British Terror Attack Suspect Had Watched Friend Cut to Pieces
One of the suspects in the killing of a British military drummer last week saw a friend "literally sliced to pieces" when they were both teenagers.
One of the suspects in the killing of a British military drummer last week saw a friend “literally sliced to pieces” when they were both teenagers.
That victim, 18-year-old Faridon Alizada, was stabbed to death in 2008 by a bare knuckle fighter who was suffering from a drug induced psychotic episode. Michael Adebowale, one of the alleged assailants in last week’s slaying and Alizada’s friend, was stabbed too. Some of the boys were involved in a local gang.
Reports Saturday say Adebowale’s mother sought help from a local mosque out of fear that her son was losing his grip on reality when he dropped out of college nine months ago. Both Adebowale and 28-year-old Michael Adebolajo, the other suspect in the recent killing, appear to have converted to Islam around the time they left college.
— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...The Independent:
Adebolajo was said to have been popular at his school in Romford, Essex, but Adebowale was bullied at Kidbrooke High School in Greenwich.
A friend who has known him since he was 11 told The Times: “He was one of us … just normal, nothing completely evil about him at all. He went around preaching Islam, preaching peace though. I must say the whole reform into Islam was quite a sudden change. It was a big shock. But it suited him. It looked like he was doing well.”
Simone Edwards, 22, a close friend of Adebowale’s, said that he converted after being bullied at school. She said: “He was kind of having problems with a couple of gangs. I think he was just looking for somewhere to belong. When he found Islam he finally found a piece of family.”
This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
In a new episode of "On Contact," the Truthdig columnist argues that Britain and the U.S. are "mocking the very concept of the rule of law."
The ruling against the government cites the Paris Agreement and block plans to add a third runway at Europe's biggest travel hub.
In a blistering letter to the U.S. government, Special Rapporteur Nils Melzer condemns the whistleblower's indefinite imprisonment.
French president's comments about the alliance's "brain death" due in part to lack of U.S. leadership draw President Trump's sharp retort.
Several others are wounded, police say, adding that passersby tackled the fleeing knifeman ahead of armed-response officers' arrival.
Members of the Extinction Rebellion movement demonstrate for more urgent action against climate change.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.