The Irresistible Allure of Mayhem and Mass Murder

"I wanted jihad before I became a Muslim. I just wanted justice .... When 9/11 happened, I became really interested with these people."
"The first thing I said when I converted is, 'How do I worship my God'?"
"And my second question was, 'Where is my gun? Let's go do jihad'."
John Nuttall, accused Islamist terrorist, Vancouver

Amanda Korody, on the right, and John Nuttall, on the left, have pleaded not guilty to knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity, conspiracy and making or possessing an explosive device, after police seized pressure-cooker bombs outside the B.C. Legislature on Canada Day. (CBC) 

Most converts to Islam first are attracted to becoming a Muslim because they feel it will somehow fulfill some spiritual void in their lives. And then, as a by-product of filling that void, jihad, they are reminded, is an obligation of all Muslims to represent their full surrender to Islam. Jihad is linked to the missionary zeal that Muslims must bring to their realization of their obligation as proof-positive of the quality of their faith.

This man, John Nuttall, so aptly named even before he sought out Islam, singled out jihad as an irresistible attraction to fulfill his life's purpose, and then he subscribed to Islam as an after-thought, adopting the god whom he then thought to worship. So, how does one worship the god of Islam? Why, we thought you'd never ask. As a primary obligation to the faithful, Islam demands of its adherents that they proselytize, that they engage in jihad, that they consider the glories of martyrdom.

And John Nuttall, and his wife, Amanda Korody, were prepared to embark on that journey to fulfill their aspirations and meet their fate. In planning a deadly explosive attack to take place at the provincial legislature on Canada Day in the interests of Islamist values, both were prepared to die as a result of their lethal plans to kill Canadians in fulfilling their obligation to Islam.

Amanda Korody was concerned about doing the right thing in expressing Islam's needs; avoiding the forbidden while clasping to herself the edicts of the permissible. In the contemplation of facing death resulting from their violence, she had considered whether this was permissible under Islamic law: "With that knowledge, does that make it halal?" she asked. "It makes it halal because we're going to try to not get shot. We're going to try and plan an escape route, but ... I don't think we're going to come back from this", her husband told her reassuringly.

Just as well for all concerned, the prospective victims as well as the perpetrators who have pleaded not guilty to the four terrorism charges launched against each, that an undercover RCMP officer posing as an Arab businessman gained their trust and 'aided' them in their plans, providing the explosives to be used in their improvised explosive devices, modelled after the pressure-cooker bombs that the Boston bombers made famous.

And he also recorded their conversations, which are now being played back in court as witness to the fact of their conspiracy.

The good news which has been heard by those attending the trial taking place in Vancouver, is that when John Nuttall attempted to find other Muslims in the city sharing his appetite for jihad, he was rebuffed at every mosque he went to. Some of those whom he had encountered with his proposals contacted the police, to his dismay; some faithful Muslims they turned out to be.