Teenage album of a French Islamic State terrorist

What a difference five years can make. That’s all one can think when looking at the pictures left by Adel Kermiche on two long abandoned Facebook accounts. “You’re looking too cute”, a girl friend commented on a photograph that showed him at fourteen years old, with a somewhat shy smile and a T-shirt telling: “Nobody is perfect”. It was all very true.

Five years later, that same boy stormed the church in his town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, took five people hostage, and together with a comrade that he barely knew — Abdelmalik Petitjean — he slaughtered an 85 year old priest in the name of the Islamic State.

Below we publish some pictures and posts from the mentioned Facebook accounts — one of which was bearing his true name, while the other was named “Dédél C’qwa Ton Blem” — for the sake of history. As shocking as it may be to see the contrast between then and now, so good is it to realize that almost every terrorist once has been the sweet and dearly beloved child of someone.

 

This is the oldest picture of Kermiche, according to the date it was posted at least. Posing on a motor cycle of a friend apparently, because Kermiche wasn’t old enough himself to drive on October 8, 2010.

 

Kermiche posing with keffiyeh and Armani shirt on December 18, 2010.

 

On his account with alias Dédél C’qwa Ton Blem, Kermiche liked to appear as a deejay. This is the profile picture he used. “Dédél” certainly refers to his name, while “C’qwa Ton Blem” is French teen slang for “What is your problem?”

 

While posting this picture on December 29, 2010, Kermiche asked his friends to vote for him in the contest ‘Mister Facebook Normandie’.

 

With the flag of Algeria on his cap. Posted on February 5, 2011.

 

He clearly liked to alter his pictures digitally, as can be seen here. All three were posted in 2011 — the first two on his Dédél account, the third on that with his true name.

 

Posing fancily dressed in his bedroom, it seems. Posted on May 8, 2011.

 

Kermiche did not comment on this picture, posted on August 21, 2011. But a girl friend wrote in French: “You’re looking too cute”, adding a tongue-out emoji.

 

“WAHT’S IM BUTIFUL (=NO=) ?” Kermiche wrote in broken English under this picture, posted on October 15, 2011.

 

“Bang Bang Atitude GiRLS!” was his comment here, written on that same October 15, 2011.

 

This picture was posted on November 28, 2011. “I think I look like Dewey from Malcolm here” he commented with a smiley — referring to the role of American actor Erik Per Sullivan in the television series ‘Malcolm in the Middle’.

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