Leading figures in the Canadian Muslim Community are warning that police and intelligence agencies are paying Muslim informants to spy on members of the community and install spies in every major mosque in Toronto, Globe and Mail wrote.
Canadian Security Intelligence Service claims it installs spies to “report on people, not places”.
“If they're following certain people, an imam for example, and that imam is spending a lot of time at the mosque, then [the informant] is also spending a lot of time at the mosque,” said Yahya Fadalla, a Hamilton-based Imam who also has a doctorate in computer science with a specialization in cyber terrorism and information warfare.
Fahim Ahmad, a devout Muslim from Toronto who has been accused of being a leader of 17 people suspected of involvement in "terror-related offences" last month, was himself once offered to become a spy.
Paying Muslim informants to spy on fellow Muslims has been an issue of heated debate since Mubin Sheikh publicly admitted that he played an integral part in that investigation.
“If [intelligence authorities] want to do anything, it has to be done through the Muslims,” he said in an interview. “Of course they're going to have eyes and ears everywhere.”
Mr. Sheikh added that intelligence authorities have many spies installed within the community.
Canadian authorities have increased the number of spies they hire to report on Muslim community members.
Aly Hindi, Imam of the Salaheddin Islamic Centre in Scarborough said spies had long been following him.
Spies infiltrate the Muslim Community in various ways, Mr. Fadalla said, adding that sometimes an informant is paid to just keep eyes and ears open for what authorities call “suspicious activities”.
Some Muslims are raising concerns over the credibility of information provided to the authorities by spies, who might seek to present any information to increase their income.
Abdul Hai Patel, head of the Canadian Islamic Council of Imams raised other concerns:
“People know that if I don't like you, I can say you're involved in terror activity and they have to investigate,” he said, recalling an incident that took place last year, involving a Muslim woman who wanted to divorce her husband.
The woman’s husband, who refused to divorce her, claimed that her brother was involved in some hidden “terrorist activity”.
But no evidence was ever found to support his claim.
“It has become a tool of revenge in the community,” Mr. Patel said.
Canadian Security Intelligence Service claims it installs spies to “report on people, not places”.
“If they're following certain people, an imam for example, and that imam is spending a lot of time at the mosque, then [the informant] is also spending a lot of time at the mosque,” said Yahya Fadalla, a Hamilton-based Imam who also has a doctorate in computer science with a specialization in cyber terrorism and information warfare.
Fahim Ahmad, a devout Muslim from Toronto who has been accused of being a leader of 17 people suspected of involvement in "terror-related offences" last month, was himself once offered to become a spy.
Paying Muslim informants to spy on fellow Muslims has been an issue of heated debate since Mubin Sheikh publicly admitted that he played an integral part in that investigation.
“If [intelligence authorities] want to do anything, it has to be done through the Muslims,” he said in an interview. “Of course they're going to have eyes and ears everywhere.”
Mr. Sheikh added that intelligence authorities have many spies installed within the community.
Canadian authorities have increased the number of spies they hire to report on Muslim community members.
Aly Hindi, Imam of the Salaheddin Islamic Centre in Scarborough said spies had long been following him.
Spies infiltrate the Muslim Community in various ways, Mr. Fadalla said, adding that sometimes an informant is paid to just keep eyes and ears open for what authorities call “suspicious activities”.
Some Muslims are raising concerns over the credibility of information provided to the authorities by spies, who might seek to present any information to increase their income.
Abdul Hai Patel, head of the Canadian Islamic Council of Imams raised other concerns:
“People know that if I don't like you, I can say you're involved in terror activity and they have to investigate,” he said, recalling an incident that took place last year, involving a Muslim woman who wanted to divorce her husband.
The woman’s husband, who refused to divorce her, claimed that her brother was involved in some hidden “terrorist activity”.
But no evidence was ever found to support his claim.
“It has become a tool of revenge in the community,” Mr. Patel said.
