A Muslim leader attacked by a Southern California man who went on to become an al Qaeda member has spoken about their once close relationship.
Islamic Society of Orange County (ISOC) vice chairman Haitham Bundakji said he treated Adam Gadahn, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in January, like his own son until he had doubts about his character. He even served as his witness when he converted to Islam.
Gadahn worked as a security guard at the Garden Grove mosque before being fired for sleeping on the job, and in 1997 was arrested for assault, accused of punching Bundakji in the face. He spent two days in jail.
"When he came... he seemed to be an innocent young man," Bundakji said. "I treated him like one of my own children for a while until he showed his true colors."
The 36-year-old went on to become one of Al Qaeda's most prominent members, appearing in more than a dozen propaganda videos. Gadahn ended up on the FBI's most wanted list with a $1 million bounty, and it was confirmed Thursday he had been accidentally killed in a drone strike in January.
ISOC religious director Muzammil Siddiqi condemned the ideology their former follower ended up turning to, and said "if somebody goes wrong, it can happen to anybody."
"We are sorry that he ended up in the wrong place, with the wrong ideology, Siddiqi said. "We do not subscribe to that ideology at all. We condemn terrorism. We condemn terrorists."
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Gadahn, whose parents changed their name from Pearlman to Gadahn after their marriage, grew up on a farm in rural California. At age 18 he moved in with his grandparents, who were Jewish.
He left the United States for Pakistan in 1998, and his father said he had not been in contact since 2002.
