press release - Windsor Islamic Association

Win
ic
1320 Northwood St. Windsor, ON N9E 1A4
Ph: 519-966-2355 www.WindsorMosque.com
sor Isl
am
Windsor Islamic Association
d
association
PRESS RELEASE
On Friday, July 25th, 2014, an article was posted on the National Post Newspaper website, and then later, on the
local Windsor Star Newspaper website, that presented the contents surrounding the case of a Windsor born Muslim,
Ahmed Wassim, who has been suspected of falsifying a passport and traveling to Syria to join the current conflict.
The purpose of this release is to make you aware of the efforts that the Windsor Islamic Association has undertaken
to help avoid such a situation, and to also assure all Canadians that the Windsor Mosque and all its members are
committed to peace and safety for all people, regardless of their religious affiliation.
It is our firm belief that the security of Canada and all Canadians is the inherent responsibility of each and every one
of us, and as a religious organization, we have the utmost duty and obligation to uphold this principle. To further this
end, Windsor Islamic Association has always played a proactive role in the past and continues to do so, with such
initiatives as: the “Partnership for Safety and Security”, that has led to such events as: RCMP and Windsor Police
town hall events, Public Safety Canada forums, and Jr. Law Enforcement Academy. We actively promote and
encourage our community to attend and participate in these events. We believe that these are excellent platforms
for the Windsor Muslim community and respective law enforcement agencies to work together to ensure the highest
level of safety and security for all Canadians.
The Windsor Mosque, along with its governing bodies, has always strived proactively in prevention and elimination
of extremist indoctrinations, violent behaviors or any involvement in unlawful domestic or international conflicts. We
urge every member of our community to resolve all issues in a responsible and peaceful manner with diligent
co-operation of our law enforcement agencies.
The Windsor Mosque has an official documented policy that ensures that no person is allowed to address the
congregation or educate people from a religious perspective, except the Imam and those designated by him or the
Windsor Mosque’s Board of Directors. Persons so designated, ensure that these are consistent with true Islamic
teachings which do not support radical or extreme ideologies.
The news of Mr. Wassim’s alleged involvement in Syria comes with a great deal of surprise to all of us. No member
of this community is known to be a recruiter or a motivator for people to take up armed struggle in Syria or
elsewhere, for that matter. In fact, this notion is firmly discouraged, as it is against the very principles we stand for.
As soon as the details of Mr. Wassim’s case were brought to our attention by the law enforcement agencies, the
Imam along with other Board Members and prominent community leaders actively counseled and encouraged Mr.
Wassim to refrain from getting involved with any armed conflict in Syria and, instead, urged him to become
constructively involved in humanitarian and charitable work.
We confirm our commitment, as we have in the past, to work in partnership with our law enforcement colleagues to
uphold the principles of safety and security of Canadians and to foster the principles of peace, friendship, and unity
for all. For more information please contact our Director of Media and Public Relations, Br. Ronnie Haider at
519-984-6232 or email [email protected]
Sincerely
M. Khalid Raana
President, Windsor Islamic Association.
Dated: July 28, 2014