Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SUV attack

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SUV attack ---

March 3, 2006 Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar SUV attack Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, an Iranian-American, intentionally, as he confessed, hit people with a sport utility vehicle on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to "avenge the deaths of Muslims worldwide" and to "punish" the United States government. While no one was killed in the attack, nine people were injured (none seriously). Shortly after the attack, he turned himself in and was arrested. He pled guilty to nine counts of attempted first-degree murder, and in 2008 was sentenced to 33 years in prison, on two counts of attempted murder. In one letter, Taheri-azar wrote, "I was aiming to follow in the footsteps of one of my role models, Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 hijackers, who obtained a doctorate degree." Local Muslim leaders condemned the attack and the attempt by the assailant to link the Qur'an to his actions.

2015 Oklahoma State University homecoming parade crash
campus, where the parade was supposed to conclude, 25-year-old Adacia AveryChambers – a native of Oologah and resident of Stillwater – drove her gray

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  • muslim suspect
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*Wikipedia 11/18/2015

2006 UNC SUV attack

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar SUV attack)
University of North Carolina SUV attack
2008-07-21 The Pit.jpg
The Pit, where the attack occurred
LocationUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Coordinates35°54′36.27″N 79°2′54.91″WCoordinates: 35°54′36.27″N 79°2′54.91″W
DateMarch 3, 2006
Around 12:00pm[1] (UTC-5)
Attack type
Vehicular assault
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries
9
PerpetratorMohammed Reza Taheri-azar
In March 2006, Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, an Iranian-American, intentionally, as he confessed, hit people with asport utility vehicle on the campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill to "avenge the deaths ofMuslims worldwide" and to "punish" the United States government. While no one was killed in the terror ramming attack, nine people were injured (none seriously).
Shortly after the attack, he turned himself in and was arrested. He pled guilty to nine counts of attempted first-degree murder, and in 2008 was sentenced to 33 years in prison, on two counts of attempted murder.[2]
In one letter, Taheri-azar wrote, "I was aiming to follow in the footsteps of one of my role models, Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 hijackers, who obtained a doctorate degree."[3]
Local Muslim leaders condemned the attack and the attempt by the assailant to link the Qur'an to his actions. After a debate as to whether it was as an act of terrorism, UNC Chancellor James Moeser stopped short of calling it a full-fledged act of terror.

Attack[edit]

During the attack[edit]

On the afternoon of March 3, 2006, Taheri-azar drove a rented silver 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokeethrough a common courtyard area of campus known as the Pit, a high-traffic area centered between the student bookstore, student center, dining hall, and libraries. It is a popular gathering spot, filled not only with students going to and from class, but also with participants in various student organization-related activities.[4]
While not readily accessible to vehicular traffic beyond a narrow service road, the barricades that normally prevent cars from approaching the Pit were not in place on the day of the attack.[citation needed]His top speed was estimated by witnesses to be from 40 to 45 miles per hour (64 to 72 km/h).[5] He struck nine pedestrians, six of whom were taken to the hospital for treatment and released. The other three declined to be treated.

After the attack[edit]

After the incident, Taheri-azar drove to Plant Road, a nearby city street, and called 911 to turn himself in to authorities. He calmly confessed to perpetrating the attack. He told the dispatcher his location and requested that he be arrested. He told the dispatcher that the reasons for his actions were outlined in a letter which he left on his bed in his Carrboro apartment. Taheri-azar then gave himself up upon the arrival of police at the scene. Later that afternoon, officials evacuated the apartment complex where Taheri-azar lived, then stormed the unit while media helicopters circled overhead. Along with the letter described in the 911 call, officials found his UNC diploma folded in his closet, along with the Carolina blue graduation gown used just three months before.
On March 6, 2006, when he appeared in an Orange County courtroom, he stated that he would defend himself, and that he looked forward to the opportunity of sharing the law of Allah.[citation needed] He was charged with nine counts of attempted first-degree murder and nine counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious bodily injury before being held in Central Prison in Raleigh on a $5.5 million bond. On May 3, 2006, a grand jury indicted him on nine counts of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.[6] The case will go to superior court next, for either a trial or a plea. Early on, the FBI was involved in the investigation, but the exact involvement was unknown.[7]

Perpetrator[edit]

