Mubin Shaikh

Mubin Shaikh
Born (1975-09-29) September 29, 1975
Toronto, Ontario
Other names none

Mubin Shaikh is an expert on Radicalization, deradicalization, countering violent extremism (CVE), National security and Counter-terrorism. He has testified as an expert for the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (http://www.c-span.org/video/?325876-1/hearing-social-media-terrorism) as well as Subject Matter Expertise with NATO, the National Counterterrorism Center, Special Operations Command Central and is an external expert with its Strategic Multilayer Assessment Team (http://www.slideshare.net/MubinShaikhMPICTPhDc/usma-soccent-white-paper-final-dec2014-43588913) He also appears on occasion as an unpaid contributor on major media outlets such as CNN, CBC, ABC, NBC and others on matters related to extremism and terrorism.

Shaikh is also a PhD candidate at the University of Liverpool, Department of Psychological Sciences, Tactical Decision Making Research Group. (http://www.tacticaldecisionmaking.org/) and co-author of the acclaimed book, Undercover Jihadi.

His 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. He was active with the Service for some years domestically but the details of his activities are subject to national security restrictions and cannot be disclosed to the public. 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 regarding terrorism.

It is clear from court evidence that the plot was well underway before CSIS had assigned Mubin Shaikh to this investigation. The CSIS investigation was formally moved to the RCMP when Shaikh verified the information as disclosed to him by the subjects of the investigation. Following four public hearings; Youth Preliminary Hearings(Jan. 2007), Adult Preliminary Hearings (Sep. 2007) and a Youth Trial by Judge (2008), and despite allegations of entrapment, in March 2009 judge John Sproat dismissed claims of entrapment and Shaikh of any wrongdoing stating in his ruling that Shaikh, "displayed a great number of the hallmarks of a truthful and credible witness" and that the groups plans were already underway prior to Shaikh's involvement and could not have been the result of the state abusing its authority. In total, 7 people had charges "stayed" due to 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.

The full text of Judge Sproat's ruling can be found on the World Wide Web at: http://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2008/2008canlii51935/2008canlii51935.html

At the end of the Adult Trial of a remaining three persons by Jury in June 2010 - and several others having plead 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. It can be accessed at: http://www3.thestar.com/static/toronto18/index.html

Personal life

Shaikh was born at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. He attended Quran school as a child as well as public school and although at age 14, he joined the Royal Canadian Army Cadets attaining the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer, an acute identity crisis led him to Pakistan, where a chance encounter with the Taliban would propel him into extremism. The 9/11 attacks made him reconsider his views and he then spent 2 years in Syria augmenting previous private study of Islamic Studies where he would go through a period of full deradicalization, rejecting extremism and terrorism as an anathema to Islam. He then returned to Canada and began his national security operations work.

Shaikh is a Sunni Sufi Muslim.

Professional Profile

Mr. Shaikh is a member of various academic organizations and since obtaining his Master of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism from Macquarie University is an original member with the Against Violent Extremism (www.againstviolentextremism.org), the Canadian Research Network on Terrorism, Security and Society (http://www.tsas.ca/tsas-expert/mubin-shaikh/) and the Tactical Decision Making Research Group (www.tacticaldecisionmaking.org).

His LinkedIn profile is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mubins

External links

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