RCMP arrest three for terrorism offences

[George Wallace]

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Police to hold talks with Ottawa's Muslim leaders
Community meeting aims to defuse tension after arrests of suspected terrorists

By Jennifer Green, The Ottawa Citizen
August 26, 2010 3:27 PM

LINK


OTTAWA — Prominent members of Ottawa’s Muslim community will meet with a team that specializes in defusing police-community tensions to allay fears and explain why the RCMP arrested two men suspected of planning a terrorist attack on Canada.

The time, place, and attendees of the meeting are not being revealed, but Ottawa police say their goal is “to meet with COMPAC members and other community leaders … and engage them on the matter.”

COMPAC stands for the Community and Police Action Committee, which brings together police, visible minorities and aboriginals for regular meetings, so some trust has already been built when incidents like Wednesday’s arrests strain relations.

COMPAC has critical incident teams trained to defuse any escalating concerns.

Ferrukh Faraqui, a member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, and a board member of the Ottawa Muslim Women’s Organization, said the meeting is a good idea. “That could only help allay fears and reduce unnecessary tension.”

While many Muslims would feel comfortable with government authority, others emigrating from war-torn countries may be more wary.

The news of the arrests Wednesday was particularly jarring for Ottawa’s 65,000 Muslims, as they were celebrating the 15th day of Ramadan, a period of fasting, and reflection.

“Given the history of … others caught up in overzealous activity of the authorities in the wake of 9/11, you can only wait and hope that when the details emerge, that the arrests were justified,” said Faraqui. “The police are only doing their job and we depend on them to keep us safe. We hope … that the people who need to be caught are caught and that innocent people don’t get caught up.”

Faraqui takes a longer view of the tensions around Islam and terrorism. “We live in interesting times. The times aren’t comfortable; they were when I was growing up, but they’re not anymore and that’s just reality.”

Neighbours often saw one of the men arrested walking with a woman wearing a full black niqab, with only a slit for her eyes.

“Naturally that plays into fear,” Faraqui said. “My personal belief is that covering your face is entirely unnecessary… . On the other hand, if this is something that this person believes is her right, then … it’s a very difficult terrain to negotiate, rights versus responsibilities to the greater society.”

Imam Zijad Delic, executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress, said all the national Muslim associations are waiting for more information. “We have to know what’s going on before we speak.

“At this point, the healthiest way to approach the issue is to listen to what the RCMP say. We trust our Canadian agencies and, if it happens that we have to raise our voices, we would raise our voices, and it would be heard quite a lot in Canada.”

Delic, who signed the Canadian Council of Imams’ declaration against terrorism, said: “If anyone knew of such activities, it is not just their social responsibility to report such a case, it is their religious responsibility.”

Azhar Ali Khan, a long-time Ottawa community activist, said in an e-mail: “Being a good Muslim is the same thing as being a good Canadian.” Khan added that “many Muslims believe that the U.S. policy in Muslim countries is exploitative and harmful; for example, its attack on Iraq. But Canada has nothing to do with these policies. It is true that Canada is engaged in the war in Afghanistan. But Canada is not in Afghanistan to exploit its people or to build an empire. It is there to help the Afghan government and people fight extremism.

“Even so, many Canadians, and not just Muslim Canadians, oppose Canada’s participation … and favour the withdrawal of Canadian troops. Whatever the views of any Canadian on the Afghan war, he or she could express his or her viewpoint openly. There can be no excuse to indulge in harmful conduct. This cannot be accepted or tolerated.”

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

 

[George Wallace]

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Arrests a 'serious problem' for Canadian Muslims
CTV

LINK

A prominent Canadian Muslim group is calling for the condemnation of the doctrine of armed jihad and says there is a "serious problem" with radicalized Canadian youth in light of the recent terror arrests in Ottawa.

"This is not something that comes as a total surprise . . . we have a problem," Raheel Raza of the Muslim Canadian Congress told CTV.ca Thursday. "There is a serious problem among Canadian Muslim youth and if we don't address this now, it can culminate into something dangerous."

The Muslim Canadian Congress says that the accused must be treated with the presumption of innocence, but Raza says the situation can be used to open a dialogue on radicalization within the Muslim community.

"We have to stand up and tackle this," she said, adding that she thinks the community needs to start asking itself tough questions about the radicalization of some youths and where those messages are coming from.

Despite the recent controversy in the United States regarding the "Ground Zero" mosque, Raza says that she is not worried about a backlash against Canadian Muslims, saying there will always be "hate-mongers."

"There are always going to be bigots, we can't stop speaking out against radicalization just because we are afraid of a few bigots and hate-mongers," the outspoken activist and author said. "Those people who are sensible . . . will understand what we are talking about."

