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SU grad detained in Saudi Arabia: Son accused of links to terrorist activity

A graduate of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is currently being detained by Saudi Arabian authorities in connection with the arrest of his son in Ottawa on charges of alleged terrorism-related offenses, according to the family.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police raided the home of Syracuse University graduate Mahboob Khawaja on March 29, arresting his son, Mohammad Momim Khawaja, a Canadian citizen, in the first use of Canada’s new antiterrorism laws. On Wednesday, the family received news that Mahboob Khawaja was also being held in Saudi Arabia, where he is a professor at a university in Yanbu.

Mahboob Khawaja received a master’s degree in political science from the Maxwell School in 1981, and a doctoral degree in social sciences in 2000.

‘(Mahboob Khawaja) is fine. There’s no charges or anything like that against him. They were just holding him for questioning,’ Qasim Khawaja, his son, said Saturday after speaking to the dean of the university where Mahboob Khawaja works. ‘They’re going to release him soon, and he’s been treated well. They’re just waiting on some paperwork, they’re going to release him in the next day or two.’

Qasim Khawaja, though, said the effects of the raid and detainment would take longer to address.



‘People have to tell their governments that fear creates hatred,’ Qasim Khawaja said. ‘I don’t know what they’re trying to do. It’s just creating a lot of fear and hatred in society.’

Members of the RCMP searched the home and workplace of Mohammad Momim Khawaja, who was working for the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs as a computer programmer, at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, arresting him at his workplace as well as removing the Khawajas from their home, said spokeswoman Constable Nathalie Deschenes of the RCMP.

Mohammad Momim Khawaja was charged with allegedly participating in or contributing to an activity of a terrorist group in the province of Ontario and at or near London, and will reappear in court Wednesday, according to an RCMP document and Deschenes.

Qasim Khawaja was watching television with his sister when the family home was raided, resulting in their removal while the investigation went on and questioning by the RCMP afterwards for seven or eight hours, he said.

‘My family is OK, and my brother is still being held. Otherwise, things are OK,’ Qasim Khawaja said. ‘We’ll get over it soon’

Qasim Khawaja said the family was shocked at the allegations, and the RCMP was blowing a recent trip by Mohammad Momim Khawaja to London out of proportion. The detainment of Mahboob Khawaja was also a shock to the family.

The Canadian media reported that the raids were in connection with an international operation between the RCMP and Scotland Yard, England’s metropolitan police force, that resulted in the arrests of eight men and the seizure of a half-ton of ammonium nitrate, which is a commonly used bomb ingredient, but Deschenes declined to comment on any such cooperation due to the ongoing nature of the investigation and a court-ordered publication ban on the proceedings.

Because the Saudi work week begins on Saturday and ends on Wednesday, more specific details on the detainment of Mahboob Khawaja were unavailable.

Scrutiny of Mahboob Khawaja’s writings by the Canadian media – including ‘Muslims and the West,’ published in 2000, and several essays including ‘American-Zionist political encroachment in the Middle East’ – began after the arrest of his son, but Deschenes said the writings were not a consideration in the investigation.

‘We are really devastated about these charges coming out for this nice family. We believe that there might be some kind of misunderstanding that’s going to be rectified,’ said Masood Qamar, president of the Pakistan-Canada Association of the Capitol Region. ‘We condemn any kind of terrorism anywhere in the world, and we definitely would like to see whoever is involved in these activities get charged and punished properly. On the other hand, for those who are innocent, we like to see their name cleared.’

Qamar disapproved of the treatment of the Khawajas – specifically the detainment of Azra Khawaja at a grocery store and the removal of Mohsin Khawaja from the University of Ottawa – but said that it was difficult to criticize the actions of the RCMP given the gravity of the allegations.

‘Their mom was crying, and their sister was devastated,’ Qamar said. ‘If (the RCMP) had anything against one of the sons, it would’ve been much appreciated if they took him instead of the whole family.’

According to information included in Mahboob Khawaja’s doctoral dissertation, he was honored for his work in the communications industry in Canada as a third-language radio broadcaster and as an employee of the Public Service Commission of Canada and the Department of Communications. He also received awards honoring his contributions to emergency and humanitarian service, and citizenship.

Jill Leonhardt, director of communications and media relations for the Maxwell School, and members of the faculty declined to comment.





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