Profiles in Hate: Munir Abdulkader

Munir Abdulkader devised a plan to “kill an identified military employee on account of his position with the United States government” (see Complaint, page 5) and was arrested on May 21, 2015, after Section 4712 of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act made it a hate crime to target victims “on account of their military service.” Abdulkader was never charged with a hate crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1389.

After being recruited as a domestic terrorist, Abdulkader began carrying out a plan to behead a service member who had deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and their spouse. His plan was to livestream the attack so the video could be used as propaganda to embolden other domestic terrorists to do the same.

News Coverage

• “Former XU, Lakota student sought martyrdom” Cincinnati Inquirer (Jul 7, 2016)

• “Prosecutors reveal efforts by ISIS recruiter in Syria to encourage attacks in U.S.” Washington Post (Jul 7, 2016)

• Munir Abdulkader on the Counter Extremism Project

Criminal Charges

924 Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence

1114 Protection of officers and employees of the United States

2339B Providing material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations

Court Documents

20150521 Initial complaint

20161110 Sentencing Memo