Raza added that she knows she is not being "politically correct" but says she is speaking out because she "loves my faith and my country."

The Canadian Jewish Congress commended the Muslim Canadian Congress for its statement.

"We are heartened by the statements of the Muslim Canadian Congress . . . calling for Muslim leadership in Canada to condemn irrefutably the doctrine of armed jihad and for the 'mosque establishment' to acknowledge and repudiate the serious threat of homegrown extremism," CEO Bernie Farber said in a statement Thursday.

The Canadian Islamic Congress, one of Canada's largest Muslim organizations, said they are waiting for more information before commenting on the story.

Imam Zijad Delic, executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress, told CTV.ca that leaders would be discussing the case with the RCMP and commenting Thursday evening.

The Muslim Canadian Congress is considered a liberal Muslim organization, but recently announced its opposition to the building of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York.

"We believe the proposal has been made in bad faith and, in Islamic parlance, is creating 'fitna,' meaning 'mischief-making,' an act clearly forbidden in the Qur'an," the group said in a statement.

 

[sean m]

Well hopefully they can get this problem sorted out since this is not the first time this threat has occurred here. It is too bad that people have an opportunity to come to a country like this and desire to do harm. It seems that CSIS has not gotten enough praise for their part in breakin up this plot since they provided the information.

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Arrests a 'serious problem' for Canadian Muslims
CTV

LINK

A prominent Canadian Muslim group is calling for the condemnation of the doctrine of armed jihad and says there is a "serious problem" with radicalized Canadian youth in light of the recent terror arrests in Ottawa.

"This is not something that comes as a total surprise . . . we have a problem," Raheel Raza of the Muslim Canadian Congress told CTV.ca Thursday. "There is a serious problem among Canadian Muslim youth and if we don't address this now, it can culminate into something dangerous."

The Muslim Canadian Congress says that the accused must be treated with the presumption of innocence, but Raza says the situation can be used to open a dialogue on radicalization within the Muslim community.

"We have to stand up and tackle this," she said, adding that she thinks the community needs to start asking itself tough questions about the radicalization of some youths and where those messages are coming from.

Despite the recent controversy in the United States regarding the "Ground Zero" mosque, Raza says that she is not worried about a backlash against Canadian Muslims, saying there will always be "hate-mongers."

"There are always going to be bigots, we can't stop speaking out against radicalization just because we are afraid of a few bigots and hate-mongers," the outspoken activist and author said. "Those people who are sensible . . . will understand what we are talking about."

Raza added that she knows she is not being "politically correct" but says she is speaking out because she "loves my faith and my country."

The Canadian Jewish Congress commended the Muslim Canadian Congress for its statement.

"We are heartened by the statements of the Muslim Canadian Congress . . . calling for Muslim leadership in Canada to condemn irrefutably the doctrine of armed jihad and for the 'mosque establishment' to acknowledge and repudiate the serious threat of homegrown extremism," CEO Bernie Farber said in a statement Thursday.

The Canadian Islamic Congress, one of Canada's largest Muslim organizations, said they are waiting for more information before commenting on the story.

Imam Zijad Delic, executive director of the Canadian Islamic Congress, told CTV.ca that leaders would be discussing the case with the RCMP and commenting Thursday evening.

The Muslim Canadian Congress is considered a liberal Muslim organization, but recently announced its opposition to the building of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York.

"We believe the proposal has been made in bad faith and, in Islamic parlance, is creating 'fitna,' meaning 'mischief-making,' an act clearly forbidden in the Qur'an," the group said in a statement.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Post at Unambiguously Ambidextrous:

“Terrorism”: Globe and Mail reporters still at it/Toronto Star does point the finger
http://unambig.com/terrorism-globe-and-mail-reporters-still-at-ittoronto-star-does-point-the-finger/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[TimBit]

Thanks to The Star, we now know one of the suspects was a contestant on Canadian Idol.

Complete with photo of Khuram Sher

Let me get this straight:
This jihadi, who presumably espouses radical islamist views, wishes to blow up Parliament, amongst other mischiefs, to condemn the imperialist decadent liberal west, yet enjoys music and dancing and the freedom to apply for a hyper-commercialized boring TV show made to dumb down masses?

I say, take the dude and give him a paid vacation in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, or northern Pakistan and let`s see if he still thinks the same of FUNdamental Islam, AFTER they beat him for 1. dancing. 2. singing. 3. ever thinking of freedom as a concept and 4. criticizing the government and taking up arms against it.

Moron.  :rage:

 

[dapaterson]

Clear proof that if you watch Canadian Idol, you support terrorism.


