While the case remains before the courts, it is starting to look more and more like an instance of entrapment by a man being paid by the RCMP and CSIS. Shaikh is not naïve, and neither is he an idiot – in fact, he appears quite knowledgeable when it comes to his faith, having studied for several years both in Canada and abroad. He could have used his inside view and his knowledge of Islam to counsel the men under watch and warn them against participating in such aggressive actions. Instead, one mght argue that he seemed to egg them on, and then proceeded to use the very information he had gleaned from the men to report them to the police. Consider, for example, the fact that he led the very ‘training camps’ that garnered much media attention several weeks ago. He also engaged in discussion with the accused men about jihad and related matters. Had he merely visited the local mosque and informed the police about the suspicious behaviour or ideas of certain individuals, it would have been much easier to sympathize with his cause. His very active interference in the group raises serious questions about the extent to which he could have influenced the accused individuals to engage in terrorist acts they might not have committed on their own.
Obviously CSIS saw great value in Shaikh's information and contacts, or they wouldn't have recruited him as an informant in the first place. The information they could garner from a one-time walk-in to the local police station or CSIS office would have been limited and more difficult to use. Only active informants can provide the depth and breadth of information about ongoing terrorist activities necessary to take down larger organizations and plots.
So what if he was paid? Informants rarely act entirely out of the goodness of their hearts. The risks they run are worth paying for. His information has already paid for itself many times over, and will continue to do so.
And if he'd suddenly decided to turn Ghandi on his fellows, he'd have ended up dead, and the terror plots would have continued.
Nevertheless, leave it to Ms. Ally to make a veiled (ha-ha) threat:
One suspects Shaikh will get little support from the Muslim community. He was recognized as an informant by leaders of the community well before his name was released last night. While threats to his safety are not anticipated, at least from mainstream Muslims, there will no doubt be scorn heaped upon him from various quarters.
If mainstream Muslims are opposed to terrorist activites and support the civil authorities in their efforts to prevent them, why would they scorn Shaikh's activities as an informant? Wouldn't they instead be relieved to know that someone in these radical groups was working to bring them down from within? Or is tribal solidarity greater than the law?
Make no mistake: Shaikh will never know a moment's safety again. He's put his life on the line against Islamic terror no less than our fighting men in Afghanistan have.
He may not be a pleasant character, but this war will not be won without the help of unpleasant characters.
Shoot these bastards full of moles.
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