Brothers to the end

Religion | Three Muslim terrorists who became Christians now risk their lives to “speak the truth” | Priya Abraham

If there's one question that needles Walid Shoebat it is, "When did you become a terrorist?" His face tenses and he shifts impatiently in his seat. "All Western journalists ask that," he says. "You're involved the moment you're born."

Shoebat's point is that becoming an Islamic militant does not start with hurling Molotov cocktails. The process starts with childhood indoctrination, with fatherly bedtime stories about the glory of martyrdom and fighting Jews. For Shoebat, "It's not just putting a bomb, it's the willingness to put a bomb."

The importance of ideology is what Shoebat tries to teach Americans now, having himself gone from Palestine Liberation Organization terrorist to pro-Israel Christian. He does that with two other men who converted to Christianity after carrying out Islamic violence. Together, they take the name, the "3 Ex-Terrorists." Their website flashes an explanation: "They don't sing, but they speak the truth."