Hmm... and also proof that there are links to Canada's political class.  Host of Canadian Idol?  The son of a former prime minister.

This is big.  I'm going to need to reinforce my tinfoil hat over this one.

 

[MGB]

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Fourth Terror suspect Arrested in Ottawa
ctv.ca
Friday, August 27, 2010

CTV News has learned that a fourth suspect has been arrested in connection with a year-long terror investigation that has already led to charges against three Canadian men in Ottawa.

The latest arrest occured early this morning in Ottawa, but the person in custody has so far not been charged.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Khurram Syed Sher, of London. Ont., was charged with conspiracy to facilitate terrorist activity in the case where police alleged 50 seized circuit boards were going to be used to remotely detonated bombs. He's been ordered to return Sept. 1 via video link.

The court appearance is a long way from his bizarre appearance on Canadian Idol two years. Speaking with a Pakistani accent, he told judges he came to Canada from Pakistan a few years before.

However, the McGill medical school graduate was born in Montreal and has no accent. Friends say he went on the program as a joke.

 

[George Wallace]

"The man next door."  Basically describes these men.


Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Men next door: Profiles of terrorism suspects
27/08/2010 1:13:12 PM
CTV.ca News Staff

LINK

Police remain skittish on what led them to arrest at least three alleged terror suspects in Ontario earlier this week, and the public details of their lives are no less confusing.

They are Canadian citizens and all lead model middle-to-upper class lives. All three are married with children, and friends and neighbours say they never suspected anything.

There is little in their background to indicate radical religious or political views and why they may have wanted to hurt their fellow citizens. Their background leaves more questions than answers.
 
Hiva Alizadeh, 30

The alleged ringleader the terror plot according to police, he immigrated to Winnipeg from Iran, to join his uncle, a local cab driver.

He enrolled in an electrical engineering program at Red River College in 2008-2009.

A teacher there said Alizadeh was respectful and hard-working but dropped out in the first term. Previously he attended the same school to study English as an additional language.

In Winnipeg, he worked in a halal meat shop where his employer said he was a hard worker, the Globe and Mail reported.

He married a local girl in Winnipeg, who converted to Islam, and the couple have two young children.

Alizadeh moved to Ottawa about a year-and-a-half ago.

Khurram Syed Sher, 28

Sher was born in Montreal and earned a medical degree at McGill University by the age of 23. He recently took a job as a pathologist at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital in St. Thomas, Ont., just south of London. His employers say he came "highly recommended."

Infamously, he appeared on Canadian Idol wearing traditional Pakistani clothing, sporting a fake Pakistani accent, saying he just moved to Canada in 2005. He performed an off-key rendition of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" and moonwalked. "Have you ever thought of being a comedian?" a judge asked.

Friends said he put on the performance as a joke.

Sher travelled to Pakistan in 2006, to assist with in relief efforts after an earthquake and was praised in the House of Commons for his humanitarian work.

Sher was also an avid hockey fan, participating in a number of ball hockey tournaments in Montreal.

He is also listed as the director of the RS Foundation, a registered non-profit for children in South Asia.

Sher is married with three children. His marriage was arranged, and his wife lives in Windsor, Ont. with her parents, where she is battling health problems.

Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26

Ahmed was an X-ray technician and worked at The Ottawa Hospital's Civic Campus. Four months ago, his employers were informed CSIS was investigating him.

For years he played in a Muslim charity ball hockey tournament in Montreal, where Sher also played. One year, they were on the same team.

He is married with a seven-month-old daughter.

Ahmed moved from Montreal to Ottawa two years ago. He was raised in Canada, his friends say.

 

[George Wallace]

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Fourth arrest in alleged terrorist plot, RCMP confirms
27/08/2010 2:46:39 PM
CTV.ca News Staff


LINK

A fourth suspect has been arrested in connection with a year-long terror investigation that has already led to charges against three Canadian men in Ottawa, RCMP confirmed Friday.

A man was the fourth to be arrested, early reports indicated, as authorities executed a search warrant in Ottawa. No charges have been laid in the arrest, the RCMP said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

"Additional investigative work will continue in the coming days," the statement said.

There is no word on whether the person is one of three additional conspirators who are still being sought by police.

Court appearance for third suspect

Earlier Friday, Dr. Khurram Syed Sher, of London, Ont., was charged with conspiracy to facilitate terrorist activity in the case where police alleged 50 seized circuit boards were going to be used to remotely detonated bombs.

The justice ordered him to return Sept. 1 via video link.

The court appearance is a long way from his bizarre appearance on Canadian Idol two years. Speaking with a Pakistani accent, he told judges he came to Canada from Pakistan a few years before.

However, the McGill medical school graduate was born in Montreal and has no accent. Friends say he went on the program as a joke.

