Free

Letter from one of the Toronto 18, who is going to be released:

The following letter was written to an Ontario judge by the first person convicted under Canada's terrorism laws for his involvement in the group dubbed the Toronto 18. He was 17 when charged in 2006 and cannot be identified.


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I would like your Honour to know that my goal is to complete my education and obtain employment. I want to complete high school and then college. My focus is on positively contributing to society.

I know that getting an education and finding work is going to be very, very difficult because of my conviction for a terrorist offence. It is hard to imagine anyone that would want to study beside me or hire someone with that type of criminal record.

At times I am concerned about the bad feelings people will have about me because of my record. But all I can hope for is that people are willing to take the time to get to know me and do not pre-judge me. I really hope that even if one person gives me a chance, I will get an opportunity to study and work and show that I am a good person. If no school accepts me, then I will look at all options such as taking classes by correspondence.

If I am given a chance, I promise I will work hard. I, like almost everyone else, want to live a good, peaceful life. I plan to get married one day, have a family and have a good job like an engineer.

I also want the court to know that since being charged, I have thought a lot about my life, and that I want to live a life that does not involve any criminal activity and is free from dependence on others. When I told the probation officer that I have learned and benefited from my time in jail, I only meant that I have come to realize the importance of making my own decisions. I do not want to rely on others in the future.

It has been almost three years since I was charged. I have spent about two years in jail. Since that time I have gone through a lot. I have gone from a teenager to a young man. This has been very stressful for me and my family and I see the harm I have caused to everyone. I would like a chance to learn, achieve and grow as a man.

I am not a violent person and that I do not believe in participating in any acts of violence against anyone. As a convert, I can really understand the importance of being tolerant and accepting of others. My parents and extended family are not Muslim and I love them and do not believe they are deserving of less respect by anyone simply because they are not Muslim. I would not participate in anything that would involve hurting others.

I converted to Islam to have a better life and the sense of belonging to a good community. I am still learning about Islam and I still want to be a good Muslim. I understand that being a Muslim is a way of life that involves living a clean, peaceful life with a focus on prayer and giving back to the community. It also teaches you to stay away from alcohol and drugs. When I converted I was young and learning something for the first time. It took me a while to truly understand new ideas. In the future, I will be sure to learn about religion from people who are good and tolerant.

I will not associate with anyone that has a view of life or religion that does not believe in being a productive and peaceful member of society. Hopefully in the future when my life is on track, I will also speak to young people about the importance of staying away from bad influences.

I shoplifted in the past. I am sorry for that and will not do that again. I don't believe that Muslims are permitted to steal from anyone. That was my bad habit and it is my fault only.

I have spent a lot of time in jail and would like to go home and move on with my life. I miss my family, and my mother is ill. I want to be there for them. I also miss school.

Throughout this experience I have not become angry with anyone. Instead I have focused on living a better life when I am released.