Another wasted youth for Allah, and more wrath for us

DUKE: I blame society. Society made me what I am.
OTTO: That's bullshit. You're a white suburban punk, just like me.
Repo Man, 1984

Topping the Drudge Report this morning is Adam Pearlman, aka Adam Yahiye Gadahn. Charles Johnson at LGF has posted on Gadahn several times before, describing the introduction to Islam he received at the Islamic Society of Orange County (in Irvine) directed by Muzammil Siddiqi. Four years ago (10/28/00) Siddiqi addressed the Jerusalem Day Rally in Washington, DC:

We want to awaken the conscience of America. America has to learn that. Because if you remain on the side of injustice, the wrath of God will come. Please! Please all Americans, do you remember that, that Allah is watching everyone. If you continue doing injustice, and tolerating injustice, the wrath of God will come.

Like some 80% of Islamic "education" centers in the United States, The Islamic Society of Orange County is funded by Saudi Arabia, and its teachings are therefore dominated by the radical and militant Wahhabist sect. Adam Gadahn, the 17 year-old kid who went to them in 1995 to "learn about Islam", was typical grist for their mill. My friend zombie describes his background in a post today at LGF:

The father, Phil [Pearlman], was indeed the one who was the son of a Jewish urologist and a Christian housewife. He founded an underground psychedelic band called Beat of the Earth in Orange County in 1967 that has been (ludicrously) compared to Velvet Underground but which in fact just made one boring concept album that no one bought -- long meandering improvised psychedelic prog-rock. Then he went nuts and moved to an isolated farmstead in Riverside County and raised his kids there without electricity or running water or public schooling. He changed his name to Gadahn (in an apparent attempt to abandon his Jewishness).

Unsurprisingly, his son Adam Gadahn grew up a little disturbed, and fled to live with a relative when he was 15, at which point he changed his last name back to his father's original name, Adam Pearlman. Then, like many unloved/disturbed kids, got involved in the whole "death metal"/Goth thing for a while, and then -- boom! Met some Muslims, got all caught up in their enthusiasm, and converted.

Now Adam Gadahn is apparently the messenger in the video sent to ABC News from Pakistan, bringing us Allah's latest tidings of peace, love, and understanding, with a double helping of blood. There are lessons in all of this, but like Adam Gadahn, it might be too late for us to learn them now.