The Globe and Mail, Friday, July 14, 2006
By SONYA FATAH
Members of Toronto’s diverse Muslim community reacted angrily to the identification of Mubin Shaikh as an RCMP and CSIS agent.
“This is like the pot calling the kettle black,” said Tarek Fatah, communications director for the Canadian Muslim Congress.
“He was the embodiment of extremism in the city. He was the exponent of sharia law in the city.”
Indeed, Mr. Sheikh has been a chief proponent of sharia law, lobbying for using the Islamic legal code at the Al-Noor Mosque, where he ran the Al-Noor Arbitration Centre, the only such centre in Canada.
“He was supporting some of the most extremist groups in Canada. Now, he’s throwing up modern and Canadian values.
“It brings into question whether he’s trying to salvage his own problems with the authorities.”
Mr. Fatah says that Mr. Shaikh’s divisive views on the Muslim community hardly represent Canadian values.
A different but equally damning view was expressed by Aly Hindy, the controversial imam of the Salahuddin Islamic Centre in Scarborough, attended by some of the 17 arrested youth.
Imam Hindy sees CSIS as a vehicle for radicalizing young people by infiltrating youth Muslim communities.
“The government and the people keep saying that we should not make our young people radical. CSIS is the one radicalizing the youth. I call him CSIS Shaikh.”
Mr. Hindy learned about Mr. Shaikh’s involvement as an agent in the terror case through members of the community, including parents of some of the accused.
An angry Mr. Hindy retaliated by saying that Mubin Shaikh was planted to radicalize young people.
“He was someone more knowledgeable about Islam. He has knowledge in Arabic. He has knowledge of the sharia. I saw this.
“We once had an open house in Mississauga. He talked to the men. He brought a lot of books. He had a lot of knowledge.”
Mr. Hindy says the young men were impressed by Mr. Shaikh.
When news of Mr. Shaikh’s involvement reached him, he had flashbacks of moments when he saw Mr. Shaikh making an effort with youth at his mosque.
“I remember I was standing outside Salahuddin. And he was standing there, playing with a lot of young people. Some of those guys got arrested.”
He recalls Mr. Shaikh attending high-level imam meetings, which he now believes were meant to source information.
Mr. Hindy alleges that Mr. Shaikh once told Salahuddin community members that the reason he didn’t attend the mosque there was out of fear of CSIS.
But then, Mr. Hindy says, Mr. Shaikh started coming to the mosque.
“This is not an informer,” he says angrily. “An informer is a good citizen who finds information and tells the law something is about to happen. This is dirty.”
Popularity: 3% [?]
