Though the media have written and talked about LaRose’s race as if it is startling, it is in fact a simple and superficial analysis. With Al Qaeda being cited by cultural theorists as a non-governmental, multi-national organization that has made excellent use of the Internet as propaganda tool it should only be expected that more and more ‘unlikely’ characters will be investigated for allegations of global terror.

However, what may be more troubling about “JihadJane,” whose moniker could be seen as reference to a pop culture manifestation of America’s great source of pride in its military while still referencing America’s ominously looming enemies, is what she chose to fight for.

In a June 2008 Youtube clip, LaRose JihadJane said she was “desperate to do something somehow to help” suffering Muslims. The plot LaRose was ultimately taken into custody for allegedly involved the murder of Lars Vilks, a Swedish artist who is currently living under police protection when his cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with the body of a dog earned the ire of radical Muslim groups. Yes, the woman so desperate to help Muslims suffering from illiteracy, poverty, and corrupt regimes, chose to use the doors open to her as a green-eyed, blonde haired, woman from Pennsylvania to attack an artist.

There is little doubt that the cartoon may have been in poor taste and completely undermined a cardinal rule of Islam, but such acts are by far neither the source nor the catalyst for Islamic suffering. Perhaps if people desperate to actually instate change in the conditions of the Islamic world were more concerned with equal representation, education, and poverty, artists would be less driven to create such blatantly sensationalist works driven by hubris and prejudice. Surely, the uproar caused by Vilks’ ridiculous rendering did more harm to the image of Islam and the honorable legacy of its messiah than a cartoonist and their relatively limited audiences could ever dream possible.

Of course, its easier to get wrapped up in propaganda calling for the death of an artist than it is to demand equal rights and political reform.

In the end ‘JihadJane’ may have not been an appropriate moniker for Colleen Renee LaRose, because Jihad implies struggle and it would take much more effort, struggle, and potential backlash from ‘Muslim’ leaders to stand up for the rights of Muslims in a meaningful way than it does to plot the death of an artist. Sadly, the hateful actions and violent affiliations of the  woman who so earnestly said she wanted to end Muslim suffering leave us wondering just how devoted to real transformative change in the Muslim world she actually was?

As an American citizen whose appearance and passport allowed her to blend into Western society, LaRose represents one of the worst fears of intelligence and FBI analysts focused on identifying terrorist threats.

Recruiting Others:

She looked for recruits whose physical appearance would “blend in with many people” and go undetected in Europe and the United States.

LaRose allegedly responded, “i agree that it is good i blend in.”

Evolving Face of Global Terror:

J. Patrick Rowan, former chief of the Justice Department’s national security division, said the LaRose indictment is “another indication of how the threats come from all directions.”

“If nothing else, it‘s another reminder to the FBI of the obligation to run down every lead and every threat, because they can’t be too far-fetched,” Rowan said.

JihadJane, an American woman, faces terrorism charges [Washington Post]