There has been a lot of talk about a New Jersey family being massacred a couple of weeks ago, possibly by jiihadists.

I didn't pay serious attention to it until I read this on Little Green Footballs today.  From the New York Sun via The Counterterrorism blog:

A radical Islamic Web site systematically tracks Christians on PalTalk.com, an Internet chat service on which a New Jersey man received a death threat two months before he and his family were murdered.  The password protected Arabic Web site, at the address www.barsomyat.com, features pictures and information about Christians who have been particularly active in debating Muslims on PalTalk.

One page from barsomyat.com features a group of photographs of a Syrian Christian, "Joseph," who now lives in Canada.  Barsomyat.com's users have posted personal information about Joseph, including his brother's parole status, and make clear that they are actively trying to track down his current address.

Subscribers also post explicit warnings to Joseph.  One comment states, "Know, oh Christian, that you are not far from us and you are under our watchful eyes!"  Another user remarks, "Laugh, oh Chrisitan, and soon you will see a big hit."

I am a member of Paltalk, and have personally visited those chatrooms.  In fact, a friend of mine in Texas was an administrator in what is probably the most anti-Islamic chatroom on Paltalk:  America and Allies United Against Terror.  It's possible that I've even heard this guy speak in the chatroom before, since they are all voice-oriented.  I really don't frequent those chatrooms as much anymore, but I know the rhetoric is very thick and the sparks automatically fly that one as well as  other chatrooms on Paltalk.  I can almost guarantee you that the regulars in that chatroom are probably being targeted by these people.

I wish I could say this sort of thing surprises me, but it doesn't.  People can get very personal and it can get nasty in those chatrooms, and not just the political ones.  You have to be very careful when dealing with people on Paltalk.

The blog JihadWatch has been all over the murders from the get-go.  He had one of his contacts explain how this family was butchered:

A close friend of Hossam Armanious and relatives of the family murdered in New Jersey have revealed the following:

Shortly after the murders, members of the Egyptian consulate went to visit the family to encourage them to keep quiet. And many family members have obeyed, saying nothing to reporters or anyone else. However, two family members and another Copt viewed the bodies at the funeral home. One of these eyewitnesses said that he clearly saw that the family members had not suffered “stab wounds to the throat,” as the prosecutor’s report states, but rather the following:

A. Both adults, Hossam and Amal, had a horizontal slit across the throat. Below the slit, on the left, right and middle of the throat were three holes, big enough so that one could place a finger in each hole. According to the eyewitness, it was as if the assailant(s) took a knife and turned it repeatedly in a circular fashion, as if to screw holes into the victims’ necks.

B. The two young girls, Sylvia (15) and Monica (8), also had a horizontal slits in their throats, along with two holes bored below the slits, one on the right and one on the left sides of their necks. The holes were similar to those on their parents’ necks.

C. The eyewitness said although the bodies of the victims were all covered, he was able to see the arms of the little girl Monica. Although the tattoo of the cross inside Monica’s wrist was not defaced, he saw that her wrists were cut. He was not able to see the wrists of the other victims to see if the crosses on their wrists were defaced.

D. Though the family wants to reserve judgment until the results of the case are released, they did say that the way the four family members were bound and gagged and the way their throats were slit with holes carved is similar to executions that are shown on al-Jazeera. The American public is not aware of this because the details of the executions are not often described in news accounts.

Amal Garas’s father said that (contrary to many news reports and CAIR’s press release) none of the family’s jewelry was taken, and that Amal owned some quite expensive pieces that were not touched. At the time of her murder, Amal was wearing a ring worth $3,500 that was not taken.

This wasn't some routine burglary/homicide.  There's no question in my mind that someone wanted this guy dead in the worst way.

In fact, JihadWatch translates what was posted after the family was massacred:

Bibo 117: This is a picture of the filthy dog, curser of Muhammad (Hissam Armanios) and a photo of his filthy wife, curser of Muhammad (Amal Jaras). They got what they deserved for their actions in America. They were slaughtered along with their children as a punishment from the heavens to those who curse the most divine of all who were created.

Exception one: Allah bless you all! I read about this incident on the news websites, but how do you know they were cursers of Muhammad and that they were murdered by Muslims? Why were the children killed as well? I never thought this was the act of Muslims -- maybe there had been another reason for their murder? Oh well, Allah knows! Had they indeed been cursers of Muhammad this was a powerful punishment from Allah. We should ask Allah to let all their dog brothers who curse Muhammad and harm him to join their fate!

Mostafahamed: Beware brothers of the plot attempting to blame Muslims for the incident, or maybe attempting to worsen their situation in America and Europe even more. We don’t need to speculate assumptions that may infer that we Muslims are behind it.

Bibo 117: (is asked to elaborate on his sources) My beloved sister FTAT UAE, I don’t know anything about the subject other than what has been published in the NYPOST. The above excerpt from the paper points out that he (Hissam) was one of the most prominent participants in the Christian chat rooms of the Middle East section of paltalk. As to he killed him and what were his motives that I don’t know till this very day. What I said in the message I posted was that there is a punishment from Allah to all who offend Muhammad!

Here is a image of the page from the website showing a picture of the slain couple.  It's a crying shame that this story is reduced to only a few news articles within the mainstream press.  More attention needs to be drawn to this danger before these maggots strike again.