Mubin Shaikh
{{Short description|Canadian counter-terrorism expert}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Mubinoddin Shaikh
|image = Mubin Shaikh - 2015 (21701239792) (cropped).jpg
|caption = Shaikh in 2015
|birth_date =
|birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|death_date =
|death_place =
|other_names =
|known_for =
|occupation =Counter-terrorism and deradicalization expert
|nationality =
}}
Mubinoddin "Mubin" Shaikh is a Canadian former security intelligence and counter-terrorism operative, who was at one time a jihadist extremist himself. He rose to prominence in his role as a confidential human source in the Toronto 18 case in 2006. {{as of|April 2025}} he is professor of public safety at Seneca College and also a counter-extremism specialist for Parents for Peace, an NGO based in the United States, where he helps to dereadicalize young people caught up in extremism.
Early life and education
Mubinoddin Shaikh was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.{{cite web | title=Undercover Jihadi | website=New America | date=January 7, 2015 | url=https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/events/undercover-jihadi/ | access-date=April 8, 2025}} He attended Quran school as a child as well as public school. At age 14, he joined the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, attaining the rank of cadet warrant officer.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
After an identity crisis when he was aged 19, he recommitted to Islam, and went to Pakistan, where a chance encounter with the Taliban as well as Canadian extremism propelled him into extremism. The 9/11 attacks led him to go to Syria to become involved in the "great jihad", but there he revised his views after being unable to reconcile violence against innocent victims of Islamic terrorism with his Islamic faith.
He then returned to Canada and began his national security operations work.
Shaikh earned a Master of Policing, Intelligence, and Counter-Terrorism from Macquarie University, Australia, in April 2011.{{Cite web|url=https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/graduations-and-ceremonies/about-graduation/graduate-register|title = Find all past Macquarie University awards| website=Macquarie University| quote=Mubinoddin Shaikh: Master of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism conferred on 19-April-2011}}
Career
Shaikh's operational experience originates with his role as an undercover counter-terrorism operative for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) in the 2006 Toronto terrorism case, also known as the "Toronto 18".{{cite web | last=Teotonio | first=Isabel | title=TORONTO 18 | website=www3.thestar.com | date=January 16, 2016 | url=http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006004104/http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.html | archive-date=October 6, 2018 | url-status=dead | access-date=April 8, 2025}} He was active with CSIS for some years domestically, but the details of his activities are subject to national security restrictions and cannot be disclosed to the public.{{Cite web |url=http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/502 |title=In Conversation with Mubin Shaikh: From Salafi Jihadist to Undercover Agent inside the "Toronto 18" Terrorist Group | Bonino | Perspectives on Terrorism |access-date=August 7, 2019 |archive-date=August 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807025507/http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/502 |url-status=dead }}
Shaikh moved on to become a Royal Canadian Mounted Police agent with the Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams when one of the Service investigations uncovered a group of young Muslim men, of various ethnic backgrounds, intending to engage in criminal offences related to terrorism. It is clear from court evidence that the plot was well underway before CSIS had assigned Shaikh to the investigation. The investigation was formally moved from CSIS to the RCMP after Shaikh had verified the information that had been disclosed to him by the subjects of the investigation. After several public hearings (youth preliminary hearings in January 2007, adult preliminary hearings in September 2007, youth trial by judge in 2008, an "Abuse of Process" motion 2009, and a final Jury Trial of 3 remaining accused in 2010) and despite allegations of entrapment, Judge John Sproat, in March 2009, dismissed claims of entrapment and wrote in his ruling that Shaikh was cleared of any wrongdoing and "displayed a great number of the hallmarks of a truthful and credible witness," and that the group's plans were already underway prior to Shaikh's involvement and so could not have been the result of the state abusing its authority.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/03/25/no_entrapment_judge_rules_in_terrorism_case.html|title = No entrapment, judge rules in terrorism case|newspaper = The Toronto Star|date = March 25, 2009}} In total, seven people had charges "stayed" because of the sympathetic testimony of Shaikh. A prosecutor in the case even accused Shaikh of lying to protect the youth accused. The judge, in his ruling, once again sided with Shaikh.[https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2008/2008canlii51935/2008canlii51935.html R. v. N.Y., 2008 CanLII 51935 (ON SC)] canlii.org At the end of the adult trial by jury of the remaining three persons in June 2010, after several others had pleaded guilty, a comprehensive presentation of previously-restricted information including court exhibits entered as evidence, complete with transcripts and video, was put forward by Isabel Teotonio of the Toronto Star.{{cite web|url=http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.html|title=TORONTO 18 - thestar.com|website=www3.thestar.com|access-date=June 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006004104/http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.html|archive-date=October 6, 2018|url-status=dead}} Zakaria Amara wrote a letter of apology{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2010/01/14/apology_read_by_zakaria_amara.html|title=Apology read by Zakaria Amara |newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=January 14, 2010|publisher=}} and Faheem Ahmad gave an interview on his radicalization.{{cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2015/02/14/imprisoned-terror-charges-fahim-ahmad-gives-insight-radicalization/|title=Prison Dispatches from the War on Terror: Confessed Plotter Gives Insight into Radicalization|first=Murtaza|last=Hussain|date=February 14, 2015|publisher=}}
