The Latest: Father says son doesn’t understand Islam

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Latest on charges against a Northern Virginia man accused of attempting to support the Islamic State (all times local):

5:45 p.m.

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 (Harris kumm-AHR) of Burke was arrested Friday. Prosecutors say Qamar helped a man who turned out to be an FBI informant film landmarks in the Washington, D.C., 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.

___

12 p.m.

A Virginia man has been charged with attempting to assist the Islamic State by photographing targets in the Washington, D.C., area for what he thought would be a terrorist attack.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said 25-year-old Haris Qamar (Harris kumm-AHR) of Burke was arrested Friday morning. Court records say he came to authorities’ attention through various Twitter posts supporting terrorist attacks.

According to an affidavit, the FBI set up a sting operation where Qamar worked with an informant last month to film landmarks, including the Pentagon, that could be targeted for attacks. The informant recorded Qamar saying “bye-bye DC” as he filmed the Pentagon.

Qamar is the second person charged this week at the Alexandria courthouse with attempting to support the Islamic State.