Monday, January 17, 2005

Family killed because of chat room arguments?

Pretty frightening story if this turns out to be true: A family of four killed because of what the father posted online. This story is getting little play outside metro New York (although Fox News has run stories on it).

'ISLAMIC HATE' EYED IN SLAYS By DOUGLAS MONTERO and STEFAN C. FRIEDMAN

January 16, 2005 -- The father of a murdered New Jersey family was threatened for making anti-Muslim remarks online — and the gruesome quadruple slaying may have been the hateful retaliation, sources told The Post yesterday.

Hossam Armanious, 47, who along with his wife and two daughters was found stabbed to death in his Jersey City home early Friday, would regularly debate religion in a Middle Eastern chat room, one source said.

Armanious, an Egyptian Christian, was well known for expressing his Coptic beliefs and engaging in fiery back-and-forth with Muslims on the Web site paltalk.com.

He "had the reputation for being one of the most outspoken Egyptian Christians," said the source, who had close ties to the family.

The source, who had knowledge of the investigation, refused to specify the anti-Muslim statement. But he said cops told him they were looking into the exchanges as a possible motive.
The married father of two had recently been threatened by Muslim members of the Web site, said a fellow Copt and store clerk who uses the chat room.

More can be found here: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/38704.htm

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