Litvinenko’s father says he converted to Islam on his deathbed — or did he?
posted at 12:25 pm on December 4, 2006 by Allahpundit
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People are pointing to this Times of London article as confirmation of the rumors, but go to the actual interview with his father in Kommersant and you’ll see it’s iffier. Boldface mine:
– They say Alexander adopted Islam before his death?
– He thought about it. I came to see him in the hospital and said: “My boy, I lighted a candle for you to St. Sergei Radonezhsky, and prayed for your soul!” And he replied: “Father, I want to be buried according to Muslim traditions.” I said: “Well, son, as you wish. Another Muslim in our family – my daughter is married to a Muslim. The main thing is to believe in the Almighty – there is one God. The main thing is to live according to God’s laws, and not those of the Satan.”
ToL doesn’t quote the first sentence, although it’s not a big deal. The father obviously considers him a Muslim and whether or not he went the whole nine yards and converted or “merely” identified as a Muslim sufficiently to want to be buried with Islamic rites is beside the larger point. That larger point being: how’d a Chechen sympathizer with a rumored history of nuclear smuggling who’s undergoing a religious awakening end up with polonium on him?
Update: A.J. Strata has been pushing the dirty-bomb theory for several weeks now. Just keep scrolling.
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Exactly–a rogue Chechen sympathizer tied to nuclear smuggling, an Islamic convert meeting with nuclear scientists and dodgy “Russian businessmen”…
If Putin was behind this, maybe he had a better reason than we’ve given him credit for.
see-dubya on December 4, 2006 at 12:34 PM
After Beslan, I can’t tolerate this.
EF on December 4, 2006 at 12:42 PM
The man was a Chechen sympathizer?…and his father talks about him following Gods law…I am pretty sure God would frown on what those beasts do.
EnochCain on December 4, 2006 at 12:46 PM
Boy, oh boy. The accuracy of the translation is critical here, because a lot hinges on this apparent quote.
The way that is phrased brings to mind this: “There is one God and his prophet is Mohammed,” not this: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Christians believe in the Trinity - One in Three, Three in One. It’s an unusual concept that mankind as a rule has a hard time comprehending, so diversions from the Trinity are common, and identified as heresies.
Unless the man was misquoted, his statement is not unequivically Christian; based on just that alone, one could guess he favored Unitarianism, for example or conceivably even Islam.
naliaka on December 4, 2006 at 12:49 PM
…
And at least three airplanes?
RedWinged Blackbird on December 4, 2006 at 12:51 PM
Killing children is not enough for this chechens.
Ouabam on December 4, 2006 at 1:55 PM
Not surprised at all. I’ve viewed this Litvinenko as a shady character from the very start, and questioned the media’s calling him a “Russian patriot”. A Russian patriot, he certainly was not. Oh sweet sushi.
MoonbatMedia on December 4, 2006 at 2:24 PM
This story just keeps getting curioser and curioser.
Dave R. on December 4, 2006 at 2:35 PM
Thanks, AP, for posting all sides of opinion on this.
I hope A.J. Strata’s wrong, however I believe the available evidence strongly fits his theory. Smuggling, at least, and for what purpose is speculation, but “dirty bomb” or (less likely and let’s hope not) nuclear trigger seem like as good guess as any.
Christoph on December 4, 2006 at 3:09 PM
My thought too.
Christoph on December 4, 2006 at 3:11 PM
Looks like a dirty bomb plot in mid-swing.
Mojave Mark on December 4, 2006 at 3:16 PM
Whoa, this guy was a terror-symp?
How come we’re only finding out now? How’d someone like that get British citizenship…oh wait yeah.
So now it becomes Red on Red.
I was wondering why this “hit” was so incompetent. Now you’ve got to wonder if it was a “martydom” agitprop operation.
Iblis on December 4, 2006 at 3:36 PM
I’m not so sure that a dirty bomb would be the most effective use for Po-210. It’s only toxic when ingested or inhaled. There is no risk arising from mere proximity or even skin contact. Because of its high density, it probably would not remain airborne for any significant lenth of time. A jihadi would get more bang for the buck by contaminating a food or water source.
RedWinged Blackbird on December 4, 2006 at 3:40 PM
Who wait a second. The type of material that poisoned him is about as dangerous (externally) as olive oil.
That being said if this story is true (conversion)let us know where they bury him. I have some pork roast bones that need to be interned.
Timber Wolf on December 4, 2006 at 5:20 PM
It makes one heck of a trigger, I’ve since learned. Please consider my above comment ammended.
Christoph on December 4, 2006 at 6:31 PM
I wouldn’t go that far. Let’s just say that it probably would not cause enough damage to justify the expense. One of the objectives in using a dirty bomb is to render the target area uninhabitable for decades or centuries, depending on the half-life of the radioactive material used. Po-210 would not accomplish that. In any case, if this is part of a jihad plot, it’ll probably happen pretty soon. Their investment is losing half its value (and its toxicity) every 138 days.
RedWinged Blackbird on December 4, 2006 at 6:33 PM
I don’t know about conversions, but we can assume, after all, he assumed room temperature…..a thousand apologies, that was uncalled for..really..Allah forgive me..
ritethinker on December 4, 2006 at 6:39 PM
Which means if that theory is true, it’s for a nuclear bomb intended to be used in a relatively soon time period.
Pleasant thoughts.
Christoph on December 4, 2006 at 7:37 PM
It takes a lot more than polonium and beryllium to make a nuclear weapon. It takes fissionable material - a lot of it. Al-Qaeda is probably the only organization with the resorces to aquire it, and even that is doubtful. Not impossible, but doubtful.
RedWinged Blackbird on December 4, 2006 at 7:56 PM