▁moved ▁to ▁San ▁An sel mo , ▁California . ▁Lind h ▁suffered ▁from ▁an ▁int est inal ▁dis order ▁as ▁a ▁child . ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 4 , ▁his ▁health ▁improved . ▁He ▁en rolled ▁at ▁Red wood ▁High ▁School ▁as ▁a ▁fresh man . ▁He ▁then ▁transferred ▁to ▁Tam is cal ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁the ▁Tam al p ais ▁Union ▁High ▁School ▁District , ▁an ▁alternative ▁school ▁offering ▁self - direct ed , ▁individual ized ▁study ▁programs . ▁While ▁there , ▁he ▁studied ▁world ▁culture , ▁including ▁Sun ni ▁Islam ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁Lind h ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁school ▁and ▁eventually ▁earned ▁an ▁equivalent ▁of ▁a ▁high ▁school ▁di pl oma ▁by ▁passing ▁the ▁California ▁High ▁School ▁Prof ic iency ▁Ex am ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 6 . ▁ ▁As ▁an ▁ad oles cent , ▁Lind h ▁participated ▁in ▁I RC ▁chat ▁rooms ▁with ▁the ▁I RC ▁nick name ▁M uj ah id . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁devoted ▁fan ▁of ▁hip - h op ▁music ▁and ▁engaged ▁in ▁extensive ▁discuss ions ▁on ▁U sen et ▁news groups , ▁sometimes ▁pret ending ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁African ▁American ▁ra pper ▁who ▁would ▁critic ize ▁others ▁for ▁" act ing ▁black ." ▁S pi ke ▁Lee ' s ▁film ▁Mal col m ▁X ▁im pressed ▁him ▁deeply ▁and ▁spark ed ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁Islam . ▁ ▁Although ▁his ▁parents ▁did ▁not ▁divor ce ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁their ▁marriage ▁was ▁in ▁serious ▁trouble ▁throughout ▁Lind h ' s