Used car salesman turns to jihad. No one who knew him seems to have picked up any hint that Arbabsiar was the kind of guy who might one day get involved in a jihadist assassination plot. The only prior indication was that he was a Muslim, but to have been concerned about that in any way would have been “Islamophobic.” The problem is that the teachings of Islam are available for any Muslim to decide to act upon, even if he has ignored those teachings for years. “Iranian bomb plotter was well-known Texas used car salesman,” from the New York Post, October 12:
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Iranian American accused of organizing a $1.5 million assassination plot against Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States is a Texas used car salesman.
Manssor Arbabsiar, also known as Mansour Arbabsiar, 56, has spent most of the past 25 years living and working in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he is known as “Jack.”
His friends also nicknamed him “Scarface” because of an injury he got during a fight over a woman back in the 80s.
Arbabsiar, a naturalized citizen who holds both an American and Iranian passport, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom dressed in jeans Tuesday to face various terror charges.
He was arrested in New York City on Sept. 29 in connection with the plot and was charged along with Gholam Shakuri, an Iran-based member of Iran’s Quds Force, a special operations unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Local businessman Mitchell Hamauei said he and Arbabsiar have been friends for 15 years.
“I was very shocked to see what happened, you know,” Hamauei said. “That’s out of character for him and he’s a businessman. Maybe he thought it was a joke. I don’t know. I just don’t know what’s going on in his mind.”
Maybe he is just a decent fellow.
Arbabsiar was a well-known car salesman in the city’s Iranian and Middle Eastern communities, but he also dabbled in other businesses, including a now-shut down convenience store and a Middle Eastern restaurant in a popular mall….
Hamauei said his friend recently moved to Round Rock because he could sell more cars in the Austin area.
“If you wanted a wholesale car, something real inexpensive, you’d call him up and he’d get you a real good deal.”
And if you needed a Saudi ambassador assassinated, you’d call him up and — such a deal he’d give you!