"Friends say he's a fun-loving, hockey-loving guy who they can't believe been accused of being a terrorist," CTV's Roger Smith reported from Ottawa Friday.

Sher was an anatomical pathologist at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital in St. Thomas, Ont., just south of London.

CTV Montreal's Rob Lurie reported that Sher is listed in a Quebec business directory as a director of a group called RS Foundation, which raises money for aid in Pakistan.

RS Foundation spokesperson Arssal Shahabuddin said the organization is legitimate and its members are shocked that Sher has been linked to such allegations.

"I am as shocked as anybody else is, but it's very early, we don't have all the details, I'm shocked and we'll see what happens," Shahabuddin told CTV Montreal by telephone.

Investigation reveals details of alleged terror group

Police revealed Thursday that "Project Samossa" had prompted the arrests of Ottawa residents Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh and Misbahuddin Ahmed, along with Sher.

Police allege all three were part of a homegrown terror group that "posed a real and serious threat to the citizens of the National Capital Region and Canada's national security," RCMP Chief Supt. Serge Therriault said Thursday, when describing the lengthy investigation that led to the arrests.

In court, they have been formally accused of plotting with three others to "knowingly facilitate terrorist activities" on Canadian soil and elsewhere. The charges laid against them say their conspiracy was carried out in Ottawa, Iran, Afghanistan, Dubai and Pakistan.

While keeping a relatively tight lid on the details of the still-developing case, the Mounties said they had seized electronic circuit boards that could have been used to make bomb detonators, as well as apparent terrorist literature.

Police suspect an attack was at least months away but they made the arrests because they thought the suspects were about to start sending funds to terrorists in Afghanistan.

Suspects with education, opportunity

Early reports have revealed Ahmed and Sher had professional jobs in health care at the time of their respective arrests, while Alizadeh had previously studied electrical engineering technology and English as an additional language at Winnipeg's Red River College.

While some have been shocked that educated Canadians with seemingly bright futures could have alleged involvement in terrorist activities, former CSIS agent Michel Juneau-Katsuya said their backgrounds are not surprising.

"Unfortunately, this is sort of a textbook copy of the profile that usually we would expect," Juneau-Katsuya told CTV's Canada AM during a telephone interview from Ottawa on Friday morning.

"We're talking about born and raised kids that grew up in this society," Juneau-Katsuya said, pointing out that the background of the three arrested men that is contrary to a perception that terror suspects are likely to be poor or disenfranchised and foreign born.

Author and Muslim Canadian Congress board member Raheel Raza told CTV News Channel that "it's no longer the socially unempowered or the people dying in poverty who are the radicals, but it is educated people. Because they have the minds and the sense and the genius to plan such grotesque events."

Terrorism expert Alan Bell said that Canadians who become involved in terror are far more difficult to detect than their foreign counterparts.

"For a terrorist to come to Canada and try to perpetrate an attack is very difficult," Bell told CTV's Canada AM during an interview in Toronto on Friday morning.

But when Canadians can quietly be radicalized, the threat becomes much more dangerous.

"They are operating underneath the radar, doing everyday jobs, and now all of a sudden they get arrested and that's the first time everyone knows about it," said Bell.

Canadian targets

The recent arrests of the terror suspects have also refocused public attention on the fact that Canada "is certainly not immune to potential attacks," as Raymond Boisvert, the assistant director of CSIS, said Thursday.

Bell said that Canada's open society makes it a target for terrorist attacks, as does the country's involvement in the war in Afghanistan.

"We're one of the very few countries that embarked on the war against terrorism years ago, but has not been attacked yet," he said.

While authorities have declined to provide specifics, there has been speculation that the some of Ottawa's more well-known landmarks may have been among the alleged targets, said Juneau-Katsuya.

"There is more and more speculation that one of the prime targets that they were going for was definitely the Parliament Hill," he said, echoing other sources that have made the same suggestion about the group's alleged targets.

With files from The Canadian Press

 

[George Wallace]

Speculation by CBC Reporters:

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Bomb plot probe leads to 4th arrest
27/08/2010 3:06:06 PM
CBC News


LINK


Police say they have arrested a fourth person in their investigation into an alleged domestic terrorist plot, but no charges have been laid.

Earlier Friday in Ottawa, the RCMP's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team "executed one search warrant and took one person into custody as part of our standard operating procedures in the course of the search," said RCMP spokesman Marc Ménard. "No charges against this individual have been laid."

Menard said police would not release any person's name until charges have been laid.

But a police source told CBC News the individual arrested, who was identified as a man, is not likely to be charged. The source told CBC News there does not appear to be enough evidence for a charge and police are unlikely to hold the individual under anti-terrorism legislation.

