Funny how things like this keep happening: They’re “misunderstanding” Islam in Canada, too. “Canadian arrested in Somalia allegedly member of Islamist militia,” by Stewart Bell for the National Post, April 7:
TORONTO “” A Canadian has been arrested in Somalia for allegedly planning to bomb leaders of a moderate political faction, according to local media reports that identified him as a member of the militant group Al-Shabab.
Abdifatah Mohamad Ibrahim appeared in court in the central Galgudud region, where authorities showed his Canadian passport to spectators, according to Radio Garowe and the Somali-language news site allpuntland.com.
The reports said he was arrested March 8 by clan militias loyal to Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama, which has been battling Al-Shabab. Authorities are investigating whether he was attempting to assassinate top Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama officers.
One report said he was arrested while driving a vehicle filled with explosives. He has been charged with five offences, including that he was trained to use explosives, that he planned bombings and that he intended to travel to Burao in Somaliland to “commit acts of insecurity,” Radio Garowe reported. He has allegedly admitted that he was a trained member of Al-Shabab.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was not aware of any recent arrests of Canadian citizens in Somalia but Ottawa has no diplomatic presence in the country. Consular officials in Nairobi were seeking further information on the matter.
“Due to the highly volatile and unpredictable nature of the security situation in Somalia, the government of Canada’s ability to provide consular assistance to Canadians in distress is severely restricted,” said Daniel Barbarie, a Foreign Affairs spokesman.
Al-Shabab, which means “youth,” is an armed Islamist group that is often compared to the Taliban. It is suspected of links to al-Qaida. A handful of Canadians have travelled to Somalia to fight with the armed Islamists. One of them, Abdullah Ali Afrah, formerly of Toronto, was killed last summer while leading an ambush.
The reports of the arrest comes amid intensive investigations by Canadian and U.S. counter-terrorism officials into allegations that youths of Somali origin have ventured overseas to join Al-Shabab.
At a news conference in Somalia on the weekend, two young men claimed they were Americans and had travelled to Africa “to fight alongside our brothers of Al-Shabab” and “to be killed for the sake of God.” Last Monday, a video posted on an extremist Internet site showed a man claiming to be an American leading an Al-Shabab ambush. The footage was accompanied by rap music about “keeping the non-Muslims living in fear.”
Qur’an 9:111: “Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth…”
Qur’an 8:60: “Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know….”