Cults and the World Trade Center Attack
How does one convince an intelligent well educated person, as a hijacker who knows how
to fly a large commercial aircraft must be, to go on a suicide mission of mass homicide?
The symptoms are classic - Mohamed Atta had been absorbed into a cult and lost his
autonomy.
abcnews.go.com - The man identified as Mohamed Atta apparently underwent a personality
change while studying in Germany, according to one of his professors.
"We observed that there was a changing between '95, and '98-'99 when he made his
diploma," says Professor Dittmar Machule, Atta's thesis supervisor.
Machule says Atta abruptly shaved off his beard and seemed to be a changed man, as if he
had a split personality.
The Final Letter: A Classic Example of Cultic Mind Control
On Sept. 28, U.S. authorities released a handwritten letter in Arabic found in a
suitcase that belonged to Mohamed Atta, the terrorist who hijacked a large commercial
passenger aircraft on Sept. 11 and flew it into the north tower of the World Trade
Center. An English translation of the letter is reprinted below.
At first glance the letter may look like just a final pep talk to the terrorists, but it
is actually a classic example of cultic mind control. It demonstrates that the terrorists
were merely actors following a script written by someone else. The terrorists were no
longer thinking for themselves, they had been totally absorbed by a cultic organization
and were being controlled like puppets with someone else pulling the strings.
It is frighteningly easy to control someone. All you need to do is tell them what to do
and never give them a free moment to think about what they are doing. Once they take that
first fatal step and become an actor in your play you can continue feeding them the
script and they will faithfully do whatever you want as long as you always keep them busy
and never give them a chance to stop and think on their own again.
The final letter to the terrorist hijacker Mohamed Atta has the following properties:
1: THE LETTER IS A SCRIPT
The terrorist is told in great detail exactly what to do. In the letter the terrorist is
even told how to wear his socks and tie his shoes, and how to act when he exits the taxi
at the airport. No detail has been left out. The terrorist does not have to do any
thinking on his own. In fact the terrorist is encouraged not to think on his own. By
carefully preplanning every detail the terrorist no longer has anything to figure about.
The terrorist is now just an actor in a tragic play written by someone else.
In a cult the leader is the one running the show, with the members merely puppets under
the leader's control. Cult members learn to let the leader tell them what to do next.
This eventually goes to extremes, where members who finish a task given to them literally
do not know what to do next, and look to the cult hierarchy to tell them what task to do
next. Further details of this phenomena are covered in the book.
2: THE SCRIPT HAS NO IDLE TIME IN IT
To further prevent the terrorist from thinking on his own during a time of idleness the
terrorist is told to pass the time by reciting certain invocations he has been taught. It
may appear on the surface that the purpose of this is to prepare the terrorist
spiritually for his mission, but actually the purpose is to prevent the terrorist from
thinking on his own by keeping his mind busy at all times. If the terrorist were actually
given a moment to contemplate his own actions the cultic spell might be broken and he
might decide to abandon his suicide mission of mass homicide. It is vitally important to
keep the terrorist's mind on the script at all times, so filler material is added to
insure the terrorist is always busy following the script.
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A WALK THROUGH THE ACTUAL LETTER
Let us now examine the actual letter given to terrorist hijacker Mohamed Atta and see how
the terrorist is being treated as just an actor in a play, being told at all times
exactly what to do and how to do it. At no time is the actor given a chance to pause and
think for himself. Indeed the actor is encouraged NOT to think for himself. It is the
unseen director, the one who wrote the tragic script, who is in complete control, and his
actors are just players who were drawn into the cult and given their roles to play. Once
a person takes the first step into playing out a role that person is never given a chance
for a second thought. There are no breaks in the play. There are no pauses. There is no
idle time. There is no chance for the actor to catch his breath. The script is carefully
written so there are no opportunities for the actor to stop and think for himself. He is
too busy playing his part. The terrorists were not thinking for themselves, they were
merely actors acting out their roles in someone else's tragic play. The result was as if
their minds had been taken over, and they were being controlled entirely by someone else.
