Where did he get this idea? Was any effort made by the Muslims in Canada who converted him to Islam to explain to him that Islam was a Religion of Peace and Tolerance? Or did they themselves give him this understanding of Islam? Authorities ought to be investigating these questions, but they probably aren’t, as to do so would be “Islamophobic.”
“Terrorists being trained to hit West,” by Stewart Bell, Postmedia News, August 30, 2014 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
Al-Qaida members who have crossed into Syria from Afghanistan and Pakistan are training extremists to conduct attacks in western countries, the government said Friday in a report on the terrorist threats to Canada.
Calling the development a “major concern,” the Public Safety Canada report said Syria had become a safe haven and training ground for terrorists. “This may enhance their ability to attack neighbouring countries or Western interests.”
It said al-Qaida had been helping Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham and the Islamic State group. “These al-Qaida members also train other extremists for possible operations in Western countries.”
The report highlighted a troubling consequence of the prolonged civil war in Syria and its spread to Iraq: that the region has replaced Afghanistan and Pakistan as the playground for the world’s most violent, fanatical terrorists.
The release of the 2014 Public Report on the Terrorist Threat to Canada came as the United Kingdom raised its threat level from Substantial to Severe, citing “developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West.”
While the report did not say whether any Canadians were being trained for such attacks, it said the government was aware of about 130 “individuals with Canadian connections” who were involved in terrorist activity, including about 30 in Syria. Some may pose a threat should they come home to Canada, it said.
“They may return to Canada or other countries imbued with knowledge, skills and experience gained in terrorist operations and training camps,” the report said. “It is possible some returnees could plan and carry out terrorist attacks in Canada.”
A former University of Ottawa business student named John Maguire is under RCMP investigation after leaving for Syria last year. In his online posts, the recent Muslim convert called Canada “evil” and said Christians had to convert or “face the sword.”
The jihadists have declared themselves rulers of a so-called caliphate, or Islamic state, in parts of Syria and Iraq.
The Soufan Group, a New Yorkbased [sic] intelligence firm, estimated in June that there were at least 12,000 foreign fighters from 81 countries in the Syrian conflict, including some 3,000 European citizens. More than a dozen departments and agencies are involved in Canada’s response, which includes a program being developed by the RCMP for “targeted interventions” against youths who are being drawn into violent extremism.