Authorities have arrested and charged three Ontario men in what the RCMP is calling a conspiracy to commit "a violent terrorism attack."

Earlier Friday, Khurram Sher, 28, of London, Ont., was remanded in custody until Sept. 1 after a brief court appearance. He was charged Thursday with conspiracy to knowingly facilitate a terrorist activity.

Two Ottawa men, Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, and Hiva Alizadeh, 30, were arrested on Wednesday. They appeared in an Ottawa courtroom on Thursday facing the same charge.

Alizadeh is also charged with being in possession of an explosive substance with intent to harm and providing property or financial services for the benefit of a terrorist group.

The men discussed specific targets in Canada, according to security sources CBC spoke with, including specific government buildings and transit systems, but didn't mention any of those targets by name.

Former senior CSIS officer Michel Juneau-Katsuya told CBC News his sources had said Parliament Hill was among the targets discussed. Juneau-Katsuya also suggested Montreal's transit system was a possible target because two of the men had roots in the city, and had lived and studied there.

None of the targets was in the United States, sources said.

During a Thursday news conference, RCMP Chief Supt. Serge Therriault said part of the decision to make the arrests now was to prevent one of the suspects from providing financial support to terrorist counterparts abroad.

The RCMP investigation, dubbed Project Samosa, found evidence that one member of the group had been trained to construct electronic and explosive devices.

Alleged plan to build makeshift bombs

During their investigation, Therriault said, police seized more than 50 electronic circuit boards they say were designed specifically to remotely detonate improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

CBC News has learned that the RCMP's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team knew about the circuit boards some time ago - for perhaps months or at least many weeks.

The team obtained a warrant to enter Alizadeh's apartment and surreptitiously and removed the boards, replacing them with look-alikes that were duds. Therefore any attack would likely have failed.

Therriault said they also seized a vast quantity of terrorist literature, videos and manuals.

"This group posed a real and serious threat to the citizens of the National Capital Region and Canada's national security," he said.

The RCMP allege that the year-long investigation turned up evidence that the three men conspired with three other men, whom they named as James Lara, Rizgar Alizadeh and Zakaria Mamosta (who Reuters reported are not in Canada), and other unnamed individuals in Canada, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai to commit terrorism-related offences.

A security source told CBC News that the men mostly communicated over the internet. But according to a document seen by CBC News, police made surveillance recordings at the Ottawa townhouse rented by Misbahuddin Ahmed.

People were allegedly overheard praying together and talking about Canada's anti-terrorism law, the structure of terror cells and the so-called Toronto 18.

Investigators said they have reason to believe Hiva Alizadeh is a member of, and in contact with, a terrorist group with links to the conflict in Afghanistan but declined to name the group.

Suspects are educated professionals

All three suspects arrested are educated men pursuing professional careers. Police said Sher is a McGill medical graduate who travelled to Pakistan in 2006 to help with earthquake relief and also auditioned for the Canadian Idol singing competition in the past.

Ahmed worked as an X-ray technician at an Ottawa hospital and had a wife and child, while Alizadeh had studied to be an electrical engineer. All three men are Canadian citizens.

Their profiles are likely to raise concerns about homegrown radicalism, said security expert Eric Margolis, who said the roots of the radicalism are likely triggered by anger over the involvement of Western governments in countries such as Afghanistan.

 

[ModlrMike]

Their profiles are likely to raise concerns about homegrown radicalism...

A strongly held misconception by the public that all terrorists are idiots. In truth, most of the serious operators are highly educated.

 

[George Wallace]

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Ottawa mosque discusses fallout of arrests
27/08/2010 9:05:38 PM
CBC News


LINK

Muslims packed an Ottawa mosque Friday to discuss the fallout from the arrest of several Muslim men who police allege were involved in a terrorist plot believed to be linked to Islamic fundamentalism.

There were so many worshipers at the Ottawa Mosque that some people had to pray outside.

Inside, the talk was of peace, attendees said as they left.

Imam Khaled Abdul-Hamid Syed appealed to Muslim youth to avoid terrorism and other criminal activities.

One worshipper said the discussion had been about "how to be a Muslim and a Canadian."

People who condemn all Muslims based on the actions of a few "don't understand the religion. Islam is all about peace," another said.

RCMP arrested four individuals this week in connection with their investigation into a domestic terrorist plot.

Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, and Hiva Alizadeh, 30, both of Ottawa, and Khurram Sher, 28, of London, Ont., have all been charged with conspiracy to knowingly facilitate a terrorist activity.

Alizadeh is also charged with being in possession of an explosive substance with intent to harm and providing property or financial services for the benefit of a terrorist group.

