We sure hope someone is still keeping an eye on Daniel Khoshnood.
The 33-year-old has just returned to Toronto from a three-year stint in a British Columbia jail on charges he threatened to harm his parole officer. He was arrested in June 2022, right after his 10-month terrorism peace bond had expired.
“I was never a threat to public safety or national security,” Khoshnood insists.
Well, the RCMP would beg to differ.
According to allegations by the RCMP’s Integrated Security Enforcement Team, a search of Khoshnood’s phone found “a large amount of material that could be used to carry out a terrorist attack, including multiple bomb-making guides, extremist ideological material, violent propaganda videos depicting murders, as well as captured conversations wherein Khoshnood identifies himself as an extremist.”
“I practise Islam. I don’t think I’m an extremist. I’m not harming anybody,” Khoshnood said in an interview.
