Failed Bomber Was Plagued by Desire

On Christmas Day, 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to blow up Northwest Airlines flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. He had tailored his briefs to hold a pouch containing 80 grams of pentaerythritol tetranitrate, a powerful, if difficult to detonate, explosive.

The New York Post, always eager to get to the root of things went through postings on gawaher.com, an Islamic forum frequented by Abdulmutallab.

“The bomb wasn’t the only thing burning in his pants,” they report, offering the following selection of posts from the knicker-bomber:

“As i get lonely, the natural sexual drive awakens and i struggle to control it, sometimes leading to minor sinful activities like not lowering the gaze [in the presence of unveiled women].”

“And this problem makes me want to get married to avoid getting aroused . . . But i am only 18 . . . It would be difficult for me to get married due to social norms of getting to the late 20’s when one has a degree, a job, a house, etc before getting married.”

“The hair of a woman can easily arouse a man.”

“The Prophet advised young men to fast if they can’t get married but it has not been helping me much and I seriously don’t want to wait for years before I get married.”

“So usually my fa[n]tasies are about islamic stuff. The bad part of it is sometimes the fantasies are a bit worldly rather than concentrating in the hereafter.”

Information from The New York Post.