Qayyum Abdul Jamal
Encyclopedia
A Canadian janitor
and schoolbus-driver, Abdul Qayyum Jamal was initially labeled the "ringleader" of an alleged terrorist plot in Toronto in June 2006 after a Canadian Member of Parliament
reported his virulent criticism of Canadian troops in Afghanistan
to police. He was held for nearly two years protesting that he "didn't do anything wrong", before all charges against him were dropped.
After spending much of his imprisonment in solitary confinement
, his family announced they were pursuing legal action seeking millions of dollars in damages; including from the prison where he was incarcerated.
He claimed he was simply "winter camping" however, videos of the camp that emerged in court showed a much different picture, showing men in fatigues practising in the woods. He also did not feel the suspects were "radicalized" yet many of his fellow "campers" plead guilty to terrorism charges.
, Jamal worked as an engineering technician. When his first wife, who was suffering from undiagnosed Multiple Sclerosis
, had exhaused all fertility avenues, he married Cheryfa MacAulay, with her blessing. MacAulay had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, dropping out of Grade 10 in Halifax to join the army, and entering a troubled first marriage before converting to Islam and turning her life around. The media would later point to the fact she wore the niqab
face covering, and had campaigned against sexual education being taught in schools without due parental notice of its content.
The father of four sons, Jamal would occasionally buy his two wives identical clothing, which they would wear when visitors came to the house, to tease him.
After volunteering to clean the carpet and the washroom, and make small repairs at the Ar-Rahman mosque in Mississauga, he became an active member and began to teach Tafsir
and occasionally led the prayers. Although being twice the age of the average participant, he frequently joined youths in games of Cricket and Soccer. He was also noted as fixing cars in his driveway.
He claims to have been approached several times by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
in the years prior to his arrest, and asked to give information about community members, including Imam
Aly Hindy
, which he refused to do.
Jamal was receiving severence pay from a manufacturing plant that had shut down, and working part-time as a school bus
-driver in the months prior to his arrest.
He was described as "quiet", but "very vocal" about his opposition to the War in Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq
. Hindy characterised him saying that "when he sees a Muslim being killed, he can't keep quiet".
Wajid Khan
began attending the Ar-Rahman mosque in the summer of 2005, Jamal introduced him to the congregation saying that he had come to bring messages from the government, and countered that he would like to send the government a message of his own - that Canadian troops in Afghanistan
were not doing any good. Khan, a former Air Force pilot in Pakistan, interrupted Jamal to state that such comments would not be tolerated, before walking out of the mosque angrily. Both Jamal and his wife criticised Khan, and requested that the mosque not invite him back as a speaker, since they felt he had misused the religious service "as a political soapbox". Khan subsequently referred to Jamal;
Khan later referred to the altercation, saying he pushed Jamal aside because he was "speaking nonsense" and referred to him as an "idiot" with "piss-poor" command of the English language. Khan, who was serving as the chairman of the caucus committee on the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act
at the time, later reported Jamal's behavior to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
.
Seven weeks before the arrests, Jamal's wife wrote to Khan complaining about the 32nd Brigade
training for Operation Talon for deployment to Afghanistan on the property of her sons' Islamic school in Oakville
in full combat gear. She allegedly challenged him, stating that "we've all heard your bark, now let's see what's behind your bite".
Macleans later reported that "the possibility that a member of Parliament was among those who raised the alarm about Jamal is an intriging twist in the complex story of how police built their case leading to the arrests".
prayers on June 2, he was greeted at the door by members of the Emergency Task Force
who entered his house, as another team jumped a fence into his backyard and simuntaneously entered the house ordering all occupants to the ground. His wife refused to comply with any orders, and shouted profanities at the officers, before being allowed to leave and take the children and her mother to the mosque to spend the night, while officers searched the house.
At the police station, on the night of his arrest, Jamal saw reference to the arrests and "four tons of explosives" on television, the first he had heard of any allegations of a plot amongst the group of youths. When he phoned his wife for the first time, he simply advised her that their rent had been paid and the money for their insurance was in the account, and that their car needed to go into a mechanic's.
