The infamous case of ‘homegrown terrorism’ in the GTA, also known as the ‘Toronto 18’ has finally come to trial. The long overdue trial, which took four years to reach, has now started and information that had never before been publicized is now surfacing. The media is relatively silent on the trial proceedings as compared to the news coverage the story received when the arrests initially occurred back in June 2006.

The latest developments on the story are that one of the defense lawyers, Denis Edney, representing 25 year old Fahim Ahmed, has brought light to issues with the crown’s star witness, Mubin Shaikh. Shaikh is a key part of the government’s case against the arrested men as he was paid a hefty amount to act as an informant. It is now being revealed in court that Shaikh worked as an undercover agent to infiltrate the alleged ‘Toronto 18’ terrorist group and also trained some of the men and boys to use a 9-mm handgun.

Shaikh’s credibility has also been attacked at the witness stand and he is especially known for his previous illegal conduct such as molestation and drug abuse. It is also revealed that he hid certain information from his handlers, namely CSIS and the RCMP, and this can greatly affect the outcome of the case.

The outcome of the trial will ultimately be decided by a jury made up of ordinary Canadian citizens. The trial is expected to last approximately three months, and once all of the evidence is revealed and the facts are weighed, we will be able to better judge whether or not justice is truly served.

You can continue to follow the story on keepingithalal.com in the local news section inshAllah. Always remember to make dua for the oppressed around the world and pray that Allah swt softens the hearts of the oppressors, ameen.