The newly launched Netflix’s American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing documentary is a “thorough but difficult watch” they say. And it indeed should be as it chronicles one of the most shocking and unforgettable tragedies in Boston’s history. The three-part series talks about those approximately 101 hours from the moment the first bomb went off to the capture of the terrorist brothers responsible for the attack on that day, 15 April 2013. In the rest of the writing, we shall talk about Youssef Eddafali, who among the very rarest happens to know Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from below the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.
Meet Youssef Eddafali, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Friend On American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing
In the Netflix show, Youssef Eddafali talks about how growing up he and his friends found it difficult to lead separate American and Muslim lives. Amidst surviving this adversity, they met in seventh grade, but it was not until they met again in high school that they really became good friends.
In an essay for Boston Globe Magazine, Youssef explained how as a teen he bonded with Dzhokhar. Despite Dzhokhar being a year ahead of him at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, the two enrolled in the same lifeguard course and landed a lifeguard job together at Harvard University in 2010.
“The truth is, Jahar and I had a lot in common,” Youssef said about his friend who was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to death for killing four people and injuring hundreds of others.
Two friends were also part of a group called the Sherm Squad. They all would meet almost daily before partying like any typical American teenager. And so the two remained fast friends as according to Youssef, the other was quite popular for his ready wit, fun-loving nature, and ability to mix well with everyone.
With time, Youssef said, he also learned that his friend had an older brother named, Tamerlan. To him, Dzhokhar appeared pretty respectful of his brother and never disobeyed his orders. Never did Youssef think that the same Tsarnaev brothers would want to take lives.
When Youssef came across the images from the bombing for the first time, he quickly noticed that the younger man resembled his friend Dzhokhar. Still, he could not believe his friend would commit such a crime. In fact, for some time, he was even convincing others of Dzhokhar’s innocence. But, everything changed once the police took Dzhokhar into custody. Never since Youssef said his friend’s wrongdoings have ceased to haunt him, till this date.
Where Is Youssef Eddafali Now?
In the months that followed, Youssef Eddafali forced himself to return to University but could not forget the horrors of the bombing. Moreover, in November of 2013, the FBI interrogated him for hours on end, although Youssef mostly talked about how he and Dzhokhar were childhood friends. Still, the interview made it difficult for him to study, and Youssef began struggling with depression, stomach pains, and insomnia after failing several of his mid-term papers.
However, with time, he went back to playing basketball, which played an integral role in Youssef’s recovery. On top of it, he also started writing in a journal as a form of therapy. Incidentally, as per a 2018 report, Youssef has taken up writing as a profession and is apparently busy penning down a book about his experience of facing life as a Muslim immigrant in the United States. From the looks of it, he currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts, and has built up a quiet life surrounded by his loved ones.
Youssef Eddafali Age
Arabic and English language fluent Youssef Eddafali was born in 1993. So, he turned 30 years old in 2022.
Originally, Youssef hails from Casablanca, which is a port city and commercial hub in western Morocco, fronting the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2023 though, he had been residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Youssef Eddafali Job
On Facebook, Youssef Eddafali mentioned working as a lifeguard at Harvard University. Also as a student, he mentioned going to Bentley University and CRLS for high school.
According to Boston.com, Youssef in the months after the bombings entered a downward spiral of addiction, insomnia, severe stomach pains, and depression as he tussled with the crimes committed by his friend. Unable to focus on his studies at Bentley University, he even had to take an academic leave. He may have resumed his studies later. Also, per Globe Magazine, Youssef while living in the Boston area had been writing a memoir about his experience growing up as a Muslim immigrant in the United States, until around 2018.
Is Youssef Eddafali Married?
Youssef Eddafali’s relationship status read ‘single’ at the time of this writing. Even without it, he did not seem to have been married before.
Youssef Eddafali Family
On Facebook, Youssef Eddafali mentioned a brother Robbie Buderi, and his father Alex Marchando. In detail though, he only talked about his mother in detail in his memoir. He shared how his single mother dragged him to the United States from Morocco looking for a better life.
He further gave his audience a bit of a picture of how his mom always made him stay in the apartment until he finished his homework. As long he kept his grades up, he said, she allowed him to play basketball after school.
In senior year, his priorities were playing basketball, finding the right college, fantasy basketball team, and girls, watching the Celtics, partying with friends, the prom, and making sure to get his homework done. Meanwhile, his mother, he said, even then still expected him to act like a strict Muslim. In his memoir, Youssef also wrote about his mom forbidding him from many things and about “frequently berating” him as unworthy.
Related FAQs
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What Is Youssef Eddafali Ethnicity?
Youssef is Moroccan.
Once, he said, “My real family’s life centered on Islam. I was raised to follow the teaching of the Koran and the five pillars of Islam, which boil down to self-discipline, love for yourself and toward others, and growing your relationship with God. We typically went to the mosque on Prospect Street twice a week, plus whenever my mother forced me to come to some event she’d volunteered for.”
He then added, “I had my American life at school and my Muslim life at home. Adhering to the tenets of Islam, especially the daily prayers, was a struggle, and it didn’t help that Jahar, one of my main confidantes, was off at college.”
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Is Youssef Eddafali On Instagram?
Youssef Eddafali was not on Instagram as of 14 April 2023. But one could see him occasionally showing glimpses of his life on ‘Youssef Moulay’ Facebook.
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When Is Youssef Eddafali Birthday?
Youssef Eddafali’s birthday is on December 23rd and that makes him a Capricorn.
