In local Philadelphia news, a man charged with attempted murder of a total stranger is on record as demanding an "Islamic nation":

Kelly is charged with three counts each of attempted murder and aggravated assault for the July 15, 2004, attack outside the District Attorney's Office on Arch Street in Center City.

Owens, of the Police Department's Special Victims Unit, testified that when he saw Kelly wielding a daggerlike knife with a four-inch blade, he drew his gun and ordered Kelly to drop the knife.

"He lunged forward at me, and I fired my weapon once," Owens told the jury. Kelly was struck in the arm.

Harman, 25, required emergency surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for a stab wound to the abdomen.

Harman and Markovitz did not know Kelly. Letters found in Kelly's pants pockets indicate that he was driven by "fanatical religious ideas," Deputy Attorney General Marc Costanzo told jurors at the beginning of the trial. The Attorney General's Office is handling the case at the request of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

"Give me an Islamic nation, or give me death. Muslims must unite... and fight America... . I want revenge," said one of the handprinted letters placed in evidence yesterday."

"Even though it was unfortunate what happened, there were officers on the scene immediately and prevented this incident from escalating further," he said. "The area is safe. I read the crime reports every day. I don't see any area in Center City that is of major concern. We don't have any discernible patterns that people need to be looking at."

Police said Harman and Assistant District Attorney Vicki Markovitz, of the Major Trials unit, had just left the District Attorney's Office at 1421 Arch St. Thursday when a man described as homeless made "a thrusting motion" toward Harman.

The man initially told police he was Kareem Abdul, but fingerprints identified him as Larry Kelly, 51, whose last known address was on North Stillman Street in North Philadelphia.

Kelly stabbed Harman once in the left side without provocation, police said.

Much as I hate being cute, let's suppose this jerk had been white, and had written the following note:

"Give me a Christian nation, or give me death. Christians must unite... and fight America... . I want revenge."

But I'm just wondering whether they still have these hate crime laws we keep hearing about. Or is the man's "homeless" status is more relevant than his motivation (and previous felonies)?

Nah. No discernible pattern there either. (It's not as if we're talking about homeless suicide bombers or anything . . .)

UPDATE (11/11/05): Kelly was convicted of attempted murder by a jury yesterday, and the Inquirer provides more information about his writings:

Hand-printed letters found in Kelly's pockets said: "Give me a Islamic nation, or give me death. The Muslims must unite behind [Osama Bin Laden] and fight America and not die kissing anti-Allah America white ass... I want revenge."

In his closing argument Wednesday, Costanzo told the jury: "In the letters, you get a piece of what he was doing here, what was in his mind, what he was trying to accomplish... . We know the motivation: He's an Islamic fundamentalist who wants to kill people."

I guess freelance supporters of Osama bin Laden don't "count."