Islamic terrorist a phony?

by Feòrag

New Zealand: cyanide-laced letters have been sent to the British High Commission in Wellington, ostensibly by an Islamic terroist group calling itself September 11, but police are investigating whether they are an attempt to stir up hatred against Muslims. A linguist and international terror experts have noted that the letter is full of deliberate grammatical errors, as well as errors about Islam that a genuine Muslim believer would not make.

Auckland University School of Asian studies senior lecturer Tim Behrend said the letters seemed very transparent and like an incredibly bad effort.

They don't appear to have been written by a non-native speaker of English or someone who is accustomed to being around non-native English speakers.

What I see here is someone who is mimicking a foreign voice.

The Muslim community in New Zealand and under intense pressure. A number of their religious leaders have already pointed out that the manner in which the letters have been signed make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Chief among them was the signature, Abd Allah September 11. Abd in Arabic means servant and Allah God, but the way this had been written was incorrect.

A Muslim would not write it like this, said an Arab immigrant.

All in a row, Abd Allah September 11. No, nonsense. It's written wrongly. He can't say Abd Allah and later say September 11. It can't be, it makes no sense.

As a phrase the two words are meaningless and it cannot be a name because Muslims cannot take the name Allah.

British diplomats were cyanide target - Stuff, 28th February 2003; Police can't say if cyanide letter 'anti-Muslim stirring' - Stuff, 28th February 2003; Experts say cyanide letter writer pretending to be Muslim - Stuff, 28th February 2003.