Canadian Muslims shocked over arrests

[General Duke]

Canadian Muslims shocked over arrests

6/8/2006 5:00:00 PM GMT

 

 

The Canadian Muslim community expressed shock over the weekend arrests of 17 Muslim men and youths, according to Reuters.

 

Over the last several days, Canadian police arrested 12 Muslim men and five juveniles, who are allegedly accused of planning to blow up landmark locations in southern Ontario.

 

According to court documents, the men, all from Ontario, face charges ranging from "conspiracy to carry out a terrorist activity, to training for terrorist purposes, to bomb-making and illegally importing guns and ammunition."

 

Many of the accused have attended prayers at the al-Rahman Islamic Center for Islamic Education in Ontario, which has been mostly deserted after the arrests.

 

"I was shocked, it (the alleged criminal element) should not be here. This is a religious place," said the owner of a nearby store, who said he attended the mosque about once a week.

 

The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations put out a statement expressing relief that the arrests stopped “potential terror attacksâ€.

 

But other Islamic groups warned of a possible backlash against Canada’s 600,000 Muslims, who make up an estimated 2% of Canada's population of 33 million.

 

The Toronto Islamic Foundation said that it might be the beginning of religiously motivated reprisals against Canadian Muslims.

 

"A backlash is a given," said Fatima Rakie, 24, a Canadian-born woman of Lebanese descent. "People are aggravated with us already. They will think all Muslims are extremists. But all religions have their extremists."

 

Vandals smashed the windows of a Toronto area mosque on Saturday night. Police said they were investigating the incident, which helped prompt a nationally televised "community meeting" Sunday involving Muslim leaders and police, with both sides urging tolerance and cooperation.