Jason Walters or Jamal (born 6 March 1985) is a Dutch citizen who was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on charges related to Islamic terrorism.

Early life

Jason Walters was born on 6 March 1985 to an American soldier based in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

woman.Richburg, Keith B., ''From Quiet Teen to Terrorist Suspect''
Washington Post, 5 December 2004 His neighbors stated that he was pro-American when he was adolescent. Walters converted to Islam at 16 (some sources say 13) and later adopted the name Abu Mujahied Amrik. His mother, recently divorced, and with two younger daughters at home, felt increasingly unsafe finally fleeing to a woman's shelter. His talk about jihad against the non-believers caused his mosque to ban him and his brother, Jermaine Walters, and notify the authorities. Walters has made at least one visit to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

and possibly to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

where it is alleged he has received training at a

terrorist training camp A terrorist training camp is a facility established to train individuals in the ways of terrorism. By teaching them the methods and tactics of terrorism, those conducting such facilities aim to create an "army" of individuals who will do their b ...

, and in 2003, Walters wrote a farewell letter to his mother.

Arrest and conviction

Walters, at the time 19, was arrested along with Ismail Akhnikh on November 10, 2004, after a 14-hour siege in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

. This was one of a series of raids on suspected Muslim terrorist cells following the 2 November 2004 assassination of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by fellow Hofstad Network member

Mohammed Bouyeri Mohammed Bouyeri ( ar, محمد بويري ; born 8 March 1978) is a Moroccan-Dutch convicted terrorist serving a life sentence without parole in the prison of Nieuw Vosseveld (Vught) for the assassination of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh. A ...

. Near the end of this siege, Walters threw a hand grenade at police. According to police, Walters had his own plans to assassinate Dutch political figures he deemed

anti-Muslim Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism. The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...

, and his hit list included two members of parliament,

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ayaan Hirsi Ali (; ; Somali: ''Ayaan Xirsi Cali'':'' Ayān Ḥirsī 'Alī;'' born Ayaan Hirsi Magan, ar, أيان حرسي علي / ALA-LC: ''Ayān Ḥirsī 'Alī'' 13 November 1969) is a Somali-born Dutch-American activist and former politicia ...

, a native of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

, and

Geert Wilders Geert Wilders (; born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who has led the Party for Freedom (''Partij voor de Vrijheid'' – PVV) since he founded it in 2006. He is also the party's leader in the House of Representatives (''Tweede Kamer'' ...

. Both, like van Gogh, had been outspoken critics of Islam in the Netherlands, particularly its treatment of women. On 10 March 2006, Walters was convicted with eight others in the

on charges of terrorism. He was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment.

Release

He was released from prison in May 2013. In a first interview in 2018, he said to have deradicalized in prison through self study, citing the works of

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his car ...

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

and

Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th centur ...

as crucial. He also said that

radicalization Radicalization (or radicalisation) is the process by which an individual or a group comes to adopt increasingly views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo. The ideas of society at large shape the outcomes of radicalizat ...

is an

existential Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

choice.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, Jason 1985 births Converts to Islam Dutch Muslims Dutch Islamists Dutch people of American descent Dutch prisoners and detainees Hofstad Network Living people People convicted on terrorism charges People from Amersfoort People imprisoned on charges of terrorism Prisoners and detainees of the Netherlands