Radically Psychotic Minds

Perhaps it is reflective of the state of the world at the present time, more than the fact that Canada generously opens itself to migration from all parts of the world, allowing emigration from troubled areas of the restive world, and taking in refugees with troubled pasts, that causes the country such anguish now. In hindsight we may be somewhat tardily realizing that not all prospective immigrants are capable of blending suitably into Canadian society, accepting its social mores, laws, values and customs.

With a large influx of Muslims into the country there are inevitably, among them, some susceptible to radicalization, joining the ranks of Islamists, eager to take part in the action of jihad, some abroad and some choosing to plan their vicious activities right within Canada. A number of plots have been apprehended, preventing murder and mayhem from occurring in Canada, and much concern has been expressed by the country's intelligence agencies over the recruitment of young Muslims into jihad.

Across the country, some mosques and social organizations have become sites where young Muslim men are exposed to interpretations of the Koran urging them to become martyrs for a universal cause; recruited to join the wave of terrorist activities taking place across the Globe. Youth of Pakistani, Syrian, Lebanese and Somali extraction have travelled to the Middle East to lend themselves to the adventure of religion-inspired terrorism.

Raheel Raza, a Toronto-based Muslim woman who subscribes to and encourages moderation within her community wrote of a radical international pan-Islamic political organization, Hizb-ut-Tahrir [Party of Liberation] which agitates for he unification of all Muslim countries as an Islamic caliphate ruled by Sharia, and which busies itself recruiting from among Toronto's young Muslims for the greater cause.

She describes the organization as one that "rejects democracy as being un-Islamic and a Western system. But its members seem to have no qualms about using Western freedoms to promote their expansionist agenda and aggressive goals. Article 56 of their draft constitution for the proposed state describes conscription as a compulsory individual duty, for all citizens: "Every male Muslim, 15 years and over, is obliged to undergo military training in readiness for jihad".

And this group hosted a meeting in the Toronto area. She attended, wearing a burqa she had acquired for another purpose, to appear as part of the regular crowd that would attend such an event. The community center where the meeting was held was heavily guarded, gender-segregated, and full of young converts. "The meaning of Jihad being a duty of sufficiency is that we initiate the fighting the enemy even if he did not attack us. If the Muslims failed to initiate the fighting at any given time, they would all be sinful", she reported.

Two such jihadists, accused of plotting an attack on a Toronto-bound passenger train, have had their trials moved forward absent the usual preliminary hearing. The Crown announced its intention in Superior Court; proceeding by "preferred indictment", advancing the time of the trial, the date yet to be determined. That trial will feature Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser, facing terrorism charges in the VIA-bomb plot.

Chiheb Esseghaier, working as an engineering scientist in Montreal, along with Torontonian Raed Jaser, were remanded back into custody until mid-October. When a female police officer attempted to handcuff Esseghaier at the conclusion of the hearing he was infuriated: "You are not my wife. I want a man to touch me, not a woman. She is not my wife", he barked at the court.

Mr. Esseghaier does not recognize Canadian law. He gives credence only to the law of his faith, contained in the Koran. "I don't accept other reference, only the holy Qur'an ... The Criminal Code is not perfect; only (the Qur'an) is perfect" he claimed, insisting that only a lawyer who agrees to use the Koran in his defence of this man would be acceptable to him, otherwise he is prepared to represent himself in his defence.

And within the Koran he will find not only permission but absolute direction to proceed in the manner in which he and his co-conspirator meant to travel, to plant bombs on a public conveyance for the purpose of killing as many civilians of the Canadian population as they possibly could. Since they are not Muslims it follows that they are not innocent, and they must therefore be seen by such as Esseghaier and Jaser -- as worthy of death.