Daniel Patrick Boyd
Encyclopedia
Daniel Patrick Boyd is an American who in July 2009 was accused of leading a jihadist terrorist cell in North Carolina
.
-area lawyer
from whom Daniel Boyd developed his interest in Islam
. Raised Episcopalian
, Boyd converted to Islam at age 17.
Boyd graduated from T. C. Williams High School
in Alexandria, Virginia
, where he was a defensive lineman on the football team
. He married his girlfriend, Sabrina, who converted to Islam hours before their wedding.
Boyd worked in construction before moving to Peshawar, Pakistan, in October 1989. He was sponsored by a Muslim
relief group to help refugees from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan by working as a mechanic
. He trained with the mujahideen
and fought against the Soviet-backed forces in Afghanistan
. He took the Muslim name Saifullah ("Sword of God").
In June 1991, Boyd and his brother Charles (also a Muslim convert, working as an engineer in Pakistan) were accused of robbing a branch of United Bank
in Hayatabad
, a Peshawar
suburb.
It was also alleged that they carried identification cards indicating membership in Hezb-e-Islami
. In September 1991, a special Islamic court
sentenced the brothers to have their right hands and left feet amputated, serve prison terms and pay fines. As the sentence was handed down, Daniel Boyd shouted, "This isn't an Islamic court. It's a court of infidel
s!" After their convictions, they worked in the jail factory, making carpet
s and chairs.
In October 1991, an appeals court tossed out the ruling. The case made international headlines. Boyd maintained his innocence at the time and asserted that it was all a malicious set up
by a bank employee who had made inappropriate advances toward his wife and had tried to pilfer money from the family.
Returning to the US, Boyd raised his family of five children — sons Dylan, Zakariya, Luqman and Noah and daughter Maryam. In July 2004, the Boyds formed Saxum Walls & Ceilings Inc; in April 2007, the family suffered the loss of Luqman "Luke" Izzudeen Boyd, then 16, in a car accident
. Late in 2007, Boyd opened Blackstone Market in Garner
with business partner
Abdenasser Zouhri of Morrisville
. A Mediterranean grocery
, it offered halal
meat and snacks, copies of the Qur'an
in English
and Arabic, and a place to worship in the back. The store closed in 2008, reportedly due to the recession.
Boyd was arrested by Federal agents along with seven men
in North Carolina
on July 27, 2009. They were charged with plotting to wage “violent jihad
” outside the United States
. Boyd was accused of recruiting six men, including two of his sons, to take part in a conspiracy “to advance violent jihad, including supporting and participating in terrorist activities abroad and committing acts of murder
, kidnapping
or maiming persons abroad.” According to the indictment, members of the group practiced military tactics and the use of weapons in rural North Carolina, and traveled to Gaza
, Israel
, Jordan
and Kosovo
hoping “to engage in violent jihad.”
Muslim community members and supporters in North Carolina have been active for him and his co-defendants, and some non-Muslim neighbors and acquaintances in particular have spoken in his defense. A July 30, 2009 CBS
news headline about Daniel Boyd is entitled "The Nicest Terrorist I Ever Met," with the subtitle: "Friends, Colleagues and Pakistani Jailers Describe N. Carolina Terror Suspect as Kind, Devoted Muslim." Boyd's older brother Robert Boyd, a practicing Muslim, said the charges sound "like another attempt to associate Islam with terrorism" and the accusations "they're trying to pin on him is pure poppycock
as far as I am concerned." Boyd's wife, Sabrina Boyd, has given interviews and written statements professing the Boyds' innocence. Khalilah Sabra
, of the Muslim American Society
, read a statement from Sabrina Boyd at a press conference calling on the public not "to rush to judgment" and specifically addressing allegations of terrorist training in Afghanistan writing that "He was there fighting against the Soviets with the full backing of the United States government, [...] I think he thought it was part of his patriotic duty as a Muslim and an American to go there and fight." At Boyd's August 5 detention hearing, at least 100 supporters (relatives, friends, and acquaintances) were in attendance at the federal courthouse in Raleigh; some expressed the belief that the defendants had not violated the law.
