Non-Violent Terrorism

"I don't know what non-violent terrorism is. All terrorism is inherently violent."
"People should know that even if they try to join a foreign terrorist group and are unsuccessful, they will be heavily punished for the attempt. Ten years is completely appropriate to reflect Mr. Hersi's overall culpability."
Jim Clark, Crown Attorney, Brampton Ontario courtroom

"Living in Somalis today is much better than living in Toronto 'cause when you live in a place where there's Islamic law, there's harmony, there's no more raping or murder."
"In Toronto, there is rape and murder happening right now every day every minute..."
"See how secular her mind is [Tunisian girl critical of the hijab]. She's against the hijab, this is something that's from Islam, right?"
"She's against it, you know. Allah tells the believing woman to cover up, right? And she's against it 'cause she does ... she lost her religion altogether, right. Very tyrannical."
Mohamed Hersi, Somali-Canadian

May 30, 2014 Mohamed Hersi leaves Brampton court during a lunch break while awaiting a verdict from the jury, May 30, 2014. Photo: (J.P. Moczulski for National Post)

Mohamed Hersi's lawyer has described his client as a "mainstream Muslim in his ideology". He is faithful to the precepts of Islam, and feels discomfort and that he has been discriminated against as a Canadian of Somali origin. With no previous criminal record, and no record of subscribing to extremist beliefs, it is a shame that a jury has found him guilty of the charges brought against him. Guilty of two terrorism related counts. From the quotes attributed to him it would appear he is more guilty of simple-minded idiocy than much else.

Evidence was presented that he planned to join Al-Shabab, and that he attempted to recruit another man who was an undercover police agent to jihad. Al-Shabab is, of course, a terrorist group which has been involved in the very crimes that Mr. Hersi insists are rampant in Canada; rape and murder, but on quite a grand scale in prosecuting their atrocities, to be sure. To be a good, observant Muslim, Mr. Hersi felt it his duty to join them.

The Crown has called for Mr. Hersi to receive five-year terms for each count he has been found guilty of, and to be declared ineligible for parole for five years. He had been arrested as he prepared to board a flight to Cairo en route to his final destination in Somalia. It was also made clear that he attempted to evade authorities to enable him to return to Canada where he might engage in jihadist attacks here. "And that, in my submission is a chilling prospect", observed Mr. Clark.

Mr. Hersi's lawyer pointed out that his client used drugs and browsed Internet pornography; stating in his client's defence that "These are not the kinds of activities that one would expect from an extremist Muslim". Perhaps he has chosen to ignore the well enough publicized fact that Mohammed Atta and the other jihadis of 9/11 infamy enjoyed visiting strip clubs and drinking alcohol before they embarked on their monumental atrocities.

According to US investigators, five of the hijackers including Atta, Al-Shehhi, Nawaq Alhamzi, Ziad Jarrah, and Hani Hanjour visited Las Vegas at least six times between May and August 2001. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that here, they “engaged in some decidedly un-Islamic sampling of prohibited pleasures in America’s reputed capital of moral corrosion,” including drinking alcohol, gambling, and visiting strip-clubs. As the South Florida Sun Sentinel observed, the hijackers’ frequent debauchery was at odds with the most basic tenets of Islam:
“Three guys cavorting with lap dancers at the Pink Pony Nude Theater. Two others knocking back glasses of Stolichnaya and rum and Coke at a fish joint in Hollywood the weekend before committing suicide and mass murder. That might describe the behavior of several men who are suspects in Tuesday’s terrorist attack, but it is not a picture of devout Muslims, experts say. Let alone that of religious zealots in their final days on Earth”. 

 Due to the "undefined nature" of Hersi's activities he might have engaged in with Al-Shabab, lawyer Paul Slansky claimed, a milder sentence would be appropriate. "Proportionality does not justify the sentence sought in this case by the Crown", he claimed. His client and his Somali-Canadian supporters appear to be enjoying the proceedings enormously. Perhaps they'd all get a bigger bang out of a longer sentence for the moderate Muslim his family describes.