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Canadian Mounties outside the home of Mahboob A. Khawaja in Orleans
"They think they were making bombs." From Canada.com, with thanks to LGF:
A handful of Ottawa Muslims were being questioned last night in what authorities described as an international terror probe that saw heavily-armed Mounties storm the home of one of the city's most prominent Muslims.At 1:30 p.m. yesterday, RCMP tactical units, acting on security intelligence briefs, fanned out across the city, arresting one young Muslim man and questioning several others.
The raids followed a month-long RCMP surveillance operation targeting the Orleans home of Mahboob A. Khawaja, who is presently teaching at a university in Saudi Arabia.
Reached there last night, Mr. Khawaja said he was "extremely disturbed" by the raid.
"It's nothing more than a hoax to create embarrassment," he said in a telephone interview. "I don't have the facts about why they would raid my house and take my two children into custody."
The Mounties forced their way into his home, but their target was nowhere to be found. Instead, they found two of Mr. Khawaja's adult children.
His wife, Azra, had gone out for some afternoon shopping and was picked up by police at a shopping centre.
Later in the day, RCMP arrested a Muslim man linked to the house.
According to his friends, one of Mr. Khawaja's four sons was taken away yesterday by RCMP as he walked the hallways of the University of Ottawa, school books in hand.
Mohsan Khawaja has not been charged with any crime and the RCMP would not say why they wanted to talk with the economics student. His brother, Tanzeel Khawaja, studies at Carleton University.
The RCMP would not disclose details of the probe. However, Qamar Masood, president of the Canada-Pakistan Association of the National Capital Region, arrived at the home last night. He says he later spoke with Mr. Khawaja's wife. "She said they think that they were making bombs or something of that nature. But she said, of course, that's impossible."
Mr. Khawaja also said the police alleged that his children had been making bombs.
"Bombs? I don't think there is any substance to this allegation," said Mr. Khawaja. "No way. It's nothing more than a hoax. Maybe some kids were picking on them -- but no way, they're educated guys ... It doesn't make any sense."
"I know my children, they're not involved in this kind of thing. We are a very peaceful educated family. We have nothing to do with this notion of security risk, or bomb making This whole thing sounds absurd to me. It's created a lot of inconvenience for my family," Mr. Khawaja said.
So far, only one suspect has been arrested. He has yet to be named, let alone charged, although police expect to make a "major announcement" later this week.
The RCMP insisted yesterday that Mr. Khawaja's family, including his wife and some of the adult children, were not being held.
Yesterday's raid has rattled Ottawa's tight-knit Muslim community, with many expressing fears of more arrests. Others hope that police suspicions are a misunderstanding."They are a very nice family with nice kids and well liked in the community," said Fazal Khan, a longtime friend and president of Islamic Society of Cumberland.
Mr. Khan said one of the Khawaja sons, Momin, worked for the federal government as a computer engineer.
Momin Khawaja could often be seen praying at Bilal Mosque on Innes Road in Blackburn Hamlet. The mosque, a converted house, has a basketball net in the lane, much like the one at the family's middle-class home.
"I just hope that this is all a misunderstanding," said Mr. Khan.
Mr. Khawaja has five children, four sons: Mohsan, Tanzeel, Momin and Qasim, and one daughter, Sabeen. His children were born and raised in Canada, while Mr. Khawaja teaches abroad.
The family is respected within the Muslim community, and praised for their intelligence and volunteer work.
Mr. Khawaja, an academic who has authored several publications on conflict resolution, including a book, Muslims and the West: Quest for Change and Conflict Resolution, which was published in 2000.
In the book, Mr. Khawaja argues for a better understanding of fundamentalism, noting that it is often laden with "negative connotations." The author analyses world conflict and the difficulty of finding "meeting grounds" for the two societies. He has also criticized Arab leaders as "leaderless."
He wrote this about the invasion of Iraq: "American and specially-hired Brits -- Tony Blair's war protagonists -- do believe that it was a real war fought against Saddam Hussein (their former faithful client), and it ended in American victory and success even though the WMD hoax was a stage drama, nothing other than a planned deception and treachery to the collective conscience of humanity that demonstrated strong opposition against the American planned war.
