Neighbor just revealed A LOT to me, what to do?

[Jedi from Earth]

I've known my neighbor for a year, give or take. I could give you some background, but I'll try to make this brief. He's a white, middled aged, conservative minded man, American born and raised and usually making references to god- not uncommon in a small town within a red state. He's open to me despite knowing my views are much different, and that I'm much younger.

Anyways, I'll get right to it and give more details in the comments.

Last night, he told me he's actually Muslim and has been for years now.
He shows me a separate room with a prayer rug and a dozen copies of the Koran.
He tells me about an on/off close friend in his life who he converted. Then he shows me business cards from FBI agents who have paid him visits 3 times in the years he's been Muslim, claiming his friends mom reported him, for what reasons I'm not sure.
He tells me about mosques he's been to and how he confronted a fellow Muslim at a mosque in another city for being too moderate because he wouldn't grow out his beard.
This guy says he also attempted to relocate to a couple different middle eastern countries, saying he wants to get away from the 'evil' in this country.
As I'm checking my phone he tells me to look up another Facebook account of his that uses his Arabic name. Not much content, only a post saying that anyone who isn't Muslim is stupid and another about song lyrics predicting 9/11.
I'm watching as he shows me basically everything on the walls in his house with what he says are 9/11 references.
I ask him some questions about all of this. One thing he says in exact words, "ISIS and al-Qaeda are the only ones doing God's work."
He tells me that a man is entitled to as many wives as he can afford and that gays and drug users should be executed, and also thinks that smacking your wife around is justified if she talks back to you. Before I leave he insists I take one of his Korans with me.

He told me all of this last night, as a complete surprise to me. At first, before he said all the crazy stuff, I told him it was no big deal to me if he was Muslim. I heard him mention going to the mosque in town sometimes. Maybe I should go there and let someone know about him, or just keep my distance and pretend it didn't happen. What do you think?

 

[Rook]

Give him a hearty hug and light up the hashish pipe.


Is this a sort of amateur propaganda campaign?
Or an actual neighbor who is terrified beyond reckoning and hailing all forums for salvation?

 

[Sinny91]

You should remind him that ISIS and Al-Qaeda are doing Bushes/Blairs/Israels/Americas/Round Table bidding.

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

He's perfectly within his right to think that ISIS is doing god's work. He's not actually hurting anyone, as far as I can tell. If he does do something illegal or starts hurting people, then you should do something, but until then just chill out, man.

Is this a sort of amateur propaganda campaign?
Or an actual neighbor who is terrified beyond reckoning and hailing all forums for salvation?

Yeah, this strikes me as something just designed to get a reaction.

 

[J-man]

Buy a gun and/or move. And don't forget to vote Trump.

 

[Jedi from Earth]

He's within his right to say anything he wants, but at least I hope you can understand why I may feel a bit uneasy when someone who lives within a couple skips of me all of a sudden shares his most oppressive views, along with telling me he's been visited by the feds a few times (according to him, he had their cards but anyone can get those).

I didn't care that he was Muslim though, if he was Christian or another religion I'd be just as uneasy. He's talking about fed visits and killing people, that's enough to be concerned about.

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

He's within his right to say anything he wants, but at least I hope you can understand why I may feel a bit uneasy when someone who lives within a couple skips of me all of a sudden shares his most oppressive views, along with telling me he's been visited by the feds a few times (according to him, he had their cards but anyone can get those).

Sure, yeah, I'd probably feel a little uneasy too if someone told me they think trying to bring about the apocalypse was a worthwhile endeavor. But there's nothing you can do at this point, unless he's actually hurting people.

 

[Jennywocky]

I'm still trying to figure out why he dumped all that on you. Does he consider you a close friend, a potential convert, or a target of a prank survey to see who would report him?

 

[Jedi from Earth]

I'm still trying to figure out why he dumped all that on you. Does he consider you a close friend, a potential convert, or a target of a prank survey to see who would report him?

