One of the two terrorists involved in the Boston bombing has been killed

[Minimalist]

So UMass Dartmouth, the college that's like fifteen minutes away from me, is closed. The current rumor is that one of the suspects was registered there - the UMassD website is not working and the only confirmation is facebook comments.

Would seem unlikely that he is in class today, though. I'm not sure where this "lockdown" mania came from in the US but it seems to be spreading.

[Violet]

Have we asked the bombers what their motive was in bombing yet?

I mean... I'm a deist, and if I felt so inclined I might well blow up a mass of people. Probably not for a religious reason though. Were I a theist, my reasoning for blowing peeps up also probably wouldn't be religious. Why assume that their reason for their actions is based on religion?

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Would seem unlikely that he is in class today, though. I'm not sure where this "lockdown" mania came from in the US but it seems to be spreading.

Scared people do retarded things

[Anomalocaris]

It's been reported by the AP that they were Chechen. By that implication, probably Muslims. Just another example of the evil Application of religion.

It's not clear what drove this particular pair yet. The fact that they came from a Muslim enclave in Russia doesn't mean they acted for or in the name of Islam or any religion.

It so happens that chechya historically has been amongst the most secularists Muslim areas in the world, much more secularized then the good sane average church goer of the united states.

The recent islamic radicalization of many chechnyan youth is actually traceable to a decidedly secular cause - the brutal and ultimately successful war waged by Russia against separatists in Chechnya who did not feel the interests of Chechnya was best served by remaining with a chaotic, corrupt, Slavic majority Russia with a long tradition of ethic discrimination against nonslavic people.

As it turns out, while some did become jihadists, many, probably most disaffected Chechnya youth who turned to terrorism did not embrace Islam in any meaningful way. They simply became secular terrorists against Russia and Russian occupation. It was Russia that, taking opportunistic advantage of western mood following 9-11, labelled them Islamic terrorists so as to lessen the international disapprobation surrounding repressive measures Russia instituted in Chechnya. This cynical action on the part of Russia probably helped to prompt Islamic influence amongst disaffected after 2011 who otherwise might not have turned to Islam.

[Creed of Heresy]

Why assume that their reason for their actions is based on religion?

Because if it smells like a sewer rat, looks like a sewer rat, and squeaks like a sewer rat, it's a safe bet that it's a sewer rat.

[CapnAwesome]

Have we asked the bombers what their motive was in bombing yet?

I mean... I'm a deist, and if I felt so inclined I might well blow up a mass of people. Probably not for a religious reason though. Were I a theist, my reasoning for blowing peeps up also probably wouldn't be religious. Why assume that their reason for their actions is based on religion?

I could be a coincidence that he's a Muslim. I doubt it for a couple of reasons. One is simply mathamatical. The percentage of Muslims in the US is very small, thus the chance that a random terrorist act is going to be committed by a Muslim for non-religious reasons is equally small.

[Anomalocaris]

Have we asked the bombers what their motive was in bombing yet?

I mean... I'm a deist, and if I felt so inclined I might well blow up a mass of people. Probably not for a religious reason though. Were I a theist, my reasoning for blowing peeps up also probably wouldn't be religious. Why assume that their reason for their actions is based on religion?

I could be a coincidence that he's a Muslim. I doubt it for a couple of reasons. One is simply mathamatical. The percentage of Muslims in the US is very small, thus the chance that a random terrorist act is going to be committed by a Muslim for non-religious reasons is equally small.

How about the chance of a Chechnyan whose culture happen to have been muslim influenced but who is radicalized primarily by secular Russian political and ethnic oppression?

[CapnAwesome]

How about the chance of a Chechnyan whose culture happen to have been muslim influenced but who is radicalized primarily by secular Russian political and ethnic oppression?

It sounds like a reasonable explanation as to why the Chechnyans have become Islamic. You sound more knowledgeable on the subject than I am. It doesn't change the fact that they are more than likely Islamic inspired.

[Tiberius]

So, they aren't middle eastern, and they've been in the USA for 10 years (when both were teenagers). It's not looking like they are affiliated with Islamic extremist groups, or foreign terrorist groups. Does this go down as domestic terrorism?

I haven't seen anything to suggest either was influenced to do this by Islam.

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I've also read that the elder brother was hoping to win a place on the American Olympic boxing team and become a naturalised citizen. Whatever some people assumed about this case, or the suspects, most of it is looking to be completely wrong.

[CapnAwesome]

So, they aren't middle eastern, and they've been in the USA for 10 years (when both were teenagers). It's not looking like they are affiliated with Islamic extremist groups, or foreign terrorist groups. Does this go down as domestic terrorism?

I haven't seen anything to suggest either was influenced to do this by Islam.

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I've also read that the elder brother was hoping to win a place on the American Olympic boxing team and become a naturalised citizen. Whatever some people assumed about this case, or the suspects, most of it is looking to be completely wrong.

Muslims are .8% of the U.S. population. It's not impossible that they have non-religious motives, but that would be a huge coincidence. The Chechnyans have never carried out an attack on a western country and have no reason to. What could possibly compel relatively normal citizens to do something like this other than religion?

[Tiberius]

Muslims are .8% of the U.S. population. It's not impossible that they have non-religious motives, but that would be a huge coincidence. The Chechnyans have never carried out an attack on a western country and have no reason to. What could possibly compel relatively normal citizens to do something like this other than religion?

Why would it be a huge coincidence? Are Muslims somehow incapable of being psychopaths / sociopaths? Who said it was because of their nationality? Why even bring that up?

What could compel "normal" citizens to do something like this? What compelled other domestic terrorists? What compels school shooters? There are plenty of reasons why people commit these acts; hardly any of them have something to do with their religion or their nationality.

Until we know more, we shouldn't wildly speculate.