Translation of the Hijackers' Note (Originally Written in Arabic)
Translated by abcnews.go.com
Beginning Of Page One:
The last night:
[Note immediately how this is a script. The hijacker is being told what to
do when this particular time comes.]
One of the companions of the Prophet said: The Messenger of God had ordered us
to recite it [Qur'anic verse] before the battle, we did, we won the battle and
we were not harmed.
[The scene for this act is set.]
[The script. Our hijacker, being treated as an actor, is told exactly
what to do]
1- Pledge allegiance to die, and the renewal of steps to be alert. * shaving
of extra body hair, wearing fragrance. * wash up.
[The rituals of shaving and washing are intended to keep the actor busy
so there is no idle time for him to think on his own.]
2- To know the plan very well -- know all its aspects and notes regarding
reaction by or resistance from the enemy.
[i.e. Make sure you've memorized the script. Also identify everyone else
as "the enemy". In cults anyone outside the cult is always framed as the "enemy".
Cult members are told not to fraternize with the "enemy" because they are "bad," but the real
reason the leader does not want his actors to fraternize with outsiders is because
outsiders are an uncontrollable element. They are the ones who are not controlled by the
cultic leader and they are the ones who can break the cultic spell over the actors. In
our culture we expect individuals to think for themselves. When we talk to an individual
we expect to communicate with that individual's personal thoughts and feelings. If the
individual doesn't appear to have autonomous thoughts and feelings we feel something is
wrong and may start to question the individual to determine who or what is controlling
them. Our ultimate goal is to expose to the individual how they are being controlled and
manipulated by someone else. We wish to guide the person away from mind control back to
being an autonomous individual. Thus interactions with outsiders is the biggest threat to
a cult leader. This is why cult members are quickly weaned away from their family and
friends and told to frame all outsiders as the "enemy."]
3- Read Surat al-Tawba, and Surat al-Anfal -- understand their meanings and
understand what God had prepared for the faithful -- He prepared an
everlasting paradise for the martyrs.
[Keep the actor busy. Fill the idle time.]
4- Remind yourself of obedience -- In this night you will face decisive
moments. These moments require obedience (100%). Calm your soul, make it
understand, and convince and push her to do that [the mission]. God said "Obey
God and his Prophet, if you don't, you will fail and lose your winds, be
patient, God is with those who are patient."
[Keep the actor's mind busy. Don't let his mind wander to thoughts
that might be his own.]
5- Stay up at night, persist in your invocations of victory, control and
conquest. [your invocation for] Thing to go well and for God to provides a
cover for us.
[Keep the actor TIRED by having him stay up at night. A tired person is
less likely to start thinking on his own and is more likely to just be a mindless
performer.]
6- Increase your mention of God's name. The best mention is reading the
Qur'an. All scholars agreed to this. It is enough for us, that [the Qur'an] is
the word of the Creator of Heaven and Earth, Who we are about to meet.
[Keep the actor busy. Fill the idle time.]
7- cleanse your heart of sins, forget and try to forget something called life.
The time of play is over, now is the time of the true promise [of God]. How
many [years] we have wasted [!] shouldn't we use these hours to present [to
God, our] sacrifices and obedience.
[Keep the actor's mind busy.]
8- let your heart be happy [crossed out word] only few easy seconds separate
you from the beginning of a happy life, peaceful life, and the everlasting
tranquility with Prophets and the faithful and martyrs, they are the kindest
[creatures]. We ask God to [help us be] optimistic, the Prophet, peace be upon
him (He loved to be optimistic in all his doings).
[Tell your actor what to think.]
9- Then, put that in front of your eyes, if you are facing a challenge -- how
would you act [?] how to steadfast [?] and remember and learn [illegible] it
wouldn't happen to you. It is a challenge from God [illegible] then it will be
clear, God willing, God had said "did you think that you will enter paradise
and that God knows those who performed Jihad and knows those who are patient"
[Have your actor go over the script again and again. "Remember and learn."]
10- Remember what God said "You wished death before you see it and?." "A small
band have won over a large band", "if god make you victorious no one will
defeat you, God willing?".
