The Profile of a Hi-Tech Jehadi…

By now all of are aware how Mansoor Peerbhoy has masterminded the terrorist attacks in India, that he showed no remorse in killing non-muslims and doesn’t care about the consequences, you are also aware how he was a senior software engineer working at Yahoo / Zimbra and earning an impressive salary by Indian standards. You also heard that he was very tech savvy and an nginx (a faster and apparently better alternative to Apache web server or even lighttpd web server) expert. Just how tech savvy was he?

• On file descriptors
• demonstrates detailed knowledge on nginx and unix process model
• demonstrates strong understanding of httpd as well as nginx
• more httpd knowledge
• he knows nginx
• strong understanding of socket, tcp handshake and more
• suggests a patch (bug fix) to nginx
• suggests architectural changes to nginx
• he knows linux

If I were to evaluate him as a software developer just based on his email communication, I would easily give him 7-8 out of 10. He has deep subject knowledge. He has taken a keen interest in working with nginx community to improve the software and also he is in general helpful to others. He communicates well and appears to have a good rapport with Igor, nginx creator.

I don’t blame Yahoo for hiring him. His credentials and his internet profile can easily give him a cozy job anywhere, that is until you know who he really is, a jehadi bent upon killing all non-moslems and for what? .. getting virgins / houris in heaven?

How can a company know that a smart, tech savvy professional can be a jehadi in disguise? I wonder how his colleagues at Zimbra are feeling today…

Should we as employers be allowed to ask questions which try to ascertain an applicants affinity to jihad or fundamentalist mindset in general? What do you think?