In 2012, with the rise of Islamic State (ISIS), Shaikh was extensively involved in countering ISIS ideology and has presented at numerous conferences as an expert, on his efforts.{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.uml.edu/ctss/2014/07/22/the-tidal-wave-of-foreign-fighters-in-syria-situational-awareness-for-ct-practitioners/|title = The Tidal Wave of Foreign Fighters in Syria: Situational Awareness for Counter-Terrorism Practitioners|date = July 22, 2014}} He has trained military forces directly engaged in the fight against ISIS,{{Cite web|url=https://nsiteam.com/counter-daesh-influence-operations/|title = Counter-Da'esh Influence Operations | NSI}} including being a regular guest speaker with Defense Intelligence Agency{{cite web |url=https://www.dia.mil/News/Articles/Article-View/Article/1891046/former-jihadist-visits-dia-strategic-intelligence-leadership-course/ |title=Former jihadist visits DIA Strategic Intelligence Leadership Course > Defense Intelligence Agency > Article View |website=www.dia.mil |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108023651/https://www.dia.mil/News/Articles/Article-View/Article/1891046/former-jihadist-visits-dia-strategic-intelligence-leadership-course/ |archive-date=2020-11-08}} as well at the United States Air Force Special Operations School. Shaikh is{{when|date=April 2025}} also part of the instructor cadre of Reticle Ventures, made up of former members and leaders of Joint Task Force 2 and other police and security agencies and services.{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3816802/canadian-tactical-officers-association-hosts-open-house/|title = Canadian Tactical Officers Association hosts open house - Kingston | Globalnews.ca}}
In October 2015 Shaikh presented at the UN Event on Preventing Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Atrocity Crimes held in New York City.{{cite web | title=Event on Preventing Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Atrocity Crimes | website=UN Photo | date=1 October 2015 | url=https://media.un.org/photo/en/asset/oun7/oun7211829 | access-date=April 8, 2025}}
In connection to his work on the ISIS Returnee file, Shaikh also had discussions with Abu Huzaifa al-Kanadi,{{Cite web|last1=Baksh|first1=Nazim|last2=Lancaster|first2=John|title=Young Canadian ISIS recruit says he saw violence on scale he could never have imagined|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/isis-canadian-recruit-returns-1.4281860|publisher=CBS News|date=11 September 2017}} who was charged in September 2020 with terrorism hoax, in relation to his claims about having been an ISIS executioner in Syria.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2020/o-division-rcmp-integrated-national-security-enforcement-team-charges-a-man-hoax-relation|title=O Division RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team charges a man with hoax in relation to terrorist activity | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|date=September 25, 2020}}
He has testified as an expert for the United Nations Security Council,{{cite web| url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/expert-haunted-video-year-cutting-teddys-head-50838078| title=Expert haunted by video of 3-year-old cutting teddy's head| first=Edith| last=Lederer| website=ABC News| date=October 31, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102133815/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/expert-haunted-video-year-cutting-teddys-head-50838078| url-status=dead| archive-date=November 2, 2017}} the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs{{cite web| url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?325876-1/hearing-social-media-terrorism| title=Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee - Hearing on Social Media and Terrorism| date=May 7, 2015| website=c-span.org}} with NATO, the National Counterterrorism Center, and Special Operations Command Central and he is an external expert with the Joint Staff SMA for CENTCOM Command Staff.{{cite web| url=http://www.slideshare.net/MubinShaikhMPICTPhDc/usma-soccent-white-paper-final-dec2014-43588913| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216163742/http://www.slideshare.net/MubinShaikhMPICTPhDc/usma-soccent-white-paper-final-dec2014-43588913| archive-date=February 16, 2015| url-status=dead| title=Multi-Method Assessment of ISIL}}
He has also appeared on media outlets such as CNN,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/bestoftv/2014/10/22/colorado-teens-syria-shaikh-interview-newday.cnn|title = Why would U.S. Teens try to join ISIS? - CNN Video|website = CNN| date=October 22, 2014 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/01/13/ctn-mubin-mia.cnn|title = Shaikh: 'This is do-it-yourself terrorism' - CNN Video|website = CNN| date=January 13, 2015 }} CBC,{{cite web | title=Mubin Shaikh | website=CBC | date=October 26, 2014 | url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.2813718 | access-date=April 8, 2025}} ABC,{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/senators-suggest-trolling-terrorists-memes-presidential-campaign-staffers/story?id=30876720|title=Senators Suggest Trolling Terrorists with Memes, Presidential Campaign Staffers|website=ABC News}} and NBC{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/is-this-the-new-normal-725974595970|title = Is this the new normal?|website = NBC News}} MSNBC, on matters related to extremism and terrorism.{{Cite web|url=https://www.msnbc.com/up-w-steve-kornacki/watch/how-westerners-enter-into-extremism-321341507616|title=How Westerners enter into extremism|website=MSNBC}}
{{as of|April 2025}} Shaikh is professor of public safety at Seneca College and also a counter-extremism specialist for Parents for Peace, an NGO based in the United States.{{cite web | title=Mubin Shaikh | website=Parents For Peace | date=March 12, 2025 | url=https://www.parents4peace.org/our-team/mubin-shaikh/ | access-date=April 8, 2025| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124121341/https://www.parents4peace.org/our-team/mubin-shaikh/| archive-date= January 24, 2025}}
Recognition
Shaikh has been recognized for his work and life in a permanent exhibit in the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.
Publications
Shaikh is a co-author, with counter-terrorism researcher Anne Speckhard, of the book Undercover Jihadi: Inside the Toronto 18 Al Qaeda Inspired, Homegrown Terrorism in the West, published in 2014.{{cite web | last1=Speckhard | first1=Anne | last2=Shaikh | first2=Mubin | title=Al Qaeda Inspired, Homegrown, Terrorism in the West | website=ResearchGate | date=October 24, 2014 | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301956288 | access-date=April 8, 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvo.org/video/mubin-shaikh-undercover-jihadi|title = Mubin Shaikh: Undercover Jihadi}}
References
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External links
{{Commons category}}
{{TorontoTerror}}
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:2006 Ontario terrorism plot
Category:People in counterterrorism