Jason Walters
Encyclopedia
Jason Walters or Jamal is a Dutch
Islamic extremist. He is the son of an African American
soldier based in the Netherlands
and a Dutch woman. The General Intelligence and Security Office (AIVD)
suspects he is a senior member of the Hofstad Network
, a terror cell based in the Netherlands. In 2006, Walters was convicted by a Dutch court and sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment. His younger brother Jermaine Walters is also linked with the terror cell.
Walters has made at least one visit to Pakistan
and possibly to Afghanistan
where it is alleged he has received training at a terrorist training camp. Walters was arrested along with Ismail Akhnikh on November 10, 2004, after a massive 14 hour siege in The Hague
. Near the end of this siege, hand grenades were thrown at police. This was one of a series of raids on suspected Muslim terrorist cells following the November 2, 2004 assassination of filmmaker Theo van Gogh
by fellow Hofstad Network
member Mohammed Bouyeri
.
According to police, Walters had his own plans to assassinate Dutch political figures he deemed anti-Muslim
, and his hit list included two members of parliament, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
, a native of Somalia
, and Geert Wilders
. Both, like van Gogh, had been outspoken critics of Islam
in the Netherlands
, particularly its treatment of women. In 2003, Walters wrote a farewell letter to his mother.
on charges of terrorism. He was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Islamic extremist. He is the son of an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
soldier based in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and a Dutch woman. The General Intelligence and Security Office (AIVD)
General Intelligence and Security Service
Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst , formerly known as the BVD is the General Intelligence and Security Service or The Secret service of the Netherlands. The office is in Zoetermeer...
suspects he is a senior member of the Hofstad Network
Hofstad Network
The Hofstad Network is an Islamist group of mostly young Dutch Muslims of mainly Moroccan ancestry.The name "Hofstad" was originally the codename the Dutch secret service AIVD used for a set of individuals and leaked to the media...
, a terror cell based in the Netherlands. In 2006, Walters was convicted by a Dutch court and sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment. His younger brother Jermaine Walters is also linked with the terror cell.
Biography
Walters converted to Islam at 16 (some sources say 13) and later adopted the name Abu Mujahied Amrik. His talk about jihad against the non-believers caused his mosque to ban him and his brother and notify the authorities. His mother, recently divorced, and with two younger daughters at home, felt increasingly unsafe finally fleeing to a woman's shelter.Walters has made at least one visit to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and possibly to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
where it is alleged he has received training at a terrorist training camp. Walters was arrested along with Ismail Akhnikh on November 10, 2004, after a massive 14 hour siege in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. Near the end of this siege, hand grenades were thrown at police. This was one of a series of raids on suspected Muslim terrorist cells following the November 2, 2004 assassination of filmmaker Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh (film director)
Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor.Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims...
by fellow Hofstad Network
Hofstad Network
The Hofstad Network is an Islamist group of mostly young Dutch Muslims of mainly Moroccan ancestry.The name "Hofstad" was originally the codename the Dutch secret service AIVD used for a set of individuals and leaked to the media...
member Mohammed Bouyeri
Mohammed Bouyeri
Mohammed Bouyeri is an Islamist Dutch–Moroccan and convicted murderer. He is currently serving a life sentence without parole for the assassination of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh. He holds both Dutch and Moroccan citizenship...
.
According to police, Walters had his own plans to assassinate Dutch political figures he deemed anti-Muslim
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
, and his hit list included two members of parliament, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
, a native of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, and Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
. Both, like van Gogh, had been outspoken critics of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, particularly its treatment of women. In 2003, Walters wrote a farewell letter to his mother.
Conviction on terrorism charges
On Friday, March 10, 2006, Walters was convicted with eight others in the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
on charges of terrorism. He was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment.