One of the Afghan-born bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami's brothers apparently posted a Facebook photo supporting jihad -- and a sister reportedly posted a quote from the American terror cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, just a few of the potential red flags coming from some of the people who knew the suspect best.
Ahmad Khan Rahmani's brother posted quote by Khalid ibn al-Walid. Prophet Mohammad called Khalid "the Sword of God."https://t.co/xTPjlR6SGw pic.twitter.com/rGkqBL3u81
— Sankrant Sanu सानु (@sankrant) September 19, 2016
The message posted by Rahami's brother Mohammad in 2013 showed extremist fighters with the quote: "I bring men who desire death as ardently as you desire life." The same brother also posted a 9/11 conspiracy theory video last month, The Daily Beast reported.
Aliza Rahami Maymunah, 30, the older sister of the bomber, appears to live in Quetta, Pakistan with her husband and two young children. Going by the name Masood Maymunah on Facebook, she posts what appear to be several pro-jihadi messages and images which promote an 'Islamic caliphate,' claim 9/11 attacks were carried out by the U.S. and Israeli governments, and refer to U.S. soldiers as terrorists.
Another teaching she shares, purportedly from Sheikh Khalid Yasin, pronounces that "if defending ourselves is terrorism, let history be our witness that we are terrorists?"
One of her posts promotes the radical teachings of Awlaki, an American and Yemeni imam whom the U.S. government successfully targeted in a drone strike in Yemen, claiming he was a top recruiter and planner for Al Qaeda. Another video she posted from the Facebook group "Soldiers of Allah 2" features New York City ablaze while promoting a caliphate.
People who knew the Rahamis claimed that Ahmad and his brother Mohammad dressed in more traditional Muslim robes in recent years, coinciding with their trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Rahami’s dad, also named Mohammad, claimed he fought the Soviet Army in the 1980s as a member of the mujahedeen, the same group that spawned Usama bin Laden and a generation of terrorists, family friend Jonathan Wagner told The New York Times. Wagner said the elder Rahami didn’t approve of the current U.S.-led fighting in Afghanistan.
The information emerged as the Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, was being held on $5.2 million bail, charged with the attempted murder of police officers in the shootout that led to his capture Monday. Federal prosecutors said they were weighing charges over the weekend bombings in New York City and a New Jersey seaside town that wounded 29 people.
His father told reporters Tuesday outside the family's fried-chicken restaurant in Elizabeth, New Jersey, that he called the FBI two years ago. But asked whether he thought his son was a terrorist, the father said: "No. And the FBI, they know that."
Zobyedh Rahami, who said she was also a sister of Ahmad's, wrote online, "I would like people to respect my family's privacy and let us have our peace after this tragic time. I would not like to answer any questions."
FoxNews.com's Malia Zimmerman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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