A fourth person was arrested in Ottawa Friday in connection with the same investigation but has as yet not been charged.

Police meet community leaders

In the wake of the arrests, police in Ottawa have reached out to Muslim groups in the city to reduce concerns about profiling.

More than 30 leaders from the Muslim community met with RCMP Thursday night.

The chair of the RCMP Cultural Diversity Committee said in light of the arrests, police wanted to see if the community had any concerns.

"It's just to open the lines of communication within the communities, to dispel any rumours," said Cpl. Wayne Russett, the RCMP's aboriginal and ethnic liaison officer in Ottawa.

Local Muslim leaders like Safaa Fouda said they were worried the men arrested this week were unfairly targeted.

"My worst fear is that these people were just arrested because the way they look or behave," Fouda said.

But Russett said that was not the case and that the suspects' religion and ethnicity were not an issue.

"These people were arrested and charged for a criminal activity," he said. "This is strictly a criminal investigation."

Some people left Thursday's meeting feeling reassured.

"Really, this is a very important issue in terms of thanking the police and telling them we are very grateful that they are protecting us," one participant said.

But not everyone was satisfied. An official with the Muslim Canadian Congress said everyone should have been invited.

"It is the larger community at risk, so bring everybody in," the official said.

The RCMP is planning a similar meeting open to the general public on Monday.

 

[George Wallace]

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act:

Terrorism suspect interned in East Jerusalem
CBC News


LINK

Former colleagues of a suspect in a domestic terrorism plot who spent three weeks interning at a hospital in East Jerusalem in 2008 say they're skeptical of the accusations against him.

Khurram Syed Sher, 28, of London, Ont., was arrested last week and is one of three men accused of conspiring to facilitate terrorism with others in Canada, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Dubai over the past two years.

Sher spent three weeks in June 2008 doing an elective rotation in the pathology department of the Maqassed hospital as part of his medical studies at McGill University. The hospital is the primary-care facility for Palestinians from Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

Sher's former supervisor and co-workers said they were stunned to hear of the charges laid against him.

"I don't believe that Khurram is a bad man, never," said Dr. Barkat Sharabati, a pathologist.

"He's very quiet, very nice ... and he's professional," Sharabati said.

The doctor said he spent a lot of time with Sher, including having him to his home in Hebron for dinner.

Naifa Dawod, a lab technician who worked with Sher, said she was shocked to hear of the allegations against him.

"What I remember about him, he is a good guy," said Dawod. "And he work, you know, faithfully and work hard, and he likes his job."

Hospital officials also told CBC News that Sher sent a small donation to the hospital, although administrators said that is a common practice.

Sher, and two other accused men - Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, 30, and Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, both of Ottawa - are scheduled to return to court on Sept. 1.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Post at Unambiguously Ambidextrous, with material from Terry Glavin, Adrian MacNair and me (and a link to some journalistic funny stuff regarding Mickey I. and terrorism trials):

Haroon the Magnificent and “homegrown” terrorism, Take 2/”true allegiance” Update thought
http://unambig.com/haroon-the-magnificent-take-2/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Edward Campbell]

We too often complain that moderate Muslims do not 'stand up and denounce terrorism.' Here, reproduced under he Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from the Ottawa Citizen, is an opinion piece from two who do and who get to the nub of the problems:


http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/struggle+against+jihad/3462217/story.html

The struggle against jihad
While Muslim parents pack public meetings with pronouncements that 'Islam is a religion of peace,' their sons and daughters are being taught something else

By Tarek Fatah and Salma Siddiqui, Citizen Special August 31, 2010

No sooner did news of the Ottawa Terror Plot unfold on national TV, than one could predict the response of Canada's Islamists and their organizations.

Across Canada, apologists of the terror suspects repeated the same mantra. The three men arrested were portrayed as "innocent" and the wider Muslim community was positioned as the real victims of the episode. It was as if the Islamist leadership had dusted off the speaking notes from the days of the Toronto 18 trials when leader after leader stood up to claim the young men arrested were framed, not real terrorists.

As Muslim Canadians, both of us, while asking for the due judicial process to take its course, had no hesitation in condemning the rising tide of jihadi radicalism that is sweeping like a contagious disease among Muslim youth, especially of Pakistani ancestry, across Canada. However, by and large the leadership of traditional Islamist organizations and the mosque establishment repeated the now tired and cliché-ridden depiction of Muslims as the real victims.

Not a single imam that we have heard has mustered the courage to say, "The doctrine of armed jihad is defunct and inapplicable in the 21st century." Instead the same tired old clichés were repeated about Islam being a religion of peace and denouncing terrorism, while keeping mum about jihad.