"Arab leaders celebrate the American success in Iraq, but prey at their own people under the disguise of terrorism to dispel any sign of public resentment against the American intransigence and aggression in Iraq. Even the Arab League ... could not dare to name America as the aggressor in Iraq. Deception and treachery knows no bound," wrote Mr. Khawaja, who has a PhD.
Neighbours and friends of the quiet family were shaken yesterday when the convoy of heavily armed RCMP officers stormed the home, located at 672 Princess Louise Dr.
They broke through the front door of the white, two-storey home.
Into the night, the RCMP could be seen scouring the house for clues. The house was cordoned off with police tape and is being treated as a crime scene.
As of late last night, Cpl. Nathalie Deschenes would only say that the raid was part of a "criminal investigation" and the residents of the home in Orleans were not in custody. No charges have been laid.
Those who lived in the house were asked to leave while police prepared for an intense search. At times, up to 20 Mounties could be seen coming and going from the property.
As day turned to night, Mounties could be seen eating takeout chicken, delivered in a dinner wagon.
The RCMP approached neighbours about a month ago, asking for permission to use their property to stage around-the-clock surveillance from unmarked cars, parked in a driveway three doors down.
Sulaiman Khan, director of Islamic Information and Education Centre on Lisgar Street, was stunned by the news of the raid.
"I've known them for many years and the boys are exemplary in their behaviour," said Mr. Khan.
"The boys are very quiet, they're never boisterous or loud. Everybody in the community knows them because they are so good."
Posted by Robert at March 30, 2004 5:09 PM
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I firstly respect the Muslim guy for making money from an Islamic country unlike me being a wage slave to these infidels. But the action of these Canadians is becoming so boring. There was a mosque burnt to the ground in Toronto last week and yet it took them 48 hrs to verify it was a hate crime.
Just like Hitler claimed the Jews were a "race", now every Muslim is supposed to be picked upon whether black or white. I am sure Allah is glad of infidel actions like this; he always wanted an Ummah.
How would you feel if you were his wife, getting arrested in public for shopping? I am sure the officers enjoyed molesting a Muslimah.
Posted by: Hood Jihadi at March 30, 2004 5:35 PMOoh, boy, we got a moonbat here, Robert.
Hood-boy, more arab hyperbole just won't cut it here- you're now running with people who speak standard English and have the basics of cartesian logic worked out. To wit:
So, in the extra-terrestrial world of the arab fantacist, this is a mosque burnt to the ground, eh? (note that I do NOT condone such actions, but $5K of damages??? How about those churches burning in Kosovo...or Nigeria...or Indonesia). Perspecitve, boy, it's called perspective.
As for the officers enjoying "molesting a Muslimah", I'd bet that this constitutes danger pay for the coppers, what with having to handle this sow. Of course, being from a devout Muslim family and in strict accordance with the Qur'an, she would: NEVER be unattended by a male relative, would have been dressed in full cover, certainly did not drive to the mall, and of course, was unable to read anything when she got to the mall as she had never been educated. Mind you, having just survived a beating from her husband, she likely enjoyed the trip out of the house...
Further, she has not yet been arrested (but if my spouse were involved in criminal activity, I'd expect her to face all criminal sanction permitted by the Criminal Code).
Posted by: Earl at March 30, 2004 6:06 PM"There was a mosque burnt to the ground in Toronto last week and yet it took them 48 hrs to verify it was a hate crime."
Who says it was a hate crime? You all burn and bomb and shoot up Christian churches .... thats not a hate crime? What makes you think your Mosques should be considered holy ground?
When you fail to respect the faith of others. Do not expect the same considerations. Simple as that.
Posted by: Wild Hare at March 30, 2004 6:06 PMHood Jihadi; I offered you a deal.....you wanted to be spoken to nicely, and I wanted you to stop with the playing of phony race cards......obviously, you didn't take me up on this agreement.....so....I guess we'll be conversing very soon.
