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Newmarket mosque meeting `one-sided'
Executive member says leadership not invited to meeting, adding they don't share controversial imam's views
Dale Anne Freed staff reporter

A meeting called last night to denounce a controversial imam linked to Newmarket's first mosque is one-sided, says a member of the executive, since neither he nor other officials were invited.

Ansar Ahmed said Zafar Bangash is "neither leader nor imam of our mosque. He is the president of the board of directors of the York Region Islamic Society and they own the Newmarket mosque. That's where the confusion arises."

Bangash, the imam at a Richmond Hill mosque, has been castigated by some Muslims and politicians for his stridently anti-Israeli views and for advocating Iranian-style theocracy.

The public meeting, "House of Worship or House of Terror," was put on by a group called Concerned Citizens Against Terror for Citizens of Newmarket, and drew about 40 people. Two of the people behind the meeting were Ron Banerjee, director of the Hindu Conference of Canada, and Meir Weinstein, Jewish Defence League Canada national director.

Banerjee warned that Bangash was a "clear and present danger to the safety and security" of Canada.

Weinstein noted that "we have no problem with a mosque. We do have a problem with an individual who makes certain statements."

John Thompson, president of the Mackenzie Institute think tank, said Bangash is "dangerous" because he espouses the creation of an Islamic state modelled after Ayatollah Khomeini's regime.

"I am troubled about him" because of Bangash's writings in a publication known as Crescent International where he promotes Sayyd Qutb, one of the architects of modern Jihad.

Despite his comments, Thompson appeared to regret his decision to accept Banerjee's invitation to attend the meeting because of Weinstein's Jewish Defence League association. Had he known Weinstein was there, Thompson said, he would have "called in with the flu."

Brian Patterson, a member of the public who attended, castigated the organizers for "stirring the pot," as they were not citizens involved in the community, which was handling the issue in its own way.

Ahmed said he was disappointed the mosque was not represented at the meeting.

"All they're doing is gathering a bunch of like-minded individuals. They've already made up their mind about the mosque and our congregation."

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"The planning for our mosque has been approved," Ahmed said. "We've met all of the planning requirements. There was a lot of controversy raised. And we opened up the communication to the local community, the residents and we have overcome that controversy."

Ahmed said he does not share Bangash's views.

"Our mosque operates on a simple basis that there's no room within our mosque for any views that go against tolerance diversity or inclusiveness.

"The views attributed to him (Bangash) are his personal political views and it's up to him to defend them."

Bangash said yesterday he would not attend the public meeting.

"It's been called by people who are going to be speaking all kinds of things against me," he said.

"They're just going to continue to misrepresent my position."

Commenting on criticism for his anti-Israeli views, Bangash asked:

"I would like to know exactly what they mean by that. If they say that I am critical of Israeli policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians or critical of Israeli invasion of Lebanon I accept that.

"I have criticized Israeli policy vis-à-vis the treatment of Palestinians. But that's what (former U.S. president) Jimmy Carter has done as well."

As for an Iranian-style theocracy, Bangash said: "Of course, I am suggesting not necessarily an Iranian-style theocracy but I am advocating that people in the Muslim world should get rid of their corrupt regimes in the same way as the people of Iran got rid of the corrupt regime of the shah, of course."


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'Town hall' targets Newmarket mosque
Jewish group leading protest has checkered past of its own
Tom Blackwell, National Post

NEWMARKET - A mosque planned for the Toronto-area suburb of Newmarket was labelled a potential "house of terror" yesterday at a meeting partly spearheaded by the Jewish Defence League, whose members in other countries have themselves committed terrorist acts.

Meir Weinstein, the militant league's Canadian head, helped put on the "town hall" session to raise questions about the Newmarket mosque's connections with Zafar Bangash. The controversial imam has promoted sharia law and vigorously defended Iran's fundamentalist regime and Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist movement.

But Mr. Weinstein found himself on the defensive at the meeting over his own group's sometimes violent past, his allegations that Mr. Bangash is under watch by CSIS and suggestions a local politician may have taken a bribe from the Muslim congregation.

"I don't think he has any credibility at all," said Brian Patterson, a Newmarket resident, after an angry exchange with the league head. "To suggest at a public meeting that any public official in this town has taken a bribe without any evidence of that is outrageous."

Mr. Bangash is president of the Islamic Society of York Region, of which the new mosque forms part, and he advocated on behalf of the religious facility initially. But the mosque's leaders have since said he is not directly involved in the project.

Ansar Ahmed, a spokesman for the mosque, said yesterday's meeting would only inflame emotions after the mosque worked hard to allay the concerns of Newmarket residents and politicians.

"We're extremely disappointed," he said. "They are playing on the fears and anxieties that have arisen around this issue. They've obviously made up their minds about the Newmarket mosque and Muslims in the community." He said Mr. Bangash clearly has "very provocative" views but the mosque does not in any way align itself with those opinions.

The event marked another step in the recent resurgence of the Jewish Defence League (JDL) in Canada, six years after two U.S. members were charged with plotting to bomb a mosque and the offices of a Lebanese-American congressman.

Mr. Weinstein and other speakers at the forum said they are afraid Mr. Bangash, even if not directly involved, will influence the mosque and could radicalize its young members, raising the prospect of home-grown terrorism.

"We have no problem with a mosque," Mr. Weinstein told the audience of about 30 people in a hotel basement. "We do have a problem with an individual who makes such comments. "If, God forbid, an Islamic state ever came to fruition in this country, we would be doomed. Is that what you want in this country?"

The event was titled "House of Worship or House of Terror," and featured as its main speakers Mr. Weinstein, Ron Banerjee of the Hindu Conference of Canada and John Thompson, a terrorism expert with the Mackenzie Institute think-tank. No Muslim speakers were invited.

Mr. Thompson, who did not comment directly on the Newmarket mosque, said most Muslim-Canadians are upstanding citizens but that radical imams such as Mr. Bangash have managed to gain influence over some young, second-generation members of the community.

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Pertinent Links:

1) Newmarket mosque meeting `one-sided'

2) 'Town hall' targets Newmarket mosque