Abousamra is a Muslim from the Boston area. He is the son of a doctor. He is a computer expert, a graduate of Northeastern University, where he made the dean’s list. If only we could alleviate the grinding poverty and social marginalization of young men like this, they wouldn’t turn to jihad.
“The American computer wiz running brutally effective ISIS social media campaign: College-educated son of top Boston doctor is on FBI Most Wanted list,” by Michael Zennie, MailOnline, September 4, 2014 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
A college educated American citizen with a knack for computers is believed to be one of the men running the brutally effective ISIS social media operation, which is helping to attract hundreds of fighters from across the world – including the U.S., Britain and Canada.
Ahmad Abousamra, 32, was born in France and raised in the upscale Boston suburb of Stoughton. His father is a prominent endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He attended the exclusive Xaverian Brothers Catholic high school and made the Dean’s List at Northeastern University.
He graduated with a degree in a technology field then took a job at a telecommunications company.
U.S. officials tell ABC News that he is now putting his skills to work for ISIS, the brutal terrorist organization that has been effectively using 21st century methods like Twitter memes, Facebook posts, selfies and YouTube videos to promote its radical 6th century Islamic ideals.
In 2004, federal authorities say, Abousamra left his American life behind and traveled to Iraq in the hopes of fighting U.S. soldiers as part of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Instead, he was recruited to the groups ‘media wing.’
‘If you do have a European language ability, if you have computer skills, if you are quite clever and you come join ISIS, you are likely to be used for social media output,’ Peter Neumann, the director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, told ABC.
When he returned to the U.S. in 2006, he was questioned by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He was released without charge and slipped out of the country and back to Syria.
In 2009, he was charged with federal terrorism offenses. He is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and the government has offered a $50,000 reward for his capture.
Most Wanted: The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for the capture of Abousamra, who is wanted on federal terrorism charges
Brutally effective: ISIS has managed to use 21th century tactics to promote its brutal 6th century worldview
Authorities now believe Abousamra is in charge of running social media for ISIS, according to ABC
ISIS has shown remarkable sophistication with its online presence. When the group released its video showing the execution of journalist James Foley, it was simultaneously posted on dozens of online forums, Twitter accounts of other social media sites.
A slew of Twitter and Facebook accounts spread the group’s message by posting pictures of the brutal executions and torture that ISIS terrorist bestow on their enemies – all while staying a step ahead of Silicon Valley’s attempts to shut them down.
Jihadist fighters who join ISIS, meanwhile, project an image of a certain kind of twisted glamour, showing off their new life and posing with weapons and on military vehicles.
‘ISIS understands very well that in order for an act of terrorism to be effective, it needs to actually terrorize people,’Mr Neumann told ABC.
‘The act of communication that follows the act of violence is almost as important as the act of violence itself.’


JZ999999999 says
He’s also a sick twisted sadistic punk.
bernie says
Even poverty is no excuse for religious extremism and terrorism. For example, Caribbean immigrants to the U.S. (such as Jamaicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Haitians and Cubans, who are mostly of Christian background) generally work hard and are law-abiding (especially first- and second-generation ones); one doesn’t see a disproportionate number of them turning to terrorism or crime or “violent crusades.”
Brian Hoff says
What about the murder plot carry out against the president in the early 1950 by Puerto Rican against president Truman. So your theory is invalid.
JS says
Bernie’s major premise is valid; but his/her minor premise is questionable.
bernie says
OK, but that was in the 1950s and it was a rather small group of plotters who planned to murder one person, albeit a prominent one. You don’t see Puertan Ricans flying planes into buildings, threatening to destroy NYC, Las Vegas or Chicago, or murdering thousands of people because they’re, say,non-Catholic, non-Christian or non-Latino.
There are a few exceptions such as Jose Padilla, who was a convert to radical Islam.