His outspoken wife continued to garner media headlines, as she alleged that "every Muslim is another potential victim", and that federal authorities had been following her every move, cut the brake lines on a colleague's vehicle and made the computers at Kinko's copy store crash when she tried to send a message requesting prayers for her husband. The media seemed equally fascinated by the notion that a Caucasian
woman had converted to Islam and chosen to wear the full abaya
and niqab
. In addition, her past comments in internet forums under the name UmmTayyab became a subject of amateur analysis. In April 2007, she reported that her brother-in-law had discovered two bullets fired into her Dodge Caravan
's engine block.
The oldest of the alleged terrorists, Jamal was 43-years old at the time of his arrest. Portrayed as a "spiritual advisor" to the group, he was accused of helping to coordinate bombing attacks against targets in southern Ontario
. The media blasted his "extreme interpretations of Islam", and called him an "older, embittered militant". Secular Muslim critic Tarek Fatah
reported Jamal as "creating a Islamacist, supremacist cult".
Held at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex
with the rest of the suspects, Jamal was represented at trial by defence attorney Anser Farooq
.
On September 25, 2007, he was denied bail.
unless in court, his lawyer's office or at Friday prayers.
In April 2008, all charges against him were stayed due to lack of evidence. However, his peace bond
stipulated that he must not have contact with any of the other accused, must not apply for a passport
and must obey an 8:00pm curfew
. He said that he blamed Mubin Shaikh
and Wajid Khan
for "lying", leading to his false imprisonment.
Mr. Farooq stated that, "we were able to establish, during the preliminary inquiry, that there were a lot of problems with the Crown's case", and evidence elicited during the preliminary inquiry set the stage for Mr. Jamal's release. He cautioned Jamal's wife to "be cautious of what she said", but she nevertheless spoke to several newspapers stating that she believed the couple were owed "millions" in wrongful prosecution damages.
Following the public comments that the couple might seek financial reparations, the Chronicle Herald published an editorial cartoon
suggesting that the money would be used to finance terrorism. The Centre for Islamic Development subsequently dubbed the cartoon a "hate crime
" and reported it to the police.
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
and schoolbus-driver, Abdul Qayyum Jamal was initially labeled the "ringleader" of an alleged terrorist plot in Toronto in June 2006 after a Canadian Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
reported his virulent criticism of Canadian troops in Afghanistan
Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan
Canada did not have a significant role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingents of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanistan only in January–February 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian...
to police. He was held for nearly two years protesting that he "didn't do anything wrong", before all charges against him were dropped.
After spending much of his imprisonment in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
, his family announced they were pursuing legal action seeking millions of dollars in damages; including from the prison where he was incarcerated.
He claimed he was simply "winter camping" however, videos of the camp that emerged in court showed a much different picture, showing men in fatigues practising in the woods. He also did not feel the suspects were "radicalized" yet many of his fellow "campers" plead guilty to terrorism charges.
Life
A native of KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Jamal worked as an engineering technician. When his first wife, who was suffering from undiagnosed Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, had exhaused all fertility avenues, he married Cheryfa MacAulay, with her blessing. MacAulay had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, dropping out of Grade 10 in Halifax to join the army, and entering a troubled first marriage before converting to Islam and turning her life around. The media would later point to the fact she wore the niqab
Niqab
A niqab is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb...
face covering, and had campaigned against sexual education being taught in schools without due parental notice of its content.
The father of four sons, Jamal would occasionally buy his two wives identical clothing, which they would wear when visitors came to the house, to tease him.
After volunteering to clean the carpet and the washroom, and make small repairs at the Ar-Rahman mosque in Mississauga, he became an active member and began to teach Tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
and occasionally led the prayers. Although being twice the age of the average participant, he frequently joined youths in games of Cricket and Soccer. He was also noted as fixing cars in his driveway.
