TORONTO – After the two suspected terrorists arrested in Toronto, another similar case emerges: a young Pakistani man ended up in handcuffs in Quebec for an alleged ISIS plot against American Jews. And the same question arises again: how did he enter Canada? It is difficult to have an answer, given the “rubber wall” raised by federal officials of the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) who, according to a Global News article (you can read it here), refused to answer questions about the immigration status of Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, citing “read on privacy”.
The U.S. Department of Justice described Khan as a “Pakistani citizen residing in Canada” and Canadian Jewish groups said they knew he may have had a student visa. “We are looking into the matter” said Aissa Diop, communications director for Immigration Minister Marc Miller. “We will not comment further as an investigation is ongoing”.
But the deputy leader of the conservative opposition Melissa Lantsman promises battle: if the Liberals do not “quickly disclose this key information” the Conservatives “will force them to do so, as happened with Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi”.
Eldidi and his son Mostafa, as well known, were arrested in July while they were allegedly preparing an attack in Toronto on behalf of ISIS. And although the father is accused of appearing in an ISIS video from 2015, where he mutilated a prisoner, he obtained refugee status and then even Canadian citizenship (read our article here). It is not known how: it is certainly incredible, given the painstaking checks that the IRCC carries out on honest workers with a clear past who ask to obtain the “grace” of permanent residence; for these, a thousand obstacles; for alleged terrorists, seen quickly (as happened with the young Indian accused of the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh leader, in Vancouver: read our article here) and even citizenship.
Returning to Khan, the young man was arrested under an extradition warrant filed by the United States on charges of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization: ISIS. According to the FBI, Khan told undercover agents that he wanted to “massacre” Jews in New York around October 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
It is still not entirely clear what type of permit he was in Canada with: the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies reportedly learned from the RCMP that Khan was probably on a student visa. The RCMP would have asked specific questions on the subject to the IRCC which, however, according to Global News, did not respond. Nor would Minister Miller’s office provide any information. From the series: long live transparency.
In the pic above, Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller during a meeting with IRCC staff in a photo published by himself on his Twitter X (@MarcMillerVM) on August 16, 2024
