Seung Hui Cho - Ax Ishmael

Do we know why Seung Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech shoot, wrote the words "ax Ishmael" on his arm in permanent marker?

Is it supposed to mean anything? A message, a name, a possible hint? Nothing more than the ramblings of a schizophrenic shooter?

I've even heard right wing nut jobs on the radio suggest it was his chosen Islamic name and al qaeda put him up to it.

I think it may've been some alternate personality that he dreamt up for himself as a form of escapism or something similar. Cho was normally pretty timid and quiet but if you read his manifesto and watch his videos he seems to be acting like he's some kind of tough guy or badass. He says things like "Thanks to you, I die, like Jesus Christ, to inspire generations of the Weak and Defenseless people" and even refers to himself as "Ax Jesus Christ" which makes me think that maybe Ax Ishmael was some alternate version of himself that he saw as some kind of "savior" and "warrior" that was lashing out a society that he perceived as cruel and unfair to "the meek and oppressed". Of course I'm just speculating and we'll probably never know for certain since he's dead.

Link to Cho's manifesto if you haven't read it

I read somewhere Ax Ismael is a character in the Koran but I am not sure.

He says in his manifesto “I am Ax Ishmael. I am the Anti Terrorist of America” (pg. 21)

I believe Ax Ishmael was a persona he adopted. Similar to his other persona of “question mark”