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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
In case it wasn't perfectly clear before
When authorities busted up a wide-ranging terrorist plot in Toronto last year, they took pains to declare that the suspects came from all walks of life, all social strata, etc. etc, and that they had nothing in common. The declaration was widely criticized as ignoring the obvious: all the suspects were Muslims.
Interestingly, the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (which often seems to work overtime to downplay Muslim-terrorist connections) has unwittingly undercut the official line by issuing a press release today (not yet posted on its site) on the recent turn of events in the prosecution of the case.
CAIR-CAN doesn't issue press releases on every development in the criminal-justice system, of course. But it has done so on this one, leading us to believe the case has something to do with its mandate. Therefore, today's press release confirms the obvious, that the prosecution does, indeed, involve an alleged terrorist plot hatched by radical Muslims.
Here's the text of CAIR-CAN's press release:
MEDIA PROFESSIONALS' LIST
CAIR-CAN
Council on American-Islamic Relations CANADA
P.O. Box 13219, Ottawa, ONT, K2K 1X4
Tel: 1-866-524-0004
Fax: 613-254-9810
URL: www.caircan.ca
----
(Ottawa, Canada - September 26, 2007) The Canadian Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) is deeply concerned with this week's
abrupt decision to cancel the preliminary inquiry into the cases of the
Toronto 18. Thus far, three of the 18 have been have had their charges
stayed.
The group says it is troubled by the unfairness inherent in a decision to
scrap the hearings before the accused lawyers could fully cross-examine key
government informants to test the cases against their clients.
"The mystery surrounding this case and this unorthodox turn of events raises
serious doubts about the accused's chances of a fair trial and due process,"
says Maryam Dadabhoy, CAIR-CAN representative in Toronto.
The accused's lawyers are on record as stating that the Crown has breached
its agreement by not allowing them to fully cross-examine witnesses at the
hearings, including a key informant, Mubin Shaikh, who has spoken widely
about the case despite a publication ban.
Shaikh was reportedly in the middle of being cross-examined when the Crown
decided to turn the tables. A Globe and Mail story yesterday reported that
Shaikh's testimony was not going very well for the government.
"The manner in which this election was made by the Crown and its timing
raises some troubling questions about what the government fears," said
Dadabhoy. "Was the Crown getting nervous about its informants or the case?"
The group says that the government must respond to the legitimate concerns
raised by defence counsel if there is to be confidence in the process and
our justice system.
CONTACT: Sameer Zuberi, CAIR-CAN Communications Coordinator, (613) 254-9704
or (613) 795-2012.
----
The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) is a national Islamic grassroots organization. CAIR-CAN offers an e-mail list designed to be a journalist's window to the Canadian Muslim community. Subscribers to the list, called caircan-medialist receive news releases and other materials dealing with Canadian Muslim positions on issues of importance to our society.
Posted by Terry O'Neill on September 26, 2007 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Comments
"The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) is a national Islamic grassroots organization"
If it's so grassroots, why does it's name make it look like a subsidiary of CAIR which is known to funded by the Saudis?
Posted by: Speller | 2007-09-26 11:20:16 AM
And even Cair in the US recently admitted their membership has sunk from 24,000 to 2,000 - yet their funding seems to be unaffected by that 90% drop-off.
OF COURSE THE SAUDIS ARE FUNDING THEM - and probably in Canada as well.
Posted by: obc | 2007-09-26 11:32:49 AM
No offence but I think most of us were able to figure out what these people had in common. Of course as usual the authorities denied any common link.
Posted by: Alain | 2007-09-26 3:56:38 PM
There's some interesting info coming out of the HLF trial in the US. The paleomedia is trying to ignore it but here's an article from the Dallas News describing the Muslim Brotherhood's plans. It says CAIR (& others) are MB fronts.
http://tinyurl.com/yqtdoy
And from CAIR Canada's web-site: ... shares close but distinct relations with the Washington, D.C.-based CAIR.
Posted by: greenmamba | 2007-09-26 9:24:34 PM
It is becoming more and more clear that one thing those people did NOT have in common was being members of a terrorist conspiracy.
3 of the 4 youths involved in this alleged terrorist cell were discharged after their preliminary inquiry - meaning the state could not even meet the incredibly low threshold of presenting "some evidence" upon which they could be convicted.
Now, after much international press, congratulatory back slapping among our security apparatus, and millions of tax payer dollars spent, it looks like the state's case was falling off the rails for the adults as well. Rather than admit their mistake and suffer the associated embarrassment the authorities have taken the cover up route. Shameful !!!
Posted by: Nbob | 2007-09-26 11:51:04 PM
Affidavit signed by Sheema Khan [then board Chair of CAIR-CAN] on Dec. 16/03 in a trade mark acronym dispute, states that CAIR USA has "direct control over the character and quality of all activities of Caiircan including the use of its trade- mark and trade name"
Posted by: healer | 2007-09-27 9:50:37 AM
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