On February 9, 2011 at the United States District Court
in New Bern, North Carolina
, Daniel Patrick Boyd pleaded guilty to two counts of the Second Superseding Indictment -- conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to commit murder, maiming and kidnaping overseas. The second count carries a potential life sentence. The Government agreed in a plea agreement to dismiss nine counts against him in exchange for his plea and cooperation against the remaining defendants.
Raleigh jihad group
The Raleigh jihad group refers to seven men arrested on 27 July 2009 near Raleigh, North Carolina on charges of participating in a conspiracy to commit "violent jihad". An eighth man in the indictment, believed to be in Pakistan, has not been arrested. Daniel Boyd was the suspected ringleader,...
.
Biography
Boyd is the youngest of five children born to Thornton and Patricia Boyd. Thornton Boyd (died 2005) was a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. The family frequently moved. His parents separated in 1974 (divorcing in 1977), and his mother and siblings lived at times in poverty. Patricia Boyd remarried William Saddler, an American Muslim and Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-area lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
from whom Daniel Boyd developed his interest in Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Raised Episcopalian
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
, Boyd converted to Islam at age 17.
Boyd graduated from T. C. Williams High School
T. C. Williams High School
T. C. Williams High School is a public high school in Alexandria, Virginia, named after former superintendent Thomas Chambliss Williams of Alexandria City Public Schools who served from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, where he was a defensive lineman on the football team
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. He married his girlfriend, Sabrina, who converted to Islam hours before their wedding.
Boyd worked in construction before moving to Peshawar, Pakistan, in October 1989. He was sponsored by a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
relief group to help refugees from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan by working as a mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
. He trained with the mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
and fought against the Soviet-backed forces in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. He took the Muslim name Saifullah ("Sword of God").
In June 1991, Boyd and his brother Charles (also a Muslim convert, working as an engineer in Pakistan) were accused of robbing a branch of United Bank
United Bank
United Bank Limited is one of the largest commercial banks in Pakistan having more than 1,100 online branches inside the country. Its 15 branches outside the country are in the United States of America, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and Republic of Yemen. It also has representative offices in Tehran,...
in Hayatabad
Hayatabad
Hayatabad is a posh, modern suburb on the south-western fringe of Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It was named after Hayat Sherpao late Governor of NWFP & notable leader of Pakistan Peoples Party...
, a Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
suburb.
It was also alleged that they carried identification cards indicating membership in Hezb-e-Islami
Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin identity card
Several Guantanamo captives had their continued extrajudicial detention justified by the allegation that they possessed Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin identity cards....
. In September 1991, a special Islamic court
Islamic court
The term Islamic court or Islamic courts can mean:* a court that follows Islamic Sharia law* the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia...
sentenced the brothers to have their right hands and left feet amputated, serve prison terms and pay fines. As the sentence was handed down, Daniel Boyd shouted, "This isn't an Islamic court. It's a court of infidel
Infidel
An infidel is one who has no religious beliefs, or who doubts or rejects the central tenets of a particular religion – especially in reference to Christianity or Islam....
s!" After their convictions, they worked in the jail factory, making carpet
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
s and chairs.
In October 1991, an appeals court tossed out the ruling. The case made international headlines. Boyd maintained his innocence at the time and asserted that it was all a malicious set up
Frameup
A frame-up or setup is an American term referring to the act of framing someone, that is, providing false evidence or false testimony in order to falsely prove someone guilty of a crime....
by a bank employee who had made inappropriate advances toward his wife and had tried to pilfer money from the family.
