Salaheddin Islamic Centre

Salahedin Islamic Centre
Religion
LeadershipAly Hindy
Location
Location741 Kennedy Road
Toronto, Ontario
M1K 2C6
Salaheddin Islamic Centre is located in Toronto
Salaheddin Islamic Centre
Location in Toronto
Geographic coordinates43°43′51″N 79°15′58″W / 43.730963°N 79.265976°W / 43.730963; -79.265976
Capacity2,500[1][2]
Website
www.salaheddin.org

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.

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]

See also

References

  1. ^ Shephard, Michelle. Toronto Star, "Centre of attention; Scarborough home to mosque, elementary school, library", February 28, 2004
  2. ^ Grady, Patrick. "Royal Canadian Jihad", p. 121
  3. ^ a b Shephard, Michelle and Tonda MacCharles. Toronto Star, "CSIS say Scarborough mosque founder linked to Al-Qaeda", March 9, 2005
  4. ^ Sara, Wood. "U.S. Military Commissions to Resume This Week at Guantanamo". American Forces Press Service.
  5. ^ Bell, Stewart. National Post, "Khadr killed in gunfight: report", October 14, 2003
  6. ^ Macleans.ca 19 June 2006[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Bail denied for Abdullah Khadr". Toronto Star. 20 August 2008.