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An Atlanta terrorism defendant used his closing argument Thursday to recite from the Quran in Arabic and tell a federal judge that using U.S. laws to defend himself would put him in rebellion against God.

Syed Haris Ahmed said he hoped that by delivering the message of Islam, “the promise of protection from evil will also apply to me.”

But Ahmed, 24, tacitly acknowledged he faced a likely guilty verdict.

Only once during his rambling address did Ahmed appear to offer an explanation to the charges against him. “I was misguided,” he said.

The former Georgia Tech student is charged with conspiring to support terrorism here and overseas. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

Ahmed waived a jury trial so he could give his closing argument —- “the message that has been revealed by Allah.” During his allotted 45 minutes, he nervously clicked an ink pen, politely asked the court stenographer if he was talking too fast and said the people of Georgia had not harassed him over his religion during the 10 years he has lived here.

Ahmed told U.S. District Judge Bill Duffey that the Quran is more authoritative than the Bible and that “Muslims actually are, I believe, closer followers of Jesus than Christians.”

Duffey, presiding as a jury, listened intently to Ahmed’s address. He did not say when he would deliver the verdict.

Before adjourning, Duffey called the Unite... >>>