Saira Rahman, a filmmaker, told the Winnipeg Free Press, "It's so very frustrating. It's very unfair -- you're demonizing communities again and creating a situation where everyone's guilty till proven innocent." She was not alone in being in denial.

From Ottawa, the epicentre of the latest terror threat, Nazira Tareen of the Ottawa Muslim Women's Organization wrote, "99.9 per cent of them (Muslims) are law abiding, hardworking, peace loving, caring and contributing citizens of Canada. ... I personally know all the imams of all the mosques in the Nation's Capital Region and all of them are totally against this type of behaviour. We are unanimous in condemning this type of behaviour." Again condemning "behaviour," but has nothing useful to say about the underlying jihadi ideology.

Obviously Tareen was not aware of the Environics Poll of 2007 that found 12 per cent of Canada's Muslims having a favourable disposition towards the Toronto 18 terrorists and 14 per cent who identified themselves with "extremists" within the Muslim community.

This means there could be as many as 100,000 Muslim Canadians who are hostile to Canada and western civilization. A scary number by any measure.

If individual Muslim Canadians were pushing the victimhood agenda, their organizations were doing no better. The Canadian Islamic Congress, which supported the introduction of Shariah law in Canada, issued a statement saying:

"Canadian Muslims, more than other citizens, are deeply concerned and disturbed ... especially about the psychological, social and emotional impact of these arrests on the wellbeing of Canadian Muslims." One was left scratching one's head: What about non-Muslim Canadians who were allegedly the real targets of these suspected terrorists? The CIC statement went further. It expressed concern about "how these arrests would be managed in Canada and what kind of impact the media reports will have on Canadian citizens of Muslim faith." Added to the spin was the accusation of journalistic "sensationalism, prejudgment, or speculation."

Unfortunately, the Muslim victimhood agenda was helped by the leader of the Liberal Party, Michael Ignatieff, who stepped into the fray by claiming that the terror suspects need to be treated as innocent. He then made this outrageous remark: "It's important for Canadians to realize in the Toronto case, the courts acquitted many people."

Not true, Mr. Ignatieff. While charges were dropped in some cases, not a single member of the Toronto terror plot tried by the courts was acquitted. Everyone who was tried before the court was either convicted or confessed. As card-carrying Liberals, we were shocked to read how our leader was buying in to the Islamist agenda.

The Ottawa arrests have links to a Montreal Mosque, another hotbed of Islamist activity. Two of the suspects attended the Islamic Community Centre Mosque in Brossard. At the mosque too the men in charge were on the defensive, claiming no knowledge of any extremist activity.

Faisal Shahabuddin, a member of the mosque's board when asked to explain how two members of the congregation had allegedly gotten themselves involved in the terror plot, stated, "Why should I explain if we don't know it's true?"

However, this Montreal suburban mosque has had a history of Islamist activity. In September 2005, the leadership of the same mosque targeted fellow Muslim Fatima Houda-Pepin, member of the Quebec National Assembly, because she had dared to oppose Shariah law and was instrumental in moving a unanimous resolution against introducing Islamic law in Quebec.

She was intimidated and told the congregation would work to defeat her in the next elections. She won hands down. Responding to the bullying by the mosque, Fatima Houda-Pepin said, "We must not underestimate the threat posed by fundamentalists on women and the justice system."

Muslims of Ottawa are not new to the involvement of their sons in terrorism. Most are aware of the conviction of Momin Khawaja, yet continue to treat him as a victim and martyr.

The jihad that Momin Khawaja talked about in his musings is the armed jihad of warfare as clearly enunciated by such 20th-century Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood as Syed Qutb and Hassan al-Banna and Pakistan's Syed Maudoodi. It is this triad who are the ideological gurus of the world Islamist movements whose works are fanning the flames of armed jihad around the world.

As you read this column, young Islamists in campuses across Canada are distributing free booklets titled Towards Understanding Islam, written by Maudoodi. In the booklet, Maudoodi exhorts ordinary Muslims to launch jihad, as in armed struggle, against non-Muslims.

"Jihad is part of this overall defence of Islam," he writes. In case the reader is left with any doubt about the meaning of the word "jihad," Maudoodi clarifies: "In the language of the Divine Law, this word (jihad) is used specifically for the war that is waged solely in the name of God against those who perpetrate oppression as enemies of Islam. This supreme sacrifice is the responsibility of all Muslims."

Maudoodi goes on to label Muslims who refuse the call to armed jihad as apostates:

"Jihad is as much a primary duty as are daily prayers or fasting. One who avoids it is a sinner. His every claim to being a Muslim is doubtful. He is plainly a hypocrite who fails in the test of sincerity and all his acts of worship are a sham, a worthless, hollow show of deception." If Muslim countries do not go to war against the enemies of Islam, Maudoodi says a worldwide uprising by ordinary Muslims is the answer. He writes: "Muslims of the whole world must fight the common enemy."

