Canadian imams on ISIL hit list for preaching against extremism and steering Muslims ‘away from jihad’
TORONTO — A Toronto imam said he would not be intimidated after ISIL included him on a hit list released Wednesday that called for the killing of more than a dozen Western imams it accused of opposing the terrorist group.
“Yes, I take it seriously but I’m not going to stop doing the things I do,” said the imam, a founder of the Canadian Council of Imams who was rebuked by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant along with a second Canadian preacher based in the Persian Gulf.
Both were named in the latest edition of the ISIL propaganda magazine Dabiq, which called them “obligatory targets” and urged followers to “make an example of them” in an article entitled, “Kill the imams of kufr (disbelief).”
The accompanying images showed a hand holding a bloody knife, a beheading and a news photo one of the Canadian imams. The 69-page magazine was distributed on Twitter and Telegram, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.
The fact that I’m on Daesh’s bad side means I am fighting for things like justice, tolerance and a more inclusive world.
The RCMP said it was “aware of the threat,” but would not comment. It’s unclear why those particular imams were singled out. One is active in the Canadian Council of Imams, which has regularly denounced ISIL, and on Monday said it would open de-radicalization clinics in the Toronto area to deal with violent extremism.
The other Canadian imam could not be reached for comment. In an hour-long video last year, he picked apart ISIL, saying the group was not supported by any credible Islamic scholars. “(ISIL) is not Islam,” he said. “They are misguided Muslims.”
The ISIL online magazine was distributed in English, suggesting it was intended for Western audiences. It applied a familiar ISIL tactic: claiming that those who do not support its harsh militancy were enemies and must be killed.
“This is clear extremism,” said the Toronto imam who was threatened, adding he may have attracted ISIL’s attention by preaching co-existence, dialogue and bridge-building — in stark contrast to the extremist message of violence.
“I think because these two persons are very well known worldwide so ISIL is starting from the top of the list of the most known until they will make everyone kafir (disbelievers) to the bottom of their list,” said Hamid Slimi of the Canadian Council of Imams.
The Council of American-Islamic Relations in the U.S. said in a statement its national executive director, Nihad Awad, had also appeared on the hit list and asked for protection from federal and state law enforcement authorities.
“Daesh is a collection of liars, murderers, torturers and rapists,” said Rep. Keith Ellison, a Democratic congressman from Minnesota, who was also listed by ISIL as one of several “politically active apostates.” He used a nickname for ISIL. “The fact that I’m on Daesh’s bad side means I am fighting for things like justice, tolerance and a more inclusive world.”
It was the 14th edition of the ISIL magazine, known for its over-the-top threats and lionizing mass killers. It also identified four of the terrorists behind the March attacks in Brussels, calling them “knights of martyrdom.”
Source: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-imams-on-isil-hit-list-for-preaching-against-extremism-and-steering-muslims-away-from-jihad
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