It's very unfortunate that you feel you need to use the color of your skin as a crutch. This is a crutch that isn't at all sturdy. We all have red blood running through our veins....sadly, you're either to dumb, or too stubborn to recognize that. Either way, like Wild said, it only appears to be a "hate crime" when it happens to Muslims. I think maybe you spend too much time listening to and reading the words of Hooper and the gang over at CAIR.
It is very unwise to look to CAIR for guidance. Unless its misguidance you're looking for, then you have the right group of temporaries to mold your mind. And oh yes, they are indeed temporaries.
Posted by: D.C. WATSON at March 30, 2004 6:28 PMLook at the racists, telling me about the price of the damage they caused. I certainly wanted a reaction, but that is anti-Muslim.What sort of human rights action against Jihad was that?
As for Kosovans and Albanians, I don't like the them myself. They are just like Europeans ; eat and live like Christians. I read a report about the sort of business ventures they ran in London
(UK) and it was pure infidel business - brothels, bars, drugs, etc. They even have a Zionist leading one of their pressure groups in Washington.
For all I care, you can have them! They are a shameful lot.
HB:
Anti-Muslim? Perhaps, I'm undecided, but a far more nuanced position than your trite reduction suggests.
Sorry for women who live in a benighted, medieval state as brood mares. Sickened by children being "volunteered" as shaheeds. Perplexed by a religion that bans dogs as pets. Infuriated by a religion that damns the Jewish people as the sons of apes and swine. Puzzled and invigorated by a religion whose basic law (Umdat al-Salik- you do own a copy, correct?) makes the lesser jihad a mandatory communal obligation. Concerned that taqqiyah causes me to doubt the veracity of anything said to me by a Muslim.
I could go on- but even someone such as you must get the point. When Christian theologians, from the Archbishop of Canterbury to a deponent in a Australian Christian ministry human rights tribunal prosecuton, must question the basic soundness of Islam, I do not doubt that I am in good company.
P.S. "Racism" has nothing to do with challenging Islam generally, and vigorously opposing radicalized Islam. Strict Islam is a theocratic, fascist ideology, just another "ism" that the Judeo-Chritian West will vanquish. We can do it with ideas- my preference- or with fuel air explosives and worse- it's the Ummah's call... but I can assure you that the West will win this existential fight with radicalized Islam.
Posted by: Earl at March 30, 2004 6:53 PMBetter yet, Hood-boy, read Ibn Warraq's "Why I am not a Muslim". ISBN 0-87975-984-4. Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1995. Best $CDN39.00 you'll ever spend- IF you have the courage to question your vestigal understanding of your faith.
Posted by: Earl at March 30, 2004 6:57 PMSorry to come late to the party!
H.J., you ignore every single instance of Muslim violence against Christians and Jews, except for the one time that you made the ludicrous claim that the Sudanese Christians were actually kidnapping and murdering themselves, and burning their own churches, an example making criminals out of the victims, a "tell lies often and they become the truth" campaign.
Perhaps the burning of the mosque was a hate crime, but, using your own tactics, it is also possible that Toronto Muslims burned the mosque, sprayed the words, so that they could gain community sympathy. It makes as much sense as the "theory" that floated about the Sudanese Christians.
I wonder why the words were spray painted at the "women's entrance," which is not prominent. It seems to me that the effect would have been better over the men's entrance, as women are of no importance to you all.
Hope to hear from you soon my dear H.J.
epg
Hoodie, why do you do this to yourself? Is it part of your "How to be a proper martyr" course? Do all the corrections you continually undergo, and the endless evidence that you are intellectually outclassed, sort of harden you to the ultimate pain of blowing yourself up?
Listen, my dear, there are not even any virgins waiting for you "up there." According to scholarly research, the most probable translation of "hur" isn't "virgin," but "white raisin." Well, white raisins are quite a treat too, but perhaps not exactly what you are expecting.
Hoodie, you really ought to re-think your life here on earth. Think about meeting a nice girl, getting married, having children, and earning a living at something you enjoy.
By the way, epg, was it Hoodie who ate all the chips and bean dip before we got here?
Posted by: cubed at March 31, 2004 9:54 PM
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