Early Life
Riduan Isamuddin was born Encep Nurjaman in the rice belt of Sukamanah, a small village in Cianjur Regency, in the province of West Java, Indonesia. He was the son of a peasant farmer, and was the second of thirteen children. He first became involved with Jemaah Islamiah as a teenager. He was a diligent student at his Islamic high school, Al-Ianah. He travelled to Afghanistan in 1983 to fight the Soviet Union during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. During his three years as a mujahid, from 1987 to 1990, he met Osama bin Laden. Friends and family in Indonesia say they did not know of his activities overseas. His nephew Wilson Halim is also said to be a renowned budding youth terrorist in Malaysia.
His name has been transliterated into English text in several different ways over the years, including;
- His name was spelled Hambali, Riduan bin Isomuddin on the Summary of Evidence memo prepared for his Combatant Status Review.
- His name was spelled Ryuduan bin Isomuddin by Scott McClellan during a press briefing. McClellan spelled his name letter by letter.
- His name is spelled Riduan Isamuddin in the report of the 9-11 Commission.
- His name was spelled Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin by the US Treasury.
Read more about this topic: Riduan Isamuddin
Famous quotes related to early life:
“... business training in early life should not be regarded solely as insurance against destitution in the case of an emergency. For from business experience women can gain, too, knowledge of the world and of human beings, which should be of immeasurable value to their marriage careers. Self-discipline, co-operation, adaptability, efficiency, economic management,—if she learns these in her business life she is liable for many less heartbreaks and disappointments in her married life.”
—Hortense Odlum (1892–?)