He claims to have been approached several times by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
in the years prior to his arrest, and asked to give information about community members, including Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
Aly Hindy
Aly Hindy
Aly Hindy is the current Imam of the Salaheddin Islamic Centre in Scarborough, Canada, notable for his alleged connections to militant and fundamentalist elements, as well as his defence of Canadians accused of terrorism....
, which he refused to do.
Jamal was receiving severence pay from a manufacturing plant that had shut down, and working part-time as a school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
-driver in the months prior to his arrest.
He was described as "quiet", but "very vocal" about his opposition to the War in Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Hindy characterised him saying that "when he sees a Muslim being killed, he can't keep quiet".
Relationship with Wajid Khan
When local Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Wajid Khan
Wajid Khan
Wajid Ali Khan is a Canadian businessman and politician. Until 2008, he was a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville as a Conservative Member of Parliament.-Early life:Khan served as an officer and a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force from 1966 to...
began attending the Ar-Rahman mosque in the summer of 2005, Jamal introduced him to the congregation saying that he had come to bring messages from the government, and countered that he would like to send the government a message of his own - that Canadian troops in Afghanistan
Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan
Canada did not have a significant role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingents of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanistan only in January–February 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian...
were not doing any good. Khan, a former Air Force pilot in Pakistan, interrupted Jamal to state that such comments would not be tolerated, before walking out of the mosque angrily. Both Jamal and his wife criticised Khan, and requested that the mosque not invite him back as a speaker, since they felt he had misused the religious service "as a political soapbox". Khan subsequently referred to Jamal;
Khan later referred to the altercation, saying he pushed Jamal aside because he was "speaking nonsense" and referred to him as an "idiot" with "piss-poor" command of the English language. Khan, who was serving as the chairman of the caucus committee on the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act
Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act
The Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act was passed by the Liberal government of Canada in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. It received Royal Assent on December 18, 2001, as Bill C-36. The "omnibus" bill extends the powers of government and institutions within the Canadian...
at the time, later reported Jamal's behavior to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
.
Seven weeks before the arrests, Jamal's wife wrote to Khan complaining about the 32nd Brigade
32 Canadian Brigade Group
32 Canadian Brigade Group is part of Land Force Central Area, under the Canadian Army. It is centered around the Greater Toronto Area, as well as Grey and Simcoe Counties...
training for Operation Talon for deployment to Afghanistan on the property of her sons' Islamic school in Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
in full combat gear. She allegedly challenged him, stating that "we've all heard your bark, now let's see what's behind your bite".
Macleans later reported that "the possibility that a member of Parliament was among those who raised the alarm about Jamal is an intriging twist in the complex story of how police built their case leading to the arrests".
Arrest
As Jamal left the house for AsrAsr
The Asr prayer is the afternoon daily prayer recited by practising Muslims. It is the third of the five daily prayers . The five daily prayers collectively are one pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam, in Sunni Islam, and one of the ten Practices of the Religion according to Shia Islam...
prayers on June 2, he was greeted at the door by members of the Emergency Task Force
Emergency Task Force
The Emergency Task Force ' is the tactical unit of the Toronto Police Service . It is mandated to deal with high risk situations like hostage taking, emotionally disturbed persons, high risk arrests, warrant service and protection details. The unit was created in 1965, and inspired the television...
who entered his house, as another team jumped a fence into his backyard and simuntaneously entered the house ordering all occupants to the ground. His wife refused to comply with any orders, and shouted profanities at the officers, before being allowed to leave and take the children and her mother to the mosque to spend the night, while officers searched the house.
At the police station, on the night of his arrest, Jamal saw reference to the arrests and "four tons of explosives" on television, the first he had heard of any allegations of a plot amongst the group of youths. When he phoned his wife for the first time, he simply advised her that their rent had been paid and the money for their insurance was in the account, and that their car needed to go into a mechanic's.
