This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1771

Sister of Tahieri Azar says family "is not too happy" - and that "she wants to defend him" no mention of victims

March 20, 2006

http://www.wcnc.com/sharedcontent/registration/register.jsp?fw=http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-ad-3_16_05-mohammed.300bd38f.html

Sister of Mohammed Tahier- Azar speaks 6NEWS The sister of Mohammad Taheri-Azar spoke to 6NEWS through the door of her Indian Trail home. A UNC-Chapel Hill graduate will remain in jail after making his first court appearance Thursday. Mohammad Taheri-Azar plowed his car through a popular student hangout earlier this month and injured nine people. Bond remained at $5.5 million dollars for Mohammed Taheri-Azar despite Thursday's bond hearing. Not really a disappointment for the UNC grad, but perhaps for his family. One of Taheri-Azar's family members spoke about the incident to 6NEWS for the first time Thursday. We talked with his sister, Lida Taheri-Azar, just before she left her Indian Trail home to attend Taheri-Azar's court hearing. "How is this whole thing affecting your family," 6NEWS asked. "Well I don't think they're too happy about it," Lida Taheri-Azar said. "How are you as a family doing?" 6NEWS asked. "Pretty bad I would assume. I think everybody would know that," Lida Taheri-Azar said. Lida Taheri-Azar did not want to appear on camera and told us she'd been advised not to talk.

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I'd love to defend him and I know this is not him," Lida Taheri-Azar said. "What do you mean this is not him?" 6NEWS asked. "This is uncharacteristic of him," Lida Taheri-Azar said. Mohammed Taheri-Azar seemed to suggest the same thing in a letter he wrote to the Durham Herald. He wrote: "I turned myself in to assure the world that I wasn't some insane person who went on a killing rampage suddenly." "With Allah's help, I am prepared and will be prepared for a life sentence." Mohammed Taheri-Azar also sent a hand written letter to a WTVD reporter listing his motive. He wrote: "The U.S. Government is responsible for the deaths of and the torture of countless followers of Allah, my brothers and sisters. My attack on Americans at UNC was in retaliation for similar attacks by the U.S. Government." Meanwhile, Muslim students at Chapel Hill told the media even they never got along with him. "His negative relations with the Muslim Student Association are not isolated to that one incident in general and generally his people interactions weren't very positive," a UNC student said. The Islamic Association of Raleigh plans to hold an open house this weekend to educate the public on the truth about Islam. Meanwhile, Mohammed Taheri-Azar is due back in court next Friday for a probable cause hearing

This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1771