There is no indication whatsoever that he acted in concert with anyone."Taheri-azar, currently at Raleigh's Central Prison under a $5.5 million bond, was charged with nine counts of attempted first-degree murder and nine counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill.Authorities said Taheri-azar purposely plowed into students at a common gathering area on the university's campus, known as "The Pit," at around noon on Friday.Officers said he rented a Jeep Cherokee from a nearby rental agency, drove onto campus, entering off of Cameron Avenue. He then drove behind Bynum Hall, up between Murphey and Manning halls and continued down between Lenoir and Greenlaw halls before turning into The Pit.After exiting the campus off of Emerson Drive, Parch said Taheri-azar called authorities and told them where to pick him up.A State Bureau of Investigation bomb squad later evacuated Taheri-azar's apartment building at University Commons and remained at the scene for more than three hours Friday."His indication to us was that we could find the reason for this attack in his apartment," Parch said Saturday.Authorities, however, will not say what they found. The FBI is also participating in the investigation, but Parch did not say whether Taheri-azar would face federal charges."I'm seeing it as an act, a violation of State of North Carolina law," Parch said. "And anything past that is just word."

WRAL
Mohammed Taheri-azar was taken from the UNC Department of Human Safety to an undisclosed location Friday night after his arrest in the UNC-CH incident.But when Pieces of the front door of Taheri-azar's Carrboro apartment were still lying on the front porch Saturday when WRAL visited the scene. The door was blasted open a few hours after Taheri-azar's arrest Friday afternoon.Ryan Tuck, the editor-in-chief of UNC-Chapel Hill's campus newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, went to Taheri-azar's apartment on Saturday, he said that the door way lying flat and there was no crime-scene tape around.He walked into the apartment and into the suspect's room, where he said items were scattered haphazardly."There were 'Go Army' pamphlets, loads of books, mostly to do with science, chemistry and biology," said Tuck. "The 'Go Army' pamphlets stuck in my mind. I didn't know if somebody put those there."Inside the room, Tuck said, he also found an acceptance letter to a PhD program at Nova University and a calendar that read, "Light shine in the peaceful mind."Nothing, however, inside the apartment that he saw would explain why Taheri-azar drove through the Pit on Friday.Born in Iran, Taheri-azar, has spent most of his life in the United States, and, a few weeks ago, began working at Jimmy John's restaurant on Franklin Street, near the UNC campus.In 2005, he graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in psychology.UNC psychology professor Dr. Gordon Pitz, who was Taheri-azar's professor twice, said he was very shocked about what happened Friday.Taheri-azar took Pitz's seminar in decision theory and research methods class -- required for all psychology majors."He was unusual in his willingness to seek help, to discuss issues," Pitz said. "He wasn't shy about expressing his opinions."But Pitz said they never discussed Taheri-azar's religious beliefs."He was certainly not shy, but he never expressed any kind of hostility, that I was aware of," Pitz said.Taheri-azar was very serious about his grades and very involved in UNC's psychology club, even serving for a while as the club's president, Pitz said.He never gave Pitz any indication that he was capable of such an attack that authorities said he was responsible for.Rumors quickly spread around the UNC campus Friday that the attack was in response to the campus newspaper's recent publication of a political cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad.On its Web site, the UNC Muslim Students Association, which was among the leading critics of the cartoon, as well as others published in European newspapers, denounced Taheri-azar's actions, and said he had never been a member of the organization."Regardless of what his intentions prove to be, we wholeheartedly deplore this action, and trust that our fellow classmates will be able to dissociate the actions of this one disturbed individual from the beliefs of the Muslim community as a whole," a statement on the Web site said.Other local Muslim associations also condemn the actions, including the Raleigh Islamic Center, which released a statement Saturday saying it was "deeply troubled by this individual's actions."Taheri-azar is expected to appear in an Orange County District Court Monday.
http://www.wral.com/news/7691315/detail.html
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Students To Protest UNC's Reluctance To Label Pit Incident Terrorism

'I Don't Know What Was Going Through His Head,' Suspect's Friend Says

POSTED: 7:01 pm EST March 5, 2006

UPDATED: 8:00 am EST March 6, 2006CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Protests are planned for Monday in the same area of campus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where, authorities said, a former student plowed a sport utility vehicle into nine people Friday afternoon.

The College Republicans, Americans for an Informed Democracy and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies are sponsoring the event, scheduled for 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday in "The Pit," a central area of the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. The event is open to the public and free of charge.Police said Mohammad Taheri-azar, a 2005 UNC-Chapel Hill graduate, admits he acted to "avenge the death of Muslims around the world." UNC police and local authorities, however, say they have not taken a stance on that interpretation, but are simply repeating what the suspect has told them.UNC-Chapel Hill student leaders said that Monday's protest is aimed at the reluctance of the university to label Friday's incident as an act of terrorism."This is innocent people being attacked by an SUV, driven by a man who was doing it for retaliation for treatment of Muslims around the world," said Jillian Bandes, with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. "To me, that spells terrorism."Taheri-azar, who is currently in Raleigh's Central Prison under a $5.5 million bond, is charged with nine counts of attempted first-degree murder and nine counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill.Because of what Taheri-azar admitted to local authorities, the FBI is also participating in the investigation. FBI spokesman Ken Lucas said Sunday, however, that a federal investigation is still ongoing.

WRAL
Mohammed Taheri-azar was taken from the UNC Department of Human Safety to an undisclosed location Friday night after his arrest in the UNC-CH incident.But were Taheri-azar's alleged actions acts of terrorism?"I think (what Taheri-azar did) is extreme," said Dan VanAtta, a friend of the suspect. "But then again, I don't know what was going through his head. … Mohammed was a good guy."David Schanzer, the director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security at Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill, said it is fine for students to voice their dismay, but that they should be cautious."(They should) understand the roots of it and understand the strategies for addressing it in a constructive way," Schanzer said.He takes the same position as officials at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, who have publicly stated that they do not condone the incident: authorities should decide how Friday's incident will be classified, and that the investigation should run its due course."Whether or not the FBI decides to charge this individual with a crime of terrorism, I think it was a terroristic act," Schanzer said.
http://www.wral.com/news/7721912/detail.html
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