Salaheddin Islamic Centre
The Salaheddin Islamic Centre is a mosque located in the Scarborough district of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada noted for its outspoken Imam Aly Hindy.
Salahedin Islamic Centre | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Leadership | Aly Hindy |
Location | |
Location | 741 Kennedy Road Toronto, Ontario M1K 2C6 |
Location in Toronto | |
Geographic coordinates | 43°43′51″N 79°15′58″W |
Capacity | 2,500[1][2] |
Website | |
www |
Since Aly Hindy took over the leadership of the Centre in 1997, Salaheddin has transformed from a small mosque to become a full centre with many facilities and programs. Beside offering regular prayers, lectures and conferences, Salaheddin Centre is assisting the disadvantaged and the destitute by offering a host of services including full-time elementary and high school, marriage and counselling services, a food bank, youth programs, and funeral service along with other activities that seek to improve people's lives.
One of its key founders was Hassan Farhat,[3] but he was made persona non grata by the mosque's administrators and forbidden to continue to hold any position at the facility, although he was allowed to return for worship. A number of its worshippers have been accused of ties to terrorism, including Ahmed Khadr who ran a charity named Health and Education Project International that used to attend the mosque and allegedly funnelled money to Afghan training camps.[4][5]
Brothers Saeed and Masoud Rasoul, whose father was a prayer leader at the mosque, later went missing in Iraq, believed to have fought for Ansar al-Islam, possibly at the urging of Farhat.[3]
Following the 2006 Ontario terrorism plot, it emerged that Fahim Ahmad and a number of other suspects were members of the mosque.[6]
During the bail Hearing of Abdullah Khadr in August 2008, the Crown attacked the credibility of the mosque — although judge Trotter dismissed the suggestion, referring to testimony from RCMP officer Tarek Mokdad who agreed it was not reasonable to suggest the mosque supported terrorism.[7]
References
- Shephard, Michelle. Toronto Star, "Centre of attention; Scarborough home to mosque, elementary school, library", February 28, 2004
- Grady, Patrick. "Royal Canadian Jihad", p. 121
- Shephard, Michelle and Tonda MacCharles. Toronto Star, "CSIS say Scarborough mosque founder linked to Al-Qaeda", March 9, 2005
- Sara, Wood. "U.S. Military Commissions to Resume This Week at Guantanamo". American Forces Press Service.
- Bell, Stewart. National Post, "Khadr killed in gunfight: report", October 14, 2003
- Macleans.ca 19 June 2006
- "Bail denied for Abdullah Khadr". Toronto Star. 20 August 2008.