Yusuf said: “ISIL’s ideology is flawed. There is nothing Islamic about their so-called state.”
And so U.S. District Judge Michael Davis sentenced him only to the 21 months he’s already served in jail.
“I hope I’m not wrong,” the judge said.
Don’t we all, Judge. Don’t we all.
“Judge offers second chance to Minnesotans in Islamic State conspiracy,” by Steve Karnowski, Associated Press, November 14, 2016:
Two men who cooperated with authorities investigating a Minnesota-based conspiracy to join the Islamic State group in Syria were rewarded with light sentences Monday, but a third who chose not to help prosecutors got a 10-year sentence from a federal judge who still cut him a break partly because his parents have become active in the campaign against terrorist recruiting within the state’s large Somali community.
U.S. District Judge Michael Davis sentenced Abdullahi Mohamed Yusuf, 20, to the 21 months he’s already served in jail. Abdirizak Warsame, 21, didn’t fare as well, but his sentence of 2½ years in prison was two years less than prosecutors sought. While all three pleaded guilty, Zacharia Abdurahman, 21, got 10 years in prison because he didn’t cooperate with the government and refused to testify against against the other members of what Davis called a “terrorist cell.”
Davis point-blank asked Abdurahman why he didn’t.
“As a man, I made a decision not to do that to my former friends. Your honor, I’m a man of principle. … Our religion teaches you not to harm another brother,” he replied, sniffing and wiping away tears as he stood before the court in Minneapolis….
U.S. Attorney Andy Luger took the rare step of appearing in court to praise Yusuf and Warsame for cooperating.
The sentencings cap a long case that shined a light on terrorism recruitment in Minnesota, the state with the largest concentration of Somali immigrants in the U.S. The FBI has said about a dozen people have left Minnesota to join militant groups in Syria in recent years. Before that, more than 22 men were recruited to al-Shabab in Somalia since 2007.
Prosecutors said this conspiracy began in spring 2014, when a group of friends began inspiring and recruiting each other to join the Islamic State group. Some of their friends made it to Syria, but the nine didn’t.
At the day’s first hearing, Davis said it didn’t make sense to send Yusuf to prison, where no deradicalization programs are available.
“I hope I’m not wrong,” the judge said.
“I will not let you down, your honor,” Yusuf promised.
Earlier, Yusuf said he was “not the same naive 17-year-old” who was drawn into the conspiracy.
“ISIL’s ideology is flawed,” Yusuf said. “There is nothing Islamic about their so-called state.”
But the judge said he didn’t buy Warsame’s claims that he’s no longer a radical, suggesting he cooperated only because he could have faced 15 years in prison. Davis characterized Warsame’s contention that he’d abandoned his jihadist ideology as merely “another chess move” by a skilled player.
“The problem I have with you is everything has seemed so smooth,” the judge said. “… Extremist ideology based on religion doesn’t disappear overnight, and you can’t convince me otherwise. And that’s what you’re trying to do.”

Havoc says
Deport him.
Keys says
Exactly, Havoc, simply deport him and he can have as many chances as he wants.
Judges ought to be accountable for their foolishness.
tom parry says
deport him agreed – we can take a chance on a christian refugee in his place-
have em break rocks for 5 years with no internet- luxury prison with counselours etx.
just a bible and bad food. five years later your off to smellia welcome back home!
gravenimage says
No prison for Minnesota Muslim who tried to join the Islamic State: he condemns the group now
……………………
What fools these dhimmis be!
Margaret says
Minnesota is home of the dhimmis, unfortunately.,
Carlos Danger says
that Judge is an idiot and will be proved wrong.
Azacque says
How safe is that idiots life now that he has condemned isis?
Shmooviyet says
Thanks, your honor, for not being “convinced”.
And the Mpls CAIR chapter surely appreciates Luger’s public prostration.
More slavish dhimmitude to come…
Margaret says
Yup
mccode says
Taquia
linnte says
This Judge truly has not read any Islamic Texts. What a dummy dhimmi! Time will tell that Judge that what he did was way wrong. Let’s pray no one dies because of it.
lor says
His eyes say a lot, those dead, “I am totally radicalized and love it”. Doubt this will turn out like the judge hopes. Perhaps he could study the bible for those months!
boakai ngombu says
“ISIL’s ideology is flawed,” Yusuf said. “There is nothing Islamic about their so-called state.”
interesting that Yusuf used “ISIL” … as though he rejected the war being waged because there were few efforts to kill particularly Jews.
he’s no longer so naive as to tell truth about his true intent to do all that the allah god of islam (unknowable; the best of all deceivers) desires. he’ll be a model citizen until it is put on him to wage jihad; then, he’ll imitate muhammad (lately contrived; full of lusts)..