[More stuff to think about. Give your actor plenty of stuff to think about,
stuff YOU want him to think about, so his mind will not wander to thoughts of his own.]
11- Remind yourself of the invocations [for the sake of] your brothers and
understand what they mean (invocations of morning and night -- invocations of
country - invocations of the place - invocations about meeting the enemy).
[Memorize the filler material. This is important because the filler
material will keep your actor occupied at all times of idleness so he never has a thought
for himself. Again note the framing of all outsiders as "the enemy."]
12- [illegible] [Check ] yourself, the bag, cloth, the knife, your tools, your
ID ([illegible]) - your passport- all your papers).
[Make sure your actor is prepared for tomorrow's scene.]
13- Check your weapon [crossed out word or words] before leaving and before
before leaving [word repeated is in original] and (one of you must sharpen his
blade [crossed out word] to inflict wound on his prey [to slaughter] ).
[Again make sure your actor is prepared for tomorrow's scene.]
14- Wear your cloth appropriately -- tied, the way our good ancestors did it,
may God bless them, they used to wear their cloth in a tied fashion -- before
the battle, then tie your shoe very well, wear [tied] socks so you don't lose
your shoes. We are ordered to follow these items, God is our Sustainer praise
be to Him.
[Tell your actor exactly what to do and how to do it. To maintain control
leave nothing for the actor to figure out on his own; even tell him how to tie his
shoe.]
15- Pray the morning prayers with a group of people, understand its worth,
then, begin the invocations, don't leave home unless you perform the ablution.
Recite God's words " We created you.." the Saying [of the Prophet in the book
of [illegible].
[Mind control works better in a group setting where everyone is following
the same script and everyone is taking cues from the same director.
The group mentality represses individual thought. Each individual is encouraged to stick
to the script (which someone else has written). Any sign of deviation from the script
can be corrected by the rest of the group. Everyone is doing what everyone else is doing
because everyone else is doing it. A single individual alone by himself might
change his mind at the last minute and leaving the play, but in a group setting peer
pressure encourages conformity.]
End of Page One.
Beginning Of Page Two:
After that, the second phase:
[Begin act II. Notice how the letter reads just like a script.
The next act begins on a new page.]
If a taxi transported you to (M) recite the invocation [illegible] the car --
a lot and the invocations of riding - the invocations of the country - the
invocations of the place - and other invocations).
[Keep the actor busy reciting invocations so he has no idle time to
think for himself. The actor is on autopilot. The actor and the script have become one.]
If you reached your destination and you saw (m). Get off the taxi, recite the
invocations of the place, and do that in every place you go to, and smile and
be assured, God is with his faithful, and angels will be guarding you without
you noticing them.
[The script takes into account multiple possibilities. "If a taxi
transported you,..." "If you saw (m),..."]
Then recite the invocation that "God is dearest of all his creation" and
recite " Oh God [illegible] and save you from their evil" and recite 'Oh God
construct a dam in front of their hands and behind their hands, and blind
them, so they can't see [us]. " And recite "God is our Sustainer, Blessed be
He" and recite "[illegible] increase their faith, ..".
[More invocations to keep the actor's mind constantly occupied.]
After you recite you will see things get easier without your intervention
because God had promised his servants who recite this invocations with the
following: 1- [Victory] with the grace of His blessings. 2- They were not
harmed. 3- Follow God's [illegible]. God said " ?..".
[Aggressive mental suggestion. If you tell your actor ahead of time that
it will get easier at this point, then when the time comes the actor will anticipate
that it will get easier and will feel that it is getting easier because he has been
told to expect to feel that way.]
The believer's shouldn't be scared of it, but those who obey Satan should,
[illegible] God said " Satan scares his followers."
Those who admire the Western civilization, those who drank their love (the
love of the West) [illegible] destruction, and they were scared of their week
tools ("Do not fear them [illegible] and fear if you are believers") Fear is
[illegible]. The believers are victorious because of God there is no god but
God [illegible]. Be sure that God will stop the conspiracy of the infidels.
God said " God will weakened their conspiracy."
[The real leader behind the actors is spouting his personal philosophy.