Although Taheri-azar was born in Tehran, the capital of Iran, he is a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved to the United States at the age of two.[8] He grew up in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, where he lived with his mother and younger and older sisters. He attended South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, where he was a socially-awkward honor student who graduated in 2001. He had a proclivity for fast and expensive cars, and the South Mecklenburg High School yearbook dubbed him the "South's Speedster." He received four tickets between 2001 and 2003 for "unnecessary honking, driving down the middle of two lanes of traffic, and failure to obey directions at a police checkpoint," and for "traveling at 74 mph (119 km/h) in a 45 mph (72 km/h) zone."[9]
He enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001, where he majored in psychologyand philosophy. At one point he dropped out, but returned the following semester. In college, he volunteered at local hospitals. He graduated from UNC in December 2005. Some of those who knew him there described him as "a serious student, shy but friendly," and "kind and gentle, rather than aggressive and violent".[10] A student who had been in the same history of philosophy class said he was "impressed" with Taheri-azar's "knowledge of classical Western thought." He was serious about his grades, and served briefly as the president of the UNC psychology club.[11] However, not all of those who knew him had the same opinion. UNC Chancellor James Moeser described him as "totally a loner, introverted, and into himself".[12]
Fellow Muslims characterized Taheri-azar as "cantankerous and unorthodox in his practice of Islam" and "anything but traditionally devout." During prayers on campus he "wouldn't pray toward Mecca and refused to recite prayers in Arabic – contrary to standard Islamic practice." One Muslim student, Atif Mohiuddin, recalled Taheri-azar as being "anti-Arabic" and never using the standard Arabic greeting ofAssalaamu Alaikum.[9]

Aftermath[edit]

Local Muslim leaders condemned the attack and the attempt by the assailant to link the Qur'an to his actions.[13]
While UNC Chancellor James Moeser described Taheri-azar's attack as one of violence in an internal email to the university community, he stopped short of calling it a full-fledged act of terror. An official "Reclaim the Pit" event occurred on March 20, 2006, where students gathered for a moment of silence.
On August 26, 2008, Taheri-azar was sentenced on two counts of attempted murder to 26 years and 2 months to 33 years in prison by Orange County Superior Court.[2]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar SUV attack
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
  1. Jump up^ "Pit pandemonium". Chapel Hill, NC: The Daily Tar Heel. March 6, 2006. Archived from the originalon 2007-10-09. RetrievedMay 20, 2008.
    ^ Jump up to:a b "Taheri-azar heads to prison for Pit attack". Raleigh, NC: The News & Observer. March 6, 2006. Archived from the originalon 2008-08-28. RetrievedAugust 26, 2008.
    Jump up^ Schuster, Henry (May 25, 2006). "What is terrorism?". Special Report: Tracking Terror(Atlanta, GA: CNN.com). Retrieved May 12, 2008.
    Jump up^ "Driver charged after SUV plows through crowd".U.S. News: Crime and Courts (New York, NY: MSNBC.com). March 5, 2006. Retrieved May 12,2008.
    Jump up^ Franks, Dana; Wallace, Kamal (March 4, 2006)."FBI Joins Investigation Of UNC Hit-And-Run". Local News (Raleigh, NC: WRAL.com). RetrievedMay 12, 2008.
    Jump up^ Fausset, Richard (March 7, 2006). "SUV Attack Prompts Debate Over 'Terrorism' and Islam".Los Angeles Times.
    Jump up^ "More Developments in Taheri-azar Investigation".Eyewitness News(Charlotte, NC: WTVD.com). March 14, 2006. Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
    Jump up^ Rocha, Jessica; Khanna, Samiha; Stancill, Jane (March 7, 2006). "Suspect says he meant to kill".Local and State (Raleigh, NC: The News & Observer). Archived from the originalon May 2, 2008. RetrievedMay 12, 2008.
    ^ Jump up to:a b Stancill, Jane; Rocha, Jessica (March 16, 2006)."Taheri-azar expects life in prison". Local and State(Raleigh, NC: The News & Observer). Archived fromthe original on December 15, 2006. RetrievedMay 12, 2008.
    Jump up^ Fausset, Richard (March 7, 2006). "SUV Attack Prompts Debate Over "Terrorism" and Islam"(Archived version). The Nation(Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Times). RetrievedMarch 7, 2006.
    Jump up^ "UNC Professor: Taheri-azar "Wasn't Shy About Expressing Opinions"".Local News (Raleigh, NC: WRAL.com). March 5, 2006. Retrieved May 12,2008.
    Jump up^ Stancill, Jane (March 10, 2006). "Moeser will not label SUV attack". Local and State (Raleigh, NC:The News & Observer). Archived from the originalon May 2, 2008. RetrievedMay 12, 2008.
    Jump up^ "Muslims deny Quran supports Taheri-azar". Raleigh, NC: The News & Observer. March 16, 2006. Archived from the originalon May 8, 2006. RetrievedSeptember 21, 2008.