JawsV says
So glad we imported the above human. The United States has lost its mind.
Beagle says
I wish I could say something good about our legal system in this situation, but I’m drawing a blank. I knew early on after studying Islam that jihad would be a disaster. We were and are totally unprepared.
Years ago I predicted the insanity defense would be abused and that’s come to pass in a big way. Now a court has released a man who wanted to join IS based on mere words. Islam has more doctrines for lying than it does for telling the truth.
It’s not difficult to predict that after pledging bayaa to Abu Bakr and failing to make hijrah, this guy will decide to wage jihad in the United States. I mean, not difficult for those people who actually have a basic understanding of Islam and the Islamic State.
Beagle says
This is puzzling:
“The problem I have with you is everything has seemed so smooth,” the judge said. “… Extremist ideology based on religion doesn’t disappear overnight, and you can’t convince me otherwise. And that’s what you’re trying to do.”
— —
The judge seems to get it here. But Islam is not just some extremist ideology based on religion. Unfortunately, very, very, unfortunately, Abdurahman was practicing the dominant interpretation of the Islamic faith. In other words, there is no lack of textual support for that interpretation and clerics advocate for it all the time — the main point of Jihad Watch since 2003. Documented by MEMRI, undercover cameras, informants, converts from Islam and so on. Self evidently true, but apparently too crazy to even consider.
I’d like to see these alleged deradicalization programs mentioned including words like “tafsir” “hadith” “Quran” “fiqh” or “madahib.” Otherwise, I suspect they will tend to fail miserably most of the time. While I would never suggest a court in the US apply sharia law, it is necessary to understand Islamic law in order to gain insight into the phenomenon of ‘Minnesotans’ traveling to join the Islamic State.
No amount of lying for our own good will encourage real reform within Islam. If it is possible, and I’m not saying it is, reform will only occur when Islam may be referenced, debated, and criticized like any other faith in a free society. I am not suggesting insults or hatred, but an honest recounting of what so-called mujahideen believe. Here a court prioritizes, as always, protecting the image of Islam over reality.
At Jihad Watch it would be highly redundant to post even more of the theological reasons why Abdurahman will probably return to jihad. Let’s hope, over experience, that our kuffar approach to due process, leniency, contrition, mercy and second chances will really impress a guy who wanted to join the Islamic State.
mortimer says
Abdullahi Yusuf said, “There is nothing Islamic about their so-called state.”
HE IS DEFINITELY INSINCERE. We WOULD BELIEVE HIM if he said, ‘I now see that Islam is false and a vicious, supremacist, misogynistic political ideology that has no value either to help people or advance civilization.’
Wm McDannold Jr says
Yeah right. Remember that lying is built into the Muslim code. Once had the opportunity (if one could call it that) to work with some of these devious little bastards – to observe them first hand. We have our govt and Lutheran Social Services to thank for their presence. For more info, Google “Muslims in Germany” or pick up articles about same from the web. The stupid German govt has imported a pile of these miscreants. Read what they are doing.
G says
I suspect the application of Taqiyya?
Tradiguy says
What is the matter with these officials??? Have they ever studied the ways of the Muslim and what he is taught from the knee like’ it’s ok to lie through your teeth to an infidel ! – as long as it promotes or helps the Islamic cause what the hell?? This judge is being taken for a clown and that is indeed what he is. Unfortunately, he probably won’t be the person who suffers when his judgement is proved wrong- deport him back to hell hole from where he came and if he was born in the US, from where his parents came from. This will only get worse if we do not have the balls to say “enough is enough” I only hope and pray that Donald will start to retake the ground lost. Thank God that other evil bitch didn’t win- She together with Pedesta and all her coven should be deported to Saudi Arabia too!
Lynne says
How many people has this judge sentenced to death because of his actions. If any of these men reoffend, the judges are responsible. Since judges are dealing with a lot of Muslim criminals, they should be forced to take a course on Islam. Somalis are especially brutal. Just check out Europe.
Angemon says
DUH!!!
Crusades Were Right! says
Not much going on behind those eyes…
…only jihad, death and 72 virgins, I strongly uspect!