Returning to the US, Boyd raised his family of five children — sons Dylan, Zakariya, Luqman and Noah and daughter Maryam. In July 2004, the Boyds formed Saxum Walls & Ceilings Inc; in April 2007, the family suffered the loss of Luqman "Luke" Izzudeen Boyd, then 16, in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
. Late in 2007, Boyd opened Blackstone Market in Garner
Garner, North Carolina
Garner is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 17,757 at the 2000 census and was 27,533 in 2009.-Geography:Garner is located at ....
with business partner
Business partner
Business partner is a term used to denote a commercial entity with which another commercial entity has some form of alliance. This relationship may be a highly contractual, exclusive bond in which both entities commit not to ally with third parties...
Abdenasser Zouhri of Morrisville
Morrisville, North Carolina
Morrisville is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. A small portion of the town extends into Durham County. The population was 18,576 according to a April 1, 2010 census. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region...
. A Mediterranean grocery
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
, it offered halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
meat and snacks, copies of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Arabic, and a place to worship in the back. The store closed in 2008, reportedly due to the recession.
Boyd was arrested by Federal agents along with seven men
Raleigh jihad group
The Raleigh jihad group refers to seven men arrested on 27 July 2009 near Raleigh, North Carolina on charges of participating in a conspiracy to commit "violent jihad". An eighth man in the indictment, believed to be in Pakistan, has not been arrested. Daniel Boyd was the suspected ringleader,...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
on July 27, 2009. They were charged with plotting to wage “violent jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
” outside the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Boyd was accused of recruiting six men, including two of his sons, to take part in a conspiracy “to advance violent jihad, including supporting and participating in terrorist activities abroad and committing acts of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
or maiming persons abroad.” According to the indictment, members of the group practiced military tactics and the use of weapons in rural North Carolina, and traveled to Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
hoping “to engage in violent jihad.”
Muslim community members and supporters in North Carolina have been active for him and his co-defendants, and some non-Muslim neighbors and acquaintances in particular have spoken in his defense. A July 30, 2009 CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
news headline about Daniel Boyd is entitled "The Nicest Terrorist I Ever Met," with the subtitle: "Friends, Colleagues and Pakistani Jailers Describe N. Carolina Terror Suspect as Kind, Devoted Muslim." Boyd's older brother Robert Boyd, a practicing Muslim, said the charges sound "like another attempt to associate Islam with terrorism" and the accusations "they're trying to pin on him is pure poppycock
Poppycock
Poppycock is a brand of candied popcorn. Though it is marketed in a variety of combinations, the original mixture consists of clusters of popcorn, almonds, and pecans covered in a candy glaze. Other specialty combinations include mixtures with emphasis on cashews, chocolate, and...
as far as I am concerned." Boyd's wife, Sabrina Boyd, has given interviews and written statements professing the Boyds' innocence. Khalilah Sabra
Khalilah Sabra
Khalilah Sabra is an American Muslim advocate and author best known for her work with refugees in the Middle East, and literary contributions to the Joe L. Kincheloe and Shirley R. Steinberg series Transgression: Cultural Studies and Education....
, of the Muslim American Society
Muslim American Society
The Muslim American Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1993 that describes itself as an Islamic revival and reform movement....
, read a statement from Sabrina Boyd at a press conference calling on the public not "to rush to judgment" and specifically addressing allegations of terrorist training in Afghanistan writing that "He was there fighting against the Soviets with the full backing of the United States government, [...] I think he thought it was part of his patriotic duty as a Muslim and an American to go there and fight." At Boyd's August 5 detention hearing, at least 100 supporters (relatives, friends, and acquaintances) were in attendance at the federal courthouse in Raleigh; some expressed the belief that the defendants had not violated the law.
On February 9, 2011 at the United States District Court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
in New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
, Daniel Patrick Boyd pleaded guilty to two counts of the Second Superseding Indictment -- conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to commit murder, maiming and kidnaping overseas. The second count carries a potential life sentence. The Government agreed in a plea agreement to dismiss nine counts against him in exchange for his plea and cooperation against the remaining defendants.