City man facing terror charges remembered as typical student
Four years ago, Farah Shirdon was a typical high school student in Calgary. He was friendly and “kind of dorky,” and worked part time at a local movie theatre.
He was the sort of kid who was always trying to make new friends.
But now, Shirdon’s name is synonymous with homegrown terrorism.
On Thursday, Alberta RCMP’s INSET ( Integrated National Security Enforcement Team) charged Shirdon with six terrorism- related offences, including participation in the activity of a terrorist group, and leaving Canada to participate in the activity of a terrorist group.
He is the latest Canadian to face terrorism charges over the Syrian conflict and one of five wanted on outstanding warrants. Hasibullah Yusufzai, Khadar Khalid, John Maguire and Ahmad Waseem have also been charged in absentia, although the latter two have been reported dead by jihadists.
RCMP say they will work with domestic and international partners to bring Shirdon back to Canada to arrest and prosecute him.
Shirdon left Canada on March 14, 2014 to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( ISIL/ ISIS), RCMP said.
“Our investigation showed that Shirdon served a combat role and performed other functions for ISIS such as recruiting, fundraising, encouraging others to commit violence, and spreading propaganda — all designed to enhance the activities of the ISIS,” said Assistant Commissioner Marlin DeGrand, officer in charge of the RCMP’s Criminal Operations in Alberta, in a statement.
A former classmate of Shirdon’s at Lord Beaverbrook High School in Calgary said the 22- year- old was friendly, but appeared to be impressionable.
“He was one of those guys that you talked to and had a friendship in school but did not really hang out with outside of school aside from running into him at parties and such,” said the classmate.
Shirdon faces charges of leaving Canada to participate in the activity of a terrorist group as well as instructing a person to carrying out terrorist activity for the benefit of ISIL. RCMP say he encouraged others to travel to Syria/ Iraq and to send money to ISIL and to commit violence in support of the group.
He is also charged with commission of an indictable offence for a terrorist group, relating to the utterance of threats towards Canada and the United States in a video released by ISIL as well as during an interview with Vice Media.
In April 2014, Shirdon appeared in an ISIL propaganda video where he threatened Canada and the United States and then threw his Canadian passport into a fire.
“Its kind of surreal to see how much someone can change so quickly,” said Shirdon’s classmate, who asked not to be named.
“After we all graduated he kind of disappeared off the map and then all of a sudden my friends and I found the Youtube video of him burning his passport.”
Shirdon is one of five Calgarians who left the country in recent years to reportedly fight with ISIL and other extremist groups. Damian Clairmont, Salman Ashrafi, and brothers Collin and Gregory Gordon are believed to have also taken up arms with extremists.
Clairmont was killed fighting with al- Qaeda- linked rebels in Syria in November, 2012, and Ashrafi is believed to be responsible for a November 2013 suicide bombing attack in Iraq. The Gordon brothers were reportedly killed in combat last year.
“We, obviously, here in Calgary are aware of the history of Mr. Shirdon,” said Michael Zekulin, a terrorism expert at the University of Calgary. Zekulin said the charges against Shirdon demonstrate the RCMP is taking homegrown extremism “very seriously.”
“Will something come of it? I don’t necessarily think so,” Zekulin said. “We don’t even know where Mr. Shirdon is, or maybe he’s been killed. Are they expecting to actually acquire him and try him? I don’t think so.”
Last summer, reports claimed Shirdon had died, but those reports were proven untrue, RCMP said.
Police suspect at least 30 Calgarians have been recruited by foreign terrorist organizations.
“Judging by the interviews and videos I have seen from recent events I don’t see that as being the same Farah we knew in high school,” Shirdon’s classmate said.
RCMP have issued a Canadawide arrest warrant for Shirdon and INTERPOL is expected to issue a Red Notice, which is an international request for co- operation between policing agencies.
“These charges not only demonstrate that the RCMP is taking active measures to investigate and pursue criminal charges against high risk travelers, but also serve as a powerful deterrent message to individuals seeking to travel abroad for terrorist purposes and those already engaged in such activity,” Assistant Commissioner James Malizia, officer in charge of the RCMP’s Federal Policing Operations, said in a release.
“You’re basically closing doors here,” Zekulin said of Canadians who choose to join extremist groups. “If this is a course of action you’re going to pursue, then you have to recognize the consequences. You’re closing doors in terms of the possibility that you can come back.”
After we all graduated he kind of disappeared ... and then all of a sudden my friends and I found the Youtube video of him burning his passport.