Accused of terrorism, a father and son remained under the radar for years

A father and son arrested in Toronto in late July on suspicion of links to the radical Islamic State group were subject to several security checks between 2017 and 2023. However, that did not prevent the father, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, from obtaining Canadian citizenship three months ago.

That’s according to a document establishing the chronology of the two men’s immigration that was submitted Wednesday by federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc before his appearance before a parliamentary committee.

During his testimony before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, the Liberal minister was repeatedly questioned about Canada’s security screening process, knowing that a video dating from June 2015 allegedly shows the 60-year-old committing a violent act of aggression on behalf of the Islamic State in a foreign country.

Minister LeBlanc, who declined to comment on the video in question, assured that several security services, including the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), have carried out all necessary security checks.

Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, who is of Egyptian origin, was first subjected to security checks when he applied for a temporary resident visa in 2017, using his fingerprints.

Further security screening was then conducted in 2018, when he applied for asylum in Canada.

A second in-depth security screening was conducted in January 2021 before Mr Eldidi was granted permanent residency.

Finally, a third security screening – this one less thorough – took place in November 2023 when the suspect applied for citizenship. Mr. Eldidi was finally granted Canadian citizenship in May 2024.

His son, Mostafa Eldidi, 26, who still does not have Canadian citizenship, was subject to a security check in 2019 when he applied for a study permit with Immigration Canada. That application was denied due to suspicions surrounding his intention to continue his studies in Canada, but the GRC had not however found no match with an existing criminal record.

Another check was then made by the GRC in 2020 when he arrived on Canadian soil from the United States as an asylum seeker.

Mostafa Eldidi had managed to enter the United States in January 2020 using a US student visa.

Our opposition colleagues will exaggerate and fabricate the idea that everyone knew about the existence of a video on the dark web and that the security services missed it, but that is not true.

According to Mr. LeBlanc, There was no information at the time that would have triggered an investigation. on both men.

The same statement was made by Ted Gallivan, vice president of theASFCwho also appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

We are trying to see if there are other examples of this video or if it could have been obtained by other means.he said.

Minister LeBlanc specifies that it is not until June 2024 that the SCRS has become aware of the possible threat to national security posed by [le père] and has taken all measures to assess and mitigate this threat.

The two men were arrested on July 31 by the GRCThey face nine charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for or at the direction of the Islamic State group.

According to the GRCthe father and son were there at an advanced stage of planning a serious and violent attack in Toronto.

Another video, whose release date has not been specified, allegedly shows the two men holding a machete and an axe and pledging allegiance to the jihadist group that was very active in Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2019.

Mr. LeBlanc said he had full confidence in the work of Canadian security services, but claims to have asked Immigration Canada, as well as theASFC and to SCRSof review all information that was available at the time of entry into Canada of the two suspects.

For conservatives, this is a colossal fault in the security check system, accusing the Liberal government of granting Canadian citizenship to a known terroristaccording to them.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller, who is expected to testify before the committee at a later date, said earlier this month he was looking into revoking Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi’s citizenship.

Minister Miller also said he asked his deputy minister to establish the chain of events that led the father to obtain his Canadian citizenship.

I am as disgusted as all the other Canadians.he had indicated a few weeks ago. Canadians deserve answers to their questions.