Frank Scarn says
Hey, Boston, you’re beginning to have quite a stink about yourself,
~ This Stoughton/Boston suburb character
~ Terrorism convictions (2013) of Tarek Mehanna, a Sudbury (another Boston suburb) Muslim who conspired to kill American soldiers and support Al Qaeda
~ Mohammed Atta (AA 11) and Marwan al-Shehhi (UA 175) chose Boston to begin their 9/11 adventure
~ The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center and its satellite mosques gave “spiritual direction” to the Tsarnaev brothers
~ Boston Marathon bombing itself
~ The Boston-area MBTA transit system refused to run AFDI/Geller’s pro-Israel adverts despite having allowed anti-Israel adverts
~ Lots of pro-Pali & Hate Israel & Hate Jews generally groups on Boston’s many college campuses
~ The Gay State moniker bespeaks of Boston’s outrageous “thinking” in all things liberal
~ The entire state, including the entire Congressional delegation and its two federal senators, is controlled by the Democrat Party with all its anti-life, anti-freedom attitudes; Ted Kennedy sat in the Senate for >45 years
There’s more, lots more. Hard to believe that MA was one of the Original 13.
mortimer says
It’s not Boston…it’s Islam that is to blame. Islam is a warrior cult with a conspiratorial gangster culture.
voegelinian says
Boston is to blame for not recognizing that “Islam …is to blame. Islam is a warrior cult with a conspiratorial gangster culture.”
But then, so is the entire West, From Melbourne to London to New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between.
Wetwork56 says
Frank Scarn-thanks for the research. My very first thought upon hearing of this scumbag on foxnews last night was of just whats wrong with MA. and MN. Two states with a large muslim population yes, but citizens willing to travel to travel to places like Syria/Iraq? There has to be some imams in these states acting as spiritual travel agents and should be hunted down, their mosques seized, and those attended put under surveillence.
Bamaguje says
Bostonistan??
Wetwork56 says
In 2004, federal authorities say, Abousamra left his American life behind and traveled to Iraq in the hopes of fighting U.S. soldiers as part of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
When he returned to the U.S. in 2006, he was questioned by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He was released without charge and slipped out of the country and back to Syria.
Another one slips through the bureaucratic system. My questions is…Why in the hell wasnt this man renditioned to say-Israel? At least housed in Gitmo???
carpediadem says
He did not “slip through the bureaucratic system”.
He was RELEASED. By the FBI – which has sophisticated information systems and analytic techniques. They LET HIM GO, knowing what he was.
And why renditioned to Israel? Why should Israel take care of this thug?
They have quite enough to do stopping Hamas and sundry Western thugs using Israel as base and attacking it from inside.
The US is big enough to take care of these types but have carefully cultivated a “don’t see don’t stop” attitude to Islam.
Don McKellar says
The ridiculous canard that jihad comes from poverty was dispelled 13 freaking years ago by the pofiles of the Sept 11 monsters! Does somebody still believe that line of crap?
mortimer says
Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Liberal leader believes jihad is caused by that line of crap. He is the kind of leftist-liberal who only approves of Islam among different religions. Is it because they are getting financed by money from the Gulf states?
Don McKellar says
What a disaster looms for Canada when the legacy pledge poseur is elected PM! All that solid fiscal management that has made Canada so strong and stable over the wild disasters in Europe and the US will be wiped out in a few months in office. Idiocy will reign in all areas of government. A flood of muslims will come to colonize like in France. I don’t even want to think about it.
carpediadem says
No, not even the pushers of it. They just repeat it as a way of evading the truth.
David Quilty says
Like father like son:
“…As the child of Syrian immigrants, he grew up in a well-known south of Boston Muslim family. His father, Dr. Abdul-Badi Abousamra, was president of the Islamic Center of New England. The elder Abousamra moved to Detroit years ago, and is on the faculty of the Wayne State University medical school….”
http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20131218/News/312189418
Myxlplik says
Perhaps he just got really bored?
LOL, sorry but the mental gymnastics attempting we are witnessing to divert analysis away from normative Islam is becoming comedic, beyond my wildest imagination.
mariam rove says
The best way to deal with guy is to find him. But instead of bring him back to the States, they(we) should send a sipper to where he is. M
Jovial Joe says
All they have to do is look out for that beard and they’re sure to apprehend him.
pdxnag says
Doesn’t the mind numbingly frequent and vigorous “praying” help explain why they can’t seem to think about anything other than full on jihad? They are praying for the destruction of others. It displaces all else, and becomes their normal view, no matter how twisted and dystopic. He cannot be abnormal, among Muslims.
TH says
One wnders why the NSA, instead of snooping on ordinary folk, doesn’t puts is technology to good use and hack this guy ? They could send a drone to get him like they have done with others