ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The father of a Virginia man charged in a government sting with attempting to support the Islamic State says his son doesn't understand Islam.
Twenty-five-year-old Haris Qamar of Burke was arrested Friday. Prosecutors say Qamar helped a man who turned out to be an FBI informant film landmarks in the Washington, DC, area for what Qamar believed would be a video encouraging lone-wolf terrorist attacks.
At an initial appearance Friday, a magistrate ordered Qamar held pending a detention hearing next week.
Qamar's father, Qamar Abbas, said in an interview that he worried over the years as his son grew a long beard and became inattentive to his studies. He said his son spent long hours on the computer that may have led him to a twisted view of Islam.