John Walker appears to have done quite a fair amount of posting on usenet groups under the name "doodoo." The posts can still accessed by means of a google search.
It's pretty interesting to scan through them and observe the process described by the Newsweek article. They start with an early interest in hip hop and black culture, and the purchase and trading of hip hop records. He then starts selling his comics and trading cards, and starts searching for electronic musical equipment, especially drum machines.
Then there's a posted question (the first, if I'm not mistaken) on alt.religion.islam specifically about which sorts of instruments are forbidden or allowed in Islam, the twofold answer to which has a strict "drums only" part, and a more lenient one of any instrument as long as it "does not include any kind of sexual behavior or loose our minds" (though drums here are still emphasized-- is he wondering whether Allah is okay with electronic drums?)
A month later, he's still hanging on to the hip hop interest, but he criticizes another poster for liking music about sex and dope, i.e. music that "includes" sexual behavior and, perhaps "loose minds." His Malcolm X turning point is then documented by a post requesting Malcom X speeches (on vinyl-- you think he's using them to mix?) He keeps buying electronic equipment and drum machines.
This is when he starts to get more Islamic, signing his name as "Br. Mujahedin," at which point he starts selling all his records and equipment.
Posted by Dr. Frank at December 10, 2001 01:44 AM | TrackBack