News Report About Canadian Jihadi Refutes Harpoon Siddiqui's Claim That Mosques Aren't The Locus of Radicalization

In his column today (I wrote about it here), Siddiqui mentions a recent speech in which Stephen Harper "went against the holy grail of Islamophobes, that terrorism emanates mostly from mosques."

More fool him:

MONTREAL — Abderraouf Jdey, a Quebec jihadist wanted by the FBI to the tune of $5 million, is among the Canadian terrorists abroad who authorities fear may return home to carry out attacks, a source close to CSIS told QMI Agency. 

The FBI has offered a $5-million reward for any info leading to Jdey, a Tunisian-born Montrealer suspected of attempting to commit terrorist attacks in Canada and the U.S. 

Last seen in Montreal in November 2001, he's currently believed to be fighting in Somalia with al-Shabaab, an extremist Islamic militia linked to al-Qaida. 

Photos of Jdey and four of his associates have been plastered all over the Ugandan capital of Kampala and along the East African country's border after authorities there received information the group was planning attacks in the country. 

Originally from Tunisia, Jdey arrived in Montreal in the early '90s as a political refugee.
He later became a Canadian citizen, which gave him the ability travel the world freely with his Canadian passport to attend various jihadist operations. 

He lived alone in a small Montreal apartment between 1991 and 1999, before heading to Afghanistan to attend Osama bin Laden-led terrorist training camp. Before that, he was a student at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal. 

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of his fellow students described Jdey as a nice guy and a good person who was radicalized by the teachings of a local mosque.

Nice try with that "holy grail" stuff, Harpoon (and extra points for the semi-veiled reference to Christianity).



Speaking of mosques that hew to a radical perspective, here's a Tarek Fatah column from a few months back about what a local author, a history buff, encountered during his visit to the Islamic Foundation mosque during this year's "Doors Open" event:

[John] Goddard discovered this year’s festival included many mosques, at least one of which had a unique and pleasing architecture, with a tall minaret. 

But on arrival at the Islamic Foundation mosque in Scarborough, Goddard found the organizers using the event not so much to showcase the architecture of the institution, as to offer free literature proselytizing about Islam, prohibited by the policies of Doors Open. 

One book called on Muslims to wage armed jihad. 

Towards Understanding Islam was written by the late radical Islamist, Sayyid Mawdudi, who in 1941 founded the Muslim Brotherhood affiliate in the Indian subcontinent known as the Jamaat-e-Islami. 

In the book, Mawdudi exhorts Muslims to launch jihad against Islam’s oppressors, meaning armed struggle against non-Muslims. 

The book states: “… this word (jihad) is used particularly for a war that is waged solely in the name of Allah … This supreme sacrifice of life devolves on all Muslims.” 

Mawdudi labels Muslims who refuse the call to engage in armed jihad apostates: 

“Jihad is as much a primary duty of the Muslims concerned as are daily prayers or fasting. One who shirks it is a sinner. His very claim to being a Muslim is doubtful.”

So which is it, really? "Islamophobes" seeking the "holy grail" of radicalizing mosques? Or wily Islamists resorting to the usual cries of "racist!"/"racism!" in an effort to hide/avoid/evade an unpleasant and even embarrassing reality?

Update: "Mawdudi"--now, where have I heard that name before?