External links[edit]



Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar (born May 5, 1983 in Tehran) is an Iranian-born American citizen who confessed to intentionally hitting people with a car on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to "avenge the deaths of Muslims worldwide" and to "punish" the United States government. While no one was killed in the attack, nine people were injured (none seriously). Shortly after the attack, he turned himself in and was arrested. He currently awaits trial. Here is a list of quotes by Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar.

Public statements[edit]

March 03, 2006:
In response to the 911 operator asking why he did it:
"To punish the government of the United States for their actions around the world."[1] [2].
March 05, 2006:
To police investigators:
[I did it to] "avenge the deaths or murders of Muslims around the world."[3]
March 06, 2006: At his arraignment, when asked if he was trying to kill people, he said yes.[4]
The local ABC network affiliate sent a request for an interview with Taheri-azar[5]. On Friday, March 10, he responsed with a letter addressed to news anchor Amber Rupinta. In the letter he wrote:
In the name of Allah, the merciful the compassionate
Dear Ms. Rupinta:
I've included a visitor's application. I left a one page letter for the police in the bedroom of my apartment at 303 Smith Level Rd. A-34 but in brief;
I live with the holy Koran as my constitution for right and wrong and definition of injustice.
The Koran also spelled Quran is a scientific and mathematical miracle so there can be no doubt that it is from a supernatural source, i.e. Allah the creator and controller of all things. Those who follow the Koran, i.e. the truth, are members of one family, as the Koran states. Allah in the Koran gives permission for those who follow Allah to attack those who have waged war against them, with the expectation of eternal paradise in case of martyrdom and/or the living of one's life in obedience of all of Allah's commandments found throughout the Koran's 114 chapters.
I've read all 114 chapters about 20 times since June of 2003 when I started reading the Koran. The U.S. government is responsible for the deaths and torture of countless followers of Allah, my brothers and sisters. My attack on Americans at UNC-CH March 3, was in retaliation for similar attacks orchestrated by the U.S. government on my fellow followers of Allah in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine,Saudi Arabia and other Islamic territories. I did not act out of hatred for America but out of love for Allah instead. I live only to serve Allah by obeying all of his commandments of which I am aware by reading and learning the contents of the Koran.
I would be glad to have an on-camera interview.
Sincerely
Mohammed Taheri-azar[6]

Letter to the police[edit]

This is a transcript of the letter Mohammed Taheri-Azar left in his apartment for police to find:
In the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate.
To whom it may concern:
I am writing this letter to inform you of my reasons for premeditating and attempting to murder citizens and residents of the United States of America on Friday, March 3, 2006 in the city of Chapel Hill, North Carolina by running them over with my automobile and stabbing them with a knife if the opportunities are presented to me by Allah.
I did intend to use a handgun to murder the citizens and residents of Chapel Hill, North Carolina but the process of receiving a permit for a handgun in this city is highly restricted and out of my reach at the present, most likely due to my foreign nationality.
I am a servant of Allah. I am 22 years of age and I was born in Tehran, Iran. My father, mother and older sister immigrated to the United States in 1985 when I was two years of age and I've lived in the United States ever since.
I attended elementary, middle and high school in North Carolina and I was accepted into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I began my college career in August 2001 and graduated in December 2005 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy with Allah's help.
I do not wish to pursue my career as a student any further because I have no desire to amass the impermanent and temporary fame and material wealth this world has to offer. However I made the decision to continue my studies and to graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill so that the world will know that Allah's servants are very intelligent.
Due to the killing of believing men and women under the direction of the United States government, I have decided to take advantage of my presence on United States soil on Friday, March 3, 2006 to take the lives of as many Americans and American sympathizers as I can in order to punish the United States for their immoral actions around the world.
In the Qur'an, Allah states that the believing men and women have permission to murder anyone responsible for the killing of other believing men and women. I know that the Qur'an is a legitimate and authoritative holy scripture since it is completely validated by modern science and also mathematically encoded with the number 19 beyond human ability. After extensive contemplation and reflection, I have made the decision to exercise the right of violent retaliation that Allah has given me to the fullest extent to which I am capable at present.
I have chosen the particular location on the University campus as my target since I know there is a high likelihood that I will kill several people before being killed myself or jailed and sent to prison if Allah wills. Allah's commandments are never to be questioned and all of Allah's commandments must be obeyed. Those who violate Allah's commandments and purposefully follow human fabrication and falsehood as their religion will burn in fire for eternity in accordance with Allah's will.
Sincerely yours,
Mohammed Reza Taheri-Azar



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