His actors are thoroughly under his control. He is the one telling them what to think.]
Then you have to recite, and the greatest of recitation is, no one should
notice that you recite "There is no god but God" because if you recite it a
thousand time no one will be able to differentiate between your silence and
your recitation [illegible] peace be upon him. You can smile while you say it
[illegible].
[Make sure your actors don't give themselves away.]
It is enough that the concept of Oness [Tawheed] that you uphold as a banner
that you fight for -- as the Prophet of God, peace be upon him, and his
companions had done and will continue until the last day.
[Instill your actor with a sense of duty and pride. Make him believe this
script is his destiny, something predetermined by God. Actually the script is
predetermined by the leader, but it works better if you imply a supreme deity is in
charge and your actor is just fulfilling the will of the supreme deity. This helps to
reinforce a belief that there is no reason to question the script.]
End Of Page Two.
More: Pages Three and Four.
The letter was translated by ABC.
Beginning of Page Three:
Also do not appear to be nervous, be happy with a happy heart, be confidant
because you are doing a job that religion accepts and loves. And then there
will be a day that you will spend with beautiful angels [hur 'een] in
paradise.
[Instruct your actors. You are the director, they are your actors.]
Oh young Man
keep a smiling face
You are on your way
to everlasting paradise.
[Possibly one of the invocations for your actor to occupy his mind with.]
Any place you go to, or any thing you do, you have to recite the invocations,
pray to God, God is with His faithful servants. He will make them victorious
and allow them to accomplish their goals and every thing.
["you have to recite the invocations." You must not allow your terrorist
to have an idle mind where his own thoughts might intrude. It is imperative that your
terrorist keep his mind occupied with thoughts you have chosen for him to think.]
The third Phase:
[Act III]
[The following five paragraphs detail the script and insure your
terrorist's mind remains filled with filler thoughts you choose for him to think.
Note how detailed the script gets here. The following script steps are:
1) Get on the aircraft.
2) Sit down.
3) The aircraft will taxi to the runway.
4) The aircraft will stop (position itself on the runway and await clearance for takeoff),
and then the aircraft will take off.
Note that at each script step the terrorist is constantly reminded to recite the invocations
which you have chosen for him to recite. It is imperative that your terrorist's mind remain
busy following your script so he never thinks for himself. You don't direct your terrorist to
just "sit and wait," because that would afford him opportunity to think for himself. You
must keep your terrorist's mind busy at all times. Have him recite the invocations, not because you
care about him and want him to prepare himself in some religious way for the
afterlife, but because you want to keep him focused on the script. Your terrorist will be
surrounded by all the passengers on the plane whom you have no control over. Make sure
they do not interfere by talking with your terrorist. Make sure your terrorist identifies
them as the "enemy" so he will ignore anything they may say. A strong "us vs. them"
mentality must be maintained at this stage. You don't want an outsider to break the
cultic spell, so you very carefully script this last part of the play step by step and
insure your terrorist's minds are constantly occupied with thoughts you provide
for him to think. You want your terrorists to have no idle time to stop and listen to the
passengers who will try and get them to actually think for themselves.]
1) Get on the aircraft. Keep mind occupied.
When you get on (t) [the aircraft] -- when you put your foot in it, and before
you enter it -- you have to begin reciting the invocations -- and think of it
[your mission] as a battle for the sake of [God] ? as the prophet had said (
the battle [illegible] for the sake of God).
2) Sit down. Keep mind occupied.
When you put your foot in (t) [the aircraft] and when you sit on your seat
recite the invocations known [to you] that we have mentioned before. Then keep
busy, by mentioning what God had said " You believers if you meet a few [of
the enemy] steadfast and mention God, so you might succeed."
3) The aircraft will taxi to the runway. Keep mind occupied.
And then when (t) aircraft moves towards (K) recite the invocations of travel,
you are traveling to God, praise be to Him (enjoy these trip).
4) The aircraft will stop (position itself on the runway and await clearance for takeoff),
and then the aircraft will take off. Keep mind occupied.