His outspoken wife continued to garner media headlines, as she alleged that "every Muslim is another potential victim", and that federal authorities had been following her every move, cut the brake lines on a colleague's vehicle and made the computers at Kinko's copy store crash when she tried to send a message requesting prayers for her husband. The media seemed equally fascinated by the notion that a Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
woman had converted to Islam and chosen to wear the full abaya
Abaya
The abaya "cloak" , sometimes also called an aba, is a simple, loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Islamic world including in Turkey, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
and niqab
Niqab
A niqab is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb...
. In addition, her past comments in internet forums under the name UmmTayyab became a subject of amateur analysis. In April 2007, she reported that her brother-in-law had discovered two bullets fired into her Dodge Caravan
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
's engine block.
The oldest of the alleged terrorists, Jamal was 43-years old at the time of his arrest. Portrayed as a "spiritual advisor" to the group, he was accused of helping to coordinate bombing attacks against targets in southern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The media blasted his "extreme interpretations of Islam", and called him an "older, embittered militant". Secular Muslim critic Tarek Fatah
Tarek Fatah
Tarek Fatah Urdu: طارق فتح is a Canadian political activist, writer, and broadcaster. He is the author of Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State published by John Wiley & Sons. In the book Fatah challenges the notion that the establishment of an Islamic state is a necessary...
reported Jamal as "creating a Islamacist, supremacist cult".
Held at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex
Maplehurst Correctional Complex
Maplehurst Correctional Complex is a correctional facility located in Milton, Ontario for males 18 years of age and older...
with the rest of the suspects, Jamal was represented at trial by defence attorney Anser Farooq
Anser Farooq
A Canadian defence attorney, Anser Farooq gained notability defending five suspects during the Toronto terrorism case "Toronto 18". He had initially refused to name which suspects he was defending, but three were later revealed as Asad Ansari Ibrahim Aboud and Qayyum Jamal.IBRAHIM ABOUD: On August...
.
On September 25, 2007, he was denied bail.
Release
On November 5, 2007 Jamal had the most serious charge against him - Intent to Cause Explosion - dropped, and was released on $100,000 bail, the third alleged terrorist in the group to be freed. Nearly $75,000 of his bail money had been donated by the local Muslim community. He was required to refrain from using the internet, remain in the presence of one of six sureties, and remain under house arrestHouse arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
unless in court, his lawyer's office or at Friday prayers.
In April 2008, all charges against him were stayed due to lack of evidence. However, his peace bond
Peace bond
In Canadian law, a peace bond is an order from a criminal court that requires a person to keep the peace.Usually, other conditions are attached such as a requirement to abstain from certain activities or avoid communicating, directly or indirectly with certain individuals and/or avoid certain...
stipulated that he must not have contact with any of the other accused, must not apply for a passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
and must obey an 8:00pm curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
. He said that he blamed Mubin Shaikh
Mubin Shaikh
Mubin Shaikh was one of two informants for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in the 2006 Toronto Terrorism case, and moved on to become a paid Royal Canadian Mounted Police agent...
and Wajid Khan
Wajid Khan
Wajid Ali Khan is a Canadian businessman and politician. Until 2008, he was a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville as a Conservative Member of Parliament.-Early life:Khan served as an officer and a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force from 1966 to...
for "lying", leading to his false imprisonment.
Mr. Farooq stated that, "we were able to establish, during the preliminary inquiry, that there were a lot of problems with the Crown's case", and evidence elicited during the preliminary inquiry set the stage for Mr. Jamal's release. He cautioned Jamal's wife to "be cautious of what she said", but she nevertheless spoke to several newspapers stating that she believed the couple were owed "millions" in wrongful prosecution damages.
Following the public comments that the couple might seek financial reparations, the Chronicle Herald published an editorial cartoon
Editorial cartoon
An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration containing a commentary that usually relates to current events or personalities....
suggesting that the money would be used to finance terrorism. The Centre for Islamic Development subsequently dubbed the cartoon a "hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
" and reported it to the police.