If Maudoodi's exhortations to jihad are not enough, we have the words of the late Hassan al-Banna being distributed in our schools and universities. Al-Banna makes it quite clear that the word "jihad" means armed conflict. He mocks those who claim jihad is merely an internal struggle; al-Banna says this redefinition of the term "jihad" is a conspiracy so that "Muslims should become negligent."

While their parents pack public meetings with pronouncements that "Islam is a religion of peace," their sons and daughters are being taught something else.

Here is what Qutb, another Egyptian stalwart of the Islamist movement and the Muslim Brotherhood, writes in his seminal work on Islam and its relationship with the West, Milestones:

"Any place where Islamic Shariah is not enforced and where Islam is not dominant becomes the Home of Hostility (Dar-ul-Harb or the West). ... A Muslim will remain prepared to fight against it, whether it be his birthplace or a place where his relatives reside or where his property or any other material interests are located."

Unless the leaders of Canadian mosques as well as the Islamic organizations denounce the doctrine of jihad as pronounced by the Muslim Brotherhood, and distance themselves from the ideology of Qutb, al-Banna and Maudoodi, their chant that "Islam means peace" will fall on deaf ears.

It will merely reinforce the suspicions of many Canadians who feel some overseas groups are pulling the strings in this carefully staged puppet show.

Tarek Fatah is the author of The Jew is Not My Enemy (McClelland & Stewart) and a host on NewsTalk 1010 Radio in Toronto. Salma Siddiqui is vice-president of the Muslim Canadian Congress and is a businesswoman in Ottawa.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen​

There are two fundamental problems that I perceive with Islam in Canada:

1.The jihadi brand of Islam, which seems to be most popular with many (most?) imans is quite incompatible with our, Canadian, system of secular, liberal democracy; and

2.Victimhood is being used as a reason to ignore, if not excuse, violent acts against Canada and Canadians.

Neither can be tolerated in a “free and democratic society”, no matter how tolerant we may wish to be. Muslims are, of course, free to believe that their religion offers them a 'life system' that obviates the need for earthly, secular governments but they have no right to try to impose that belief on the rest of us. Equally, Muslims are free to feel victimized but that feeling cannot be used to excuse calls for or acts of violence.

Islam, in Canada, is in dire need of a reformation.

 

[jollyjacktar]

I listened to a radio interview Friday past on CBC with the head of the Canadian Islamic Congress on what is happening and what to do.  He is dead set against these Jihadists and what they stand for.  He felt that the threat is not being taken seriously enough by the authorties here.  Nice to hear someone talk out loud and clear from that Religon on this subject. 

 

[OldSolduer]

I listened to a radio interview Friday past on CBC with the head of the Canadian Islamic Congress on what is happening and what to do.  He is dead set against these Jihadists and what they stand for.  He felt that the threat is not being taken seriously enough by the authorties here.  Nice to hear someone talk out loud and clear from that Religon on this subject.

As opposed to one of our local Islam representatives here in Winnipeg.

 

[jollyjacktar]

As opposed to one of our local Islam representatives here in Winnipeg.

He was of the opinion IIRC that there are elements out there in that community that are trying to radicalize young people and used the term IIRC "a real and present danger".  He felt there should be a more proactive approach in dealing with it and nipping it in the bud as it were.  Also, he feels that the proposed Mosque near Ground Zero is a bad idea and will only serve to inflame feelings and is mischief making.  Don't remember if the show was "As it Happens", but I believe it was.  The broadcast should be on the CBC Radio site at any rate and is worth listening to.

The local community here have been keeping a low profile and to my knowledge have not commented these "alleged" terrorist wannabes.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I listened to a radio interview Friday past on CBC with the head of the Canadian Islamic Congress on what is happening and what to do. He is dead set against these Jihadists and what they stand for.  He felt that the threat is not being taken seriously enough by the authorties here.  Nice to hear someone talk out loud and clear from that Religon on this subject.

:

 

[jollyjacktar]

The radio interview is here. 

OTTAWA TERRORISM - RADICALIZATION Duration: 00:07:39
Stand on guard.  That's the message from Public Safety Minister Vic Toews today, after the arrest of members of an alleged terrorism cell earlier this week. The minister also expressed concern for what he said was the growing threat of radicalization, and asked Canada's immigrant communities to be on the look-out for signs of "home-grown" terrorists.  Tarek Fatah is the founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, a national secular Muslim organization. We reached him in Toronto.

If you want to listen to it, click the Listen to Part 1 link. 

http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20100827.shtml