Then you will find it [the aircraft] stop and then take off, this is the hour
where peace and tranquility meet, pray that God, as mentioned in his book,
"God grant us patience and solidify our feet, and grant us victory over the
infidels", (they say God forgive us, forgive our sins and solidify our feet
and grant us victory over the infidels."
Pray for yourself and your brothers that God grants victory, ask Him to grant
you martyrdom [illegible].
Then each one of you should be ready to perform his duty in a way that would
pleases God. You should press on your teeth, just like our good ancestors did
in their battles.
When engage the enemy hit them like the heroes who do not want to return back
to life, and say [God is the greatest] this saying would scare the infidels.
God said "Hit them above the neck and [illegible]."
[The last act of the script. Do this, think that.]
Only after all the instructions are given does the letter promise the
martyr good favor with God, so the hijacker doesn't even have to think about his
religious beliefs, even that has been done for him. Follow and accept the leader's
version of logic and reasoning. You are always being told what to think, you are never
being asked your own opinion.]
You know that paradise is already beautified [for you] and the beautiful
angles are calling you after they put on their most beautiful dresses.
If God grant you [the honor of] slaughtering [the enemy] wish its reward [the
actual slaughter] to be granted to your father and your mother, they have
rights over you. Do not disagree, obey. If you slaughter, you should
[illegible] this is a tradition of the Prophet, peace be upon him, but
according to the rules, [illegible].
End Of Page Three.
Beginning Of Page Four:
You have to put the interest of the work of the group ahead of [illegible]
because this work is permitted and [the work] is a part of the tradition. Do
not take revenge for yourself, but dedicate your blow and everything else to
God, praise be to Him. Ali Abu Taleb (the Prophet's nephew and the Imam of the
Shii't faith), may God bless his soul, had a fight with one of the infidels.
The infidel spit on Ali, may God bless him, but Ali did not wave his sword
towards the infidel. When the battle was over, the companions [of the Prophet]
asked Ali why he did not fight this infidel[?]. Ali answered, " I was afraid
to fight him for the sake of revenge, but as the battle went on and I fought
him latter, I did that for the sake of God."
Then you should apply the concept of taking prisoners [of war]. You are
allowed to take prisoners and to kill them. God said "the prophet is
[illegible] prisoners [illegible] they want that life and God want the
afterlife, God is Wise."
If every thing went well, each one of you should touch the shoulder of his
brother at (m) and (t) and (k). You should remind him that this work is for
the sake of God, praise be to Him. You should encourage your brothers, assure
them, and remind them of the beautiful Qur'anic verses like, "those who fight
for the sake of God, those who buy the hereafter using their lives," and God's
words "do not think that those who were killed for the sake of God are dead?"
And many others - You should raise their level of activism --- just like our
good ancestors did during their battles to assure their brothers and calm
their hearts.
Do not forget [illegible] water to drink, you and your brothers if possible,
the true promise is near and the zero hour [D day] had arrived.
Trust your [illegible] and open your heart and welcome death for the sake of
God. Always, remember to pray if possible before reaching the target or say
something like "there is no god but God and Mohamed is His Prophet."
After that, God willing, we will meet in Paradise.
If you see groups of the infidels, remember the parties [of the infidels],
they were 10,000 [infidel] fighters, and remember how God granted victory to
his faithful servants.
God said "when the faithful saw the parties they said that what God had
promised us, that increased their faith and their submission [to God]."
Pray for our Prophet Mohamed.
End Of Page Four.
End of Letter
Pictures of the original letter:
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I believe the leader behind the terrorist attacks personally wrote this letter himself.
A cultic leader would never leave so important a document for someone else to write.
I had been reading a book about cults because I wanted to learn more about the
similarities and differences between religions and cults. On the day of the terrorist
attacks I realized the book was explaining how one could convince a very intelligent,
capable, and well educated person, such as one who knows how to fly a large aircraft must
be, to go on a suicide mission of mass homicide.
CULTS in our midst by Margaret Thaler Singer
This is an excellent book written by a college professor who has extensively studied
the phenomonon of cults and has personally interviewed several thousand ex-cult members.
It is very well written and is the kind of book you don't want to put down once you
start reading it.
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