Word: khalifas
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Which is why several of his Egyptian classmates could not accept his guilt in interviews with TIME. "I could never imagine him on a plane threatening people, killing people," says Ahmed Khalifa, 33, Atta's best friend at Cairo University. "He would be scared to death...He was not a leader. He had his opinion, but he was modest in everything. His emotions were steady, and he was not easily influenced or swayed. Mohamed was well liked because he never offended or bothered anyone." Says Ismail: "He was good to the roots...
...When Khalifa bumped into his friend by chance on a Cairo street two years ago, he found Mohammed thin and weak, an outward appearance that Khalifa guessed reflected an inner dissatisfaction: "I felt that he was not satisfied, he was fed up with his life there and wanted to return. He was happy at work to a certain degree, but he seemed to regret not having made a family yet. When we met, I had children and he was not yet married. I felt that really bothered him. He appeared sad and when I said good...
...dream girl was an angelic kind of character," says Ahmed Khalifa, the best friend with whom Atta shared confidences, worked night and day on engineering projects and relaxed over movies, outings and listening to romantic ballads belted out by Egyptian crooners. "He never ran after a girl and flirted. He would never point out the physical features of a girl. He would say this is a good girl, would make a good wife. He had some secret crushes in college, but was not in love...
...strongly critical of Israel, but also strongly critical of the Islamist extremism that had taken hold of sections of Egyptian society over the past two decades. "When students on campus would discuss the activities of the Islamic groups who were active on campus and in the student union," says Khalifa, "he would object to their activities from A-Z. He was against them and what they stood for. He was a person who always held a position in the center. He hated extremism. He knew God, but I never saw him pray once. I never saw him give out money...
...alienation of a lonely Egyptian living in Germany isn't enough explanation for his subsequent actions. "I do not understand what could have happened to him," says Khalifa. "I feel sorry I lost him. I completely disbelieve this story about him. He never let himself reach a state that would make him desperate. I could never imagine him on a plane, threatening people, killing people. He would be scared to death. I cried...