Samir Khan was born on December 25, 1985, in Saudi Arabia, where his parents were living at the time. However, they soon moved to Queens, New York, where they raised Khan. He later moved with his family to Westbury.
Despite becoming a U.S. citizen, Khan was not sympathetic to American values. He believed that the United States was at fault for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, showing his strong anti-American sentiment.
Khan's journey towards radicalization began when he started a blog in 2003 called "InshallahShaheed," which translates to Martyr, God Willing. This blog became a platform for him to express his extremist views and beliefs.
As an editor and publisher of the magazine Inspire, Khan targeted a Western audience with his extremist propaganda. The magazine was allegedly published for al-Qaeda and aimed at radicalizing individuals to commit acts of terrorism.
In addition to his work on Inspire, Khan wrote a manual called Expectations Full, detailing how to be a successful suicide bomber. His writings provided a step-by-step guide for individuals interested in carrying out terrorist attacks.
Samir Khan was singled out by Senator Joe Lieberman as one of the individuals responsible for providing spiritual justification for carrying out terrorist acts. His extremist propaganda and writings were seen as contributing to the radicalization of individuals around the world.
Samir Khan's life came to a tragic end when he was killed in a U.S. drone strike. The strike was aimed at Anwar al-Awlaki, another prominent figure in the world of terrorism. Khan's death marked the end of his reign as an editor and publisher of extremist propaganda.
Despite his controversial and extremist views, Samir Khan left a lasting impact on the world of terrorism. His writings and publications continue to influence individuals who are susceptible to radicalization.