I have spoken many times of how moderate Muslims can be turned into jihadists by appeals to the Qur’an and Sunnah. This is most likely what happened to this man. From ArabNews, with thanks to Nicolei:
CAIRO, 25 March 2005 – Visibly distressed, Muhammad tossed his head in disbelief as he talked of how his friend’s promising life ended in disaster. His friend was identified as the perpetrator of last Saturday’s car bombing that killed a Briton outside a theater near a British school in Doha.
“This is unbelievable,” Muhammad said. “He was an ordinary person and never sounded like an extremist or someone who has a different religious or political ideology.”
Maybe that’s because he really didn’t have a “different” ideology.
Muhammad added that his 39-year old friend, Omar Ahmad Abdullah Ali, had only interests related to his computer studies and his work and always planned for having a potential career….
Ali had worked in the information technology department of the energy firm since 1990, his mother said. “He had everything he wished for: A nice Palestinian wife born in Qatar, three cute kids and a job with a very good salary.
“He was also very happy when he got a baby last month and he was planning to visit Egypt this summer so that I will be able to see the baby,” the mother told Arab News.
The mother said her son called last week to tell her he was fine and confirmed his summer visit. “My son sounded very normal in the phone call and was giving me details of his next trip,” said the mother.
“If he had any intentions of carrying out the attack I would have noticed something and he would have tried to say goodbye indirectly. But it was just a normal call like all the calls he made during the past 18 years.”
Ali’s family, friends and neighbours in Cairo agreed on one thing. He was a decent man and a moderate pious Muslim who never talked about politics or even thought about having a beard.
The wife of the computer programmer, Umm Abdullah, in Doha was quoted by AFP as saying he was a devout Muslim and a man of integrity. “I am shocked,” the mother of three said. “It is impossible that he could have done that because he had no motivations and his history is as clean as snow,” said another friend….
Except for the fact that he undoubtedly read the Qur’an, and most likely came across the verse promising Paradise to those who “slay and are slain” for Allah (9:111).