Listen and Learn, You Cosy Canucks
Ottawa Sun ^ | 2006-06-06 | Earl McRae

He said to me: "Do you understand my fear now?" We spoke yesterday on a bench in an empty park near where he works for the same reason he rejected meeting me in a restaurant when I interviewed him two months ago: His fear of being overheard by someone sympathetic to the terrorist Taliban in his former homeland of Afghanistan.

He told me at the time: "My relatives over there would be killed. The Taliban have people in this country, even in this city, on their side, and who would get this back to them."

What he feared getting back to them was his support for Canada's soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and his anger against naive "coward" Canadians in this country with "soft stomachs" who don't understand terrorism, who don't understand its threat to Canada, who want our soldiers brought home. "The Taliban, al-Qaida," he'd said, "they know our weakness."

An articulate, educated man, he had insisted I not, in the subsequent column, identify him in any way whatsoever, even made me promise not to by signing a piece of paper that he'd use against me with my employer if I violated the promise. His fear and paranoia seemed extreme, but what did I --comfortable, naive, cosy Canadian -- know? I honoured his request.

In our first meeting, he, a Muslim, talked at length and in detail about how the fanatically fundamentalist Taliban regime horribly oppressed his people before he fled the country for the Canada he loves, the Canada he wants to remain safe and peaceful.

At the park, he said: "I won't ask you to write me your promise this time, I trust you." And then smiling: "But I hope you don't have a hidden tape recorder. I would not want you to pass this conversation around." I don't, I told him.

"Most Afghans hate the Taliban," he said. "Our men and women want the freedoms we have in Canada. The Taliban and al-Qaida fear our values and freedoms. They hate us. They are religious stone age, they want it to be how it was centuries ago. The modern world is their enemy."

It was because of the arrest of the alleged terrorists in Toronto that I asked to meet him again, particularly recalling his words in my first column. "It is a terrible thing to say, and I would not want it to happen," he'd said, "but maybe the only thing that will wake Canadians up is a terrorist attack in Canada that kills hundreds or thousands of people."

Now, CSIS, the RCMP, and the various police forces involved say the 17 arrested in Toronto were plotting terrorist attacks in Ontario, one of the targets the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. He pulls out a snapshot. It shows four small boys in a dusty lot, one of them holding a soccer ball.

"That's me, and that's my cousin. He's still in Afghanistan. I won't tell you what he does. All I will tell you is that he knows all about terrorism and how the Taliban works. I do, too."

He puts the snapshot back in his pocket. "I don't understand Canadians. I heard people call the radio station criticizing CSIS and the police. It is like the people arrested are the good ones, it is a big mistake. Why do so many people here always go on the side of the people arrested instead of those fighting terrorism? CSIS and the police should be thanked, not attacked.

"If you are innocent then please explain to me what innocent people are doing with all the many things for explosives they had hidden. Does this sound like innocent matters to you? Wake up, Canadians, wake up."

Shaking his head, he says: "Did you see the women relatives of some of these men on TV? They were all wearing burkas, only their eyes showing. They are Islamic fundamentalist women. They were saying the men are innocent. How would they know? The men would never tell their women anything what they are doing. Never. Women are kept in darkness, it is the way it is."

I asked him why he feels there are Taliban and al-Qaida supporters in Ottawa. "Do you think I am deaf? I know the Afghan community. They love Canada, but there are always a few who are extremists. What's the word -- indoctrinated? They support Bin Laden. They say they would love to see Canada punished. I've heard them talk. Afghans, Iranians, Iraqis, you will find people like this in any multicultural community in Canada. I haven't heard of any bombing plans -- if I did, I would tell CSIS. But, I'm sure CSIS knows better than me who to watch in Ottawa."

Finally: "The terrorists in this country will keep trying against Canada. They are like bugs. Crush a few of them, but others will rise. Ottawa will be a target because of the symbolism for the terrorists. It is the capital. Like London and Madrid. It won't just be the Parliament, it'll be where many people are. Like a big shopping mall or arena. That is why we must support CSIS and the police and not listen to people who are so ignorant."