A fear of guilt by association
MUSLIM REACTION | Few surprised by arrests, but leaders say more must be done to prevent involvement with extreme ideologies
Jun. 4, 2006. 01:00 AM
MADHAVI ACHARYA-TOM YEW
STAFF REPORTER

Members of the Muslim community expressed shock and sadness â?? but not surprise â?? at the arrest of 17 people from the GTA who have been charged with terror-related offences.

Though some leaders worry that Muslims may feel the sting of backlash, others say the community must do more to fight extremist views within its own mosques.

Investigators made a point of saying yesterday that the arrests are not an indictment of any particular faith or national group. Muslim leaders also said they hope Canadians will remember that those charged are innocent until proven guilty, and that those who hold to violent and extreme religious views are a tiny fraction of the approximately 750,000 Muslims who call this country home.

"This is not something new to me or something I did not expect," said community activist Sohail Raza. "It was just a matter of time where something like this would crop up in Canada."

Raza said that even prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., there was a surge of extremist Wahhabi ideology in mosques around the world, including a few in the GTA. Wahhabism is an extreme version of Islam that originated in the 18th century and is now the state-sanctioned sect of the faith in Saudi Arabia. Osama bin Laden, believed to have masterminded the Sept. 11 attacks, is an adherent of this sect.

"There is more hatred spewed out than logic," Raza said.

The Canadian Islamic Congress has asked provincial and federal governments for funding to study how and why Muslim youth are drawn to these extreme ideologies, but has been turned away, the group's national president said.

"The problem has a social dimension and governments are spending all their money on law enforcement but not on diagnosing this problem and finding solutions, which is short-sighted," said Mohamed Elmasry.

"We want to send a message to the community, especially youth, that in a liberal democracy, you can have a dissenting voice and you can be part of the political process by voting, running for office, by seeking careers in law, law enforcement, media, professions that the community needs."

There was a documented increase in hate crimes against Muslims in Canada following the Sept. 11 attacks. Community members also say they suffered incidents of verbal abuse after the transit bombings in Spain and London, Elmasry said. "We're expecting the same after this news."

He added, "The accused are innocent until proven guilty. We hope the media will not find the community guilty by association."

It is time for the Muslim community to "stop acting as though it is not a big issue," said Tarek Fatah of the Muslim Canadian Congress.

"These people are taking the name of Islam, these are fascist cult believers and they need to be combated within the Muslim community.

"This is the challenge that we have. We can't just go on behaving as if everything is normal."

As for the potential for backlash, Fatah said he is not concerned.

"I think by and large Canadians are very sensible people and they know this is not an issue with Muslims. This is a cult within the Muslim community.

"I don't think there would be a backlash, but it can take just one idiot to do that."
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I agree that more needs to be done to shun this kind of behaviour and these groups of people that take the religion to a different level.. a voilent level.

We could go on about the Crusades.. but you know as well as I do that that period of history is blatantly ignored and forgotten by our society..when realistically.. it's the exact same thing that these Muslim extremists are doing today. 500 years ago a group of "extremists" from the Christian faith was doing the exact same thing...killing in the name of god.

I'm sure the true Muslim followers are terrified.. you have people from your OWN religion trying to kill you for simply excepting the rest of society. These people need not only our help... but our understanding that not everyone of that faith is that way..
BobBong Reviewed by BobBong on . Whoa, Canada actually has terrorists! Yep, it's finally happened to my homeland here, we just dismantled a huge terrorist operation. 17 people were just arrested in Ontario with cell-phone detonators and 3 tonnes of Amonium Nitrate (explosive fertilizer), which amounts to 3x the amount used in the Oklahoma City bombings by Timothy McVei that killed 168 people. I'm glad they caught the bastards in time! http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060603/toronto_arrests_060603/20060603?hub=TopStories Being typical Rating: 5