“Despite the recent assassinations, attempted assassinations and school shootings by mentally unbalanced people, American youth radicalization by overseas Islamic terrorist organizations remains a threat to the United States,” a retired FBI agent said to me recently. “The long arm of social media allows the terrorist groups to reach out across oceans and indoctrinate and communicate with mixed up, impressionable young Americans in a hate and violent philosophy.”
He noted a case in point: Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman, who was convicted last month of terrorism charges. According to the FBI, the young man communicated via social media with an overseas radical Islamic terrorist group.
Abdul-Rahman, the son of a prominent Philadelphia attorney who ran twice unsuccessfully for judge, was only seventeen when he was arrested in 2023. (I was in the Navy and serving on an aircraft carrier when I was seventeen.)
He was arrested by FBI SWAT agents at his home in West Philadelphia on August 11, 2023, and later held on five million dollars bail while awaiting trial.
Abduk-Rahman’s arrest on terrorism-related charges made news around the world.
Jacqueline Maguire, the FBI Special Agent in Charge of Philadelphia Office in 2023, stated after the arrest of Abdul-Rahman, “Protecting the United States from terrorist attacks is the FBI’s number one priority, and I think it’s very fair to say that lives were saved because of this investigation.”
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner added, “Self-radicalization by young people via the internet is a threat to all families. Parents: Keep an eye out for violent cults that would lure in your kids under the guise of politics or religion, The juvenile is further alleged to have received messages related to construction of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and to have purchased materials online such as chemical cleaners that are used to construct IEDs, as well as outdoor or tactical gear.”
On September 17th, Krasner and First Assistant Robert Listenbee announced that Abdul-Rahman was convicted by a Philadelphia jury of terrorism-related charges. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Abdul-Rahman was found guilty of attempted possession of weapons of mass destruction, possession of explosive or incendiary materials, risking catastrophe, and recklessly endangering another person.
The DA’s office reported that the investigation into Abdul-Rahman’s activities began in 2023, when the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force discovered that he was in frequent communication through social media with a Syrian terror group called Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, or KTJ.
As federal investigators began scrutinizing the defendant’s activities more closely, they observed the defendant purchasing tactical gear and bomb-making ingredients and testing homemade explosives near his family’s residence in the city’s Wynnefield section. On one occasion, the defendant also tested a highly unstable and dangerous explosive mixture called TATP, also known as “the Mother of Satan.”
The DA’s Office also stated that federal investigators uncovered evidence of Abdul-Rahman’s intention to attack a variety of possible targets, including the Philadelphia Pride Parade and other local parade routes, Lincoln University, the Army Navy Football game, the Valley Forge Military Academy, nuclear power plants in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
“This defendant posed a serious threat to his community, the city at-large, other jurisdictions, and even overseas locations,” Krasner said. “I want to thank First Assistant Robert Listenbee, who personally tried this case, and Assistant District Attorney Christopher Angelo, Supervisor of the DAO’s Juvenile Unit, for the successful prosecution of this matter. I also thank the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for their detailed and thorough investigation. I am also grateful to the jury for holding this defendant appropriately accountable for his actions, which could have resulted in unimaginable tragedy if left unchecked.”
Wayne A. Jacobs, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, also weighed in, “Protecting the United States from terrorist attacks remains our top priority. The swift and thorough coordination of law enforcement throughout this investigation disrupted a significant threat. Moments like this highlight the strength of our law enforcement partnerships and our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our communities.”
Jacobs added that it was a privilege to serve alongside the FBI’s partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
“I want to thank the men and women of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force for their continued service to our country and their vital role in protecting our city,” Jacobs said.
The retired FBI agent I spoke to told me that we must all be vigilant and look out for other young people who are indoctrinated and radicalized by overseas terrorist organizations.
“If you read radical Islamic posts that advocate violence on social media outlets, you should notify the FBI.”
