Boston #5

Bits and pieces of information are gradually filling in the cypher of the Tzarneav brothers.

There is a mosque about 10 minutes walk from their apartment.   Members say that Tameran attended infrequently over the past year and a half and that Dzhokhar attended only once.   Dzhokhar has seemed more interested in the Chechen independence movement than in religion.

The LA Times has reported that, about 3 months ago, Tameran was kicked out of a Friday prayer service when he became enraged and began to argue with the imam leading the service.

The imam was talking Martin Luther King, Jr.   Tameran interrupted and insisted, "You can't mention this guy because he's not a Muslim."    Not only did he disturb the prayer service, but this is not consistent with the thinking of the group, which does not hold extremist views.

A sign in front of the Islam Center of Boston reads:

"United We Stand For Peace on Earth."

And that is the view of the vast majority of Muslims worldwide.   The Center released a statement saying of the brothers:  "In their visits, they never exhibited any violent sentiments or behavior.  Otherwise they would have been immediately reported to the FBI."

Ralph