I've noticed that no one visits him, from my understanding he does not keep in regular contact with relatives or friends from earlier in his life. I didn't start paying attention to that until recently and now I'm certain I probably visit with him more than anyone else. At most I'd say he's an afternoon drinking buddy (but I'm the only one drinking), it's not like I have to go much out of my way to see what he's up to, just a few steps across the street. So now I can see why, I've been the only one he's had prolonged social interaction with... As far as I know. Being INTx, I don't become very reactive when a person tells me their fringe beliefs or dirty secrets. He pointed that out and may have mistaken my response (or lack thereof) for something else. It is easy to get into political and philosophical discussions with him. At first he was still firm but seemed to be tolerant of conflicting viewpoints. I began to notice the more we talked the more crude, immature and blunt he became, calling anything and anyone he didn't agree with idiotic and stupid. I've made him storm off mad at me because I told him if I had a gay son I wouldn't mind, also I've had him riled up after telling him I don't support the death penalty, or when I tell him it's best to listen to his doctor for medical advice. When I told him that women should be able to get abortions and have sex with whomever they choose he didn't talk to me for days, and usually he initiates conversation. I try to avoid conflict while trying not to be a pushover with controversial topics, so I usually find a polite way to tell him that he's full of shit. He knows I don't agree with him but he also thinks I'm one of the most open minded people he knows. Now I'm sitting here looking thru the Koran he handed me with his writing where he puts his name above the word 'apostle' and writes 'hijackers' above a verse with the word 'angels', along with pages with side notes about 9/11. This is some bat shit crazy David Koresh sort of content I'm dealing with and although I doubt he would be any real threat, I'm split between never talking to him again or just playing it off. I could not make this stuff up.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Why are you dealing with this man? Does he interest you? Why are you telling us this?

I wouldn't have visited a stranger's home to hear his stories or have them show me around, regardless of how bored I might have felt.

Something must've motivated you that you've become so acquainted with your neighbour who's a visibly fanatic person.

Best to notice the first signs of madness and steer clear of such people, which you didn't do, morbid curiosity?

I'd still try to cut my ties or move out, depending on your options and sense of security. Though I'd try to distance myself in a friendly manner, always smiling, always seemingly attentive but in a hurry, saying hi and asking for health. But with every passing week less and less so, until they don't notice or need me anymore.

 

[Peripheral Visionary]

INTP coping mechanism #1: Do not get chummy with the neighbors. They are likely to drop in on you unannounced, and dump their weird crap on you.

People, have we learned NOTHING from Ron Swanson?

 

[Inquisitor]

Stay away from the guy. If FBI agents have already visited him, he's presumably on their watch list. Just sounds like an angry dude maladjusted to living in a red state, however. Can't be easy to fit in as a Muslim. I'm sure it might be fascinating to listen to this guy's ideas. I can see how it would be interesting from a psychological perspective, but if he tilts further towards extremism...I wouldn't want to get involved.

Nevertheless, you can call the FBI or local police department if you're curious about what to look out for in terms of radicalization. I'm sure they'd be willing to help you. That's what I would do if I were in your position, if only to get a little more information and put myself at ease. That's what your tax dollars pay for.

 

[Puffy]

Reading this made me realise how batshit crazy I'd appear if I unloaded my real thoughts on my neighbour.

 

[EditorOne]

Pretty tough position to be in.

I only want to point out that you don't know the FBI visited him and knows about him. You only know that's what he claimed. He could either be trying to impress you with what a badass he is, or trying to lull you into inaction in case the hair standing up on the back of your neck motivates you to do something about him.

As to why he unloaded on you: It could go back to something noted before in the forum, the tendency of some social outliers to interpret your INTP lack of condemnation of them for active approval. It's the thing some of the psychologists refer to as the INTP "chameleon" quality, which is not at all a deliberate thing we do but more or less a form of social self effacement in order to avoid uncomfortableness. One of the reasons I opted to change newspapers after 20 years at one was because of the odd, disturbingly odd, collection of personalities I'd attracted over the years simply by being nonjudgmental in both my interviews and my stories. Conspiracy theorists, crackpots, oddballs, freaks, and the mentally disturbed: Everywhere, every day. Ancient alien theorists had not yet become a thing or else I'd have had a couple of them in my wake also.

As for what you should do, I dunno. I have contempt for the modern police state, for capitalism gone mad, for mindless conformity, for having to live in fear, for finking on people because they are outliers. But if it was me I think I'd reluctantly call Homeland Security and tell them my neighbor is a secret ISIS sympathizer with a room full of stuff and a belief ISIS is doing God's work. I like to live and let live, but ISIS doesn't. My normal quasi-dormant disdain for religious superstition goes active and up a couple of orders of magnitude when they get militant enough to slit throats over whether the egg should be broken at the large end or the small end. And I think he was hoping to recruit you, which is the most alarming thing of all.

I know this is tough for you. I feel terrible just writing and realizing I'd even consider this.

 

[Tannhauser]

It's when people get to sculpt their "philosophies" alone and isolated from social contact over long periods of time that they can end up like that. Probably, if you stop seeing him, he will go even deeper into this stuff.

 

[Jedi from Earth]

Pretty tough position to be in.

I only want to point out that you don't know the FBI visited him and knows about him. You only know that's what he claimed. He could either be trying to impress you with what a badass he is, or trying to lull you into inaction in case the hair standing up on the back of your neck motivates you to do something about him.

As to why he unloaded on you: It could go back to something noted before in the forum, the tendency of some social outliers to interpret your INTP lack of condemnation of them for active approval. It's the thing some of the psychologists refer to as the INTP "chameleon" quality, which is not at all a deliberate thing we do but more or less a form of social self effacement in order to avoid uncomfortableness. One of the reasons I opted to change newspapers after 20 years at one was because of the odd, disturbingly odd, collection of personalities I'd attracted over the years simply by being nonjudgmental in both my interviews and my stories. Conspiracy theorists, crackpots, oddballs, freaks, and the mentally disturbed: Everywhere, every day. Ancient alien theorists had not yet become a thing or else I'd have had a couple of them in my wake also.

As for what you should do, I dunno. I have contempt for the modern police state, for capitalism gone mad, for mindless conformity, for having to live in fear, for finking on people because they are outliers. But if it was me I think I'd reluctantly call Homeland Security and tell them my neighbor is a secret ISIS sympathizer with a room full of stuff and a belief ISIS is doing God's work. I like to live and let live, but ISIS doesn't. My normal quasi-dormant disdain for religious superstition goes active and up a couple of orders of magnitude when they get militant enough to slit throats over whether the egg should be broken at the large end or the small end. And I think he was hoping to recruit you, which is the most alarming thing of all.

I know this is tough for you. I feel terrible just writing and realizing I'd even consider this.

He said he's been visited by FBI agents on 3 separate occasions over a ten year time period, the last time being a couple years ago. Even though he showed me two of their business cards I realize that those don't prove his claim, as anyone can get those. Still, it may not be a bad idea to take his word for it. I shared what happened with a person close to me who made a point that if he's been visited 3 times already, he's more than likely on a list somewhere and its best to get in contact with the nearest field office and distance myself from him. People who are 'listed' usually bring attention to the people they have been talking to recently (me). As much as I hate the idea of doing it, I have to cover my ass.

 

[QuickTwist]

Just a thought, but if he feels open enough to tell you all this stuff I wonder just how extreme the guy really is. He very well could've gone off the deep end or is simply in really deep, IDK. I would stay away from him. I would keep telling him you are busy with other things. I don't know if he is really that dangerous because if he was I believe he would already be locked up. *shrug*

 

[bvanevery]

Buy a gun, train heavily on how to use it, concealed carry it, rat him out to the FBI / learn about how watch lists work. I resolved after San Bernardino, and that earlier decapitation, if anyone started seriously babbling on about "their weird Muslim shit", I would take it very seriously.

People are dead because of others sticking their head in the sand. Not just about this guy / this kind of ideation. Just mentally off people in general who talk about violence they want to do.