Was the Virginia Tech Killer a Muslim ?

Question

What does Ismale Ax mean ? The Virginia Tech mass murderer had it tattoo on his arm

Answer 1

The Virginia Tech shooter was an extremely disturbed young man who had a psychotic break. His religion does not matter one iota. This shooting had absolutely nothing to do with religion. I think many people just want to point fingers, and since Hui had a some supposedly Muslim saying written (not tattooed) on his arm they'll say he did it because he is a terrorist. Please. The guy wrote it on his arm in a highly disturbed state. He was an English major and I have to agree with E.T. here - the likelihood was that he read James Fenimore Cooper's "The Prairie", about a man named Ishmail who wanted to escape from civilization and headed out across the prairie with a couple of key tools, a gun, and an ax. The ax was symbolic of both creation & destruction, in that it could be utilized to make shelter or to kill. Even this does not matter, it is simply the markings of a disturbed young man who became psychotic. If you've read the note he left prior to the second shootings, you'll realize that he was disturbed and delusional.

Please do not bring something into this that doesn't belong. It will do nothing more than turn it into a hate-filled pointing of fingers and make everything a thousand times worth. The shootings have taught us this - we need to lobby for gun control, we need to teach our children how to act in a dire situation rather than stifle them with the ideas that it is never OK to throw a computer through a window even if it is a matter of life and death. We need to change the laws; we need to remove students showing such disturbed tendencies from school and have them psychiatrically evaluated before, after, and if, they can come back. Everyone wants to point blame. It does absolutely no good for these students and their friends and family. It is an insult to them. Remember when the media took over the Columbine case and made it all about video games? Nobody learned from it. It helped noone and changed nothing. The real issues - bullying, parental neglect, and the need for more involved counseling got swept under the rug. Kids weren't taught how to best increase their chances for survival in such a dire situation. Very little changed.

I hope rather than turning this into a very involved and completely unnecessary religious issue, we take action to prevent it from happening again.

Answer 2

I don't know what Ismale Ax means.. But what does it really matter if he was Muslim or anything else? It makes no difference that he was Asian either. It could just have well been a white person.. (as is evident in previous situations)..

I think people that quickly assume that race/religion/etc are the cause of things like this.. are usually completely wrong. (Not saying that is you.. You may simply just be asking out of curiosity... I am just saying that it really doesn't make a difference).

Answer 3

Name Type Equivalent - Polymorphism - Math functions

Type "Ismale Ax" into the Yahoo search engine and see what comes up. If I had to read this daily, I would be insane also.

Answer 4

There was speculation on what it meant. He was an english major so it might have to do with the book "prairie" it mentions ismails ax. In an islamic sense, it doesn't make much sense. Also, if you listen to the reports people gave about him he was always serious and didn't talk.....he had some mental problem. Its not likely that he as muslim but it sucks that before he was just a mentally ill kid and now islam comes into the picture and he was doing jihad? Do people actually believe that?

Answer 5

He was CHRISTIAN he said so (I'm going to get a headache banging my head of the wall after reading this), he maid many references to being Christian. Just because hes not Caucasian why do you assume he must be a Muslim. My word this isn't the first mad teenager to go on a killing spree in an American school but hes different so you point the finger at Americas favourite scapegoat. I am not Christian, Muslim, American or South Korean but I think what needs to be examined is the American education system not religion or there will undoubtedly be more deranged teenagers to come.

Answer 6

According to the latest news on Yahoo, he was actually a Christian, or at least a former one. Supposedly he went on a rant and rampage over ALL religions. He was also mentally ill, and had been admitted to a mental institution. I bet whoever discharged him is kicking himself now...

EDIT: Now it's not clear if he was actually religious or not, but he does mention reference to Jesus Christ and possibly other religions. He seemed to claim he wanted to "be" like Jesus (his words not mine). He also hated spoiled rich kids and their "trust funds", exactly what I predicted in another answer. Can't blame him for that! ;) Many people do, just that most leave it at that.

See for yourself:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/usreport_usa_crime_shooting_dc

P.S. Although not foolproof, I agree with the below post. The US sure could use some gun control. Sheesh!

Answer 7

No, I don't believe so. I heard it was written there in red ink, not a tattoo. Ismael Ax may be a reference to the story (in Qur'an) of Ismael destroying all idols with an ax.

Answer 8

That was the very first question I asked. I haven't heard anything as to what religion he practiced (if any).

P.S. To those who said, "He's an Asian."

He can be Asian and still be a Muslim. It's one of the fastest growing faiths over there.

For the person who said: "But some people just want him to be Muslim so they can feel assured in their predjudices."

That's simply not true. It's just that...On any given night when we turn on the evening news and see that some nutjob has just gone in and slaughtered a bunch of innocent people and then took him/herself out....most of the time, that person ends up having been a Muslim.

Sorry, that's just the way it is.

If we didn't see it happening all the time, just about every night -- we probably wouldn't even raise the question.

Answer 9

He was a Korean as the world know by now.
You must be one of the ill informed American youth who do not read the newspapers but watch TV Operas and listen to radio while you are driving to work or to school only.
Rest of the time you are either thinking about your boy/girlfriend or where to get the cheapest
12 pack cans in town.

Answer 10

He was just mental and Korean. Can't blame him in way when you walk his shoes. Come from Korea, childhood of being repressed and lied to bout all in existence. Then come to USA and go to college. See American life, kids, society. His mind couldn't handle the change, the vastness of the change and trying to comprehend his life, he imploded. Hence the results.

Read his papers, etc. Its clear he was fighting demons, as in family, struggles, etc. Imagine you being forced to live tomorrow in the desert in a mud home and drinking dirty water and scrounging for food as dried bits of grass. You'd mentally lose it too, but instead of implode, you'd explode due to going from great to nothing, he went from nothing to great.