The ‘Unmasking’ of an Islamic Terrorist, mainstream media style

By Judi McLeod —— Bio and Archives February 26, 2015

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Face of ISIS, executioner ‘Jihadi John’, identified as Mohammed Emwazi, still rides the Internet hiding behind his trademark black mask.

‘Jihadi John unmasked: Former Westminster University student was arrested FIVE years ago and put on a terror watch list--but he flew to Syria to join ISIS two years later’, is the headline in today’s British Daily Mail. Unmasked? There is no picture of ‘Jihadi John’ Mohammed Emwazi unmasked. The Washington Post seems to have got the story first. The Post story is liberally laced with sympathetic quotes from Mohammed Emwazi’s “close” friends.

How’s this for a description of a top ISIS executioner: “Those who knew him say he was polite and had a penchant for wearing stylish clothes while adhering to the tenets of his Islamic faith. He had a beard and was mindful of making eye contact with women,” friends said.” (‘Jihadi John unmasked: Former Westminster University student was arrested FIVE years ago and put on a terror watch list--but he flew to Syria to join ISIS two years later’, is the headline in today’s British Daily Mail. Unmasked? There is no picture of ‘Jihadi John’ Mohammed Emwazi unmasked. The Washington Post seems to have got the story first. The Post story is liberally laced with sympathetic quotes from Mohammed Emwazi’s “close” friends." Washington Post, Feb. 26, 2015) “Was mindful of making eye contact with women”? When was the last time you described someone this way? Mohammed Emwazi, 27, of Queen’s Park, west London, studied computer programming at the University of Westminster. Uploading grisly beheading YouTube videos to the Internet would pose no problems for a graduate of UofW’s computer program. “Jihadi John has featured in the horrifying execution videos of U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, aid worker David Haines, 22 Syrian soldiers and Japanese reporter Kenji Goto.” (Daily Mail) In mainstream media reports brutal Islamic terrorists go very quickly to the “Mr. Emwazi” stage and are portrayed in sob sister-sympathy:

“Arabic speaker Mr Emwazi, who first moved to Britain aged six, was reported to have been raised in a middle-class family and occasionally prayed at a mosque in Greenwich, south-east London. (Daily Mail) “But after graduating from university in 2009, he claimed to have been harassed and intimidated by the security services - and even complained to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. “Mr Emwazi alleged an agent from MI5 knew ‘everything about me; where I lived, what I did, and the people I hanged around with’ and claimed the organisation attempted to ‘turn’ him to work for them.”

Poor, misunderstood, underprivileged and unfairly harassed dude! As President Barack Obama would be quick to point out, he had “REAL GRIEVANCES”! “One of Kuwait-born Mr Emwazi’s close friends identified him, telling a newspaper: ‘I have no doubt that Mohammed is Jihadi John. He was like a brother to me… I am sure it is him.’ “And Asim Qureshi, research director a British human rights group Cage - who had been in contact with Mr Emwazi before he left for Syria - said he also believed the man was Jihadi John. “Mr Qureshi told the Washington Post: ‘There was an extremely strong resemblance. This is making me feel fairly certain that this is the same person.' (Daily Mail) More than passing strange, isn’t it that no one at the Post could get a picture of Mr. Emwazi from one of his friends. “According to the newspaper, in May 2009 Mr Emwazi flew to Tanzania with friends apparently on a safari - but was arrested by police upon landing in Dar es Salaam and sent back to Britain.” (Daily Mail) Was he practicing beheadings on animals first at the safari, or just being a tourist?

“En route he stopped in Amsterdam, where he claimed to have been accused by an MI5 officer of trying to reach Somalia, home of the militant group Al Shabaab. (Daily Mail) “The Washington Post reported Mr Emwazi - who has also been known as Muhammad ibn Muazzam - then moved to his native Kuwait and worked in IT, but he was detained by counter-terrorism police in June 2010 upon a return trip to London. “They allegedly fingerprinted him and searched his belongings, and he was not allowed to fly back to Kuwait. Mr Emwazi was put on a terror watch list and banned from leaving the UK.”

Still somehow, ‘Mr. Emwazi’ skipped town. Proof of which, is available in multiple online ISIS beheadings.

“The FBI said last September that authorities had been trying to identify Jihadi John using various investigative techniques including voice analysis and interviews with former hostages.”  (Daily Mail) “Scotland Yard would not confirm the name, and Downing Street declined to comment on the report. “Mr Emazi’s most recent address was a flat in Leeve House, part of the Mozart Estate in Queen's Park - an area that has seen shootings and gang-related troubles in the past four years. “A spokesman for the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London said: ‘We believe that the identity and name published by the Washington Post and now in the public realm to be accurate and correct. ‘“Jihadi John” is not special, in the sense that all the foreign fighters have tried to hide their identity by using pseudonyms or literally by masking themselves. ‘The fact that “Jihadi John” has been unveiled in this manner demonstrates that whatever efforts are made, the ability to mask one's identity is limited or in fact impossible, and their true identities will eventually be revealed.”

Make that identified ONLY AFTER multiple beheadings sent worldwide on YouTube.

“In September, it was revealed Jihadi John was known to MI5 before he travelled to Syria to join ISIS. It was revealed security officials had identified him but his name and background were being kept secret to avoid jeopardising any hostage rescue missions. (Daily Mail) “Police and security agents said they also wanted to gather more information before raiding the homes of the fanatic’s family and friends. “It is claimed he was making street collections for genuine Arab charities based in London at the time he came to MI5’s attention. “There is no suggestion that MI5 or the police had any basis to stop him from travelling abroad.”

In no time at all, Jihadi John, destined to be charged with ‘workplace violence’ will escape justice because we’ve all been taught to believe that there is no such thing as “Islamic terrorism”. We saw no pictures of Osama bin Laden’ corpse before it was dumped into the sea during an official Muslim burial. When do we get to see pictures of the “mindful of making eye contact with women”‘Mr. Wazami? Or will he go down in the rogues gallery of Islamic Terrorists as the forever masked Jihadi John?