FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — A freshman at George Mason University (GMU) has been banned from campus after allegations of operating pro-ISIS and al-Qaeda social media accounts, officials said Thursday.
Court documents reveal that Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, 18, an Egyptian national living in Falls Church, Virginia, operated multiple accounts on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Telegram. These accounts reportedly promoted violence against Jews and shared extreme propaganda.
SEE ALSO | Man arrested in Southeast DC for threatening person with firearm, police report
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said they began investigating Hassan after the Fairfax County Police Department received an anonymous tip on May 4 about an X account engaging in “radical and terrorist-leaning behavior.”
The court documents also indicate Hassan was planning a mass casualty attack at the Consulate General of Israel, using explosives and firearms. The FBI stated that Hassan “wanted to record the livestream footage of the operation to distribute it to the ISIS media department.”
GMU confirmed Hassan’s enrollment as an information technology major.
Paola Duran, Director of External Communications at GMU, told 7News, “The individual in question is currently a freshman, majoring in information technology. The student does not live on campus, and he has been barred from entering university property.”
The court documents revealed some of Hassan’s posts:
- On March 21, he made a post about martyrdom and the guarantees of paradise for martyrs. Hassan stated, “Because all of those martyrs have been guaranteed paradise, this life is a test and we can leave it at any time for the afterlife[.]”
- On March 27, while debating other X users, Hassan made a post emphasizing that he believed that “Islam is a religion of justice, not peace[.]” Hassan earlier commented, “If your entire family was murdered by someone, would you give them hugs and kisses? Islam is a religion of justice[.]”
- On April 8, Hassan argued with another X user stating, “Hamas are an armed resistance, what terroristic about them? Have you only hear of the conflict since Oct 7th? IDF have been committing war crimes for decades g, it’s only time Palestine fight back[.]”
- On May 2, Hassan commented on a post about Osama bin Laden’s death by stating, “13 years since my idolo died[.]”
- On May 31, Hassan commented on a photo of a football player by saying the person’s forehead in the picture was a “sniper’s dream[.]”
The FBI also stated that Hassan is currently in removal proceedings with ICE.
The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office said Hassan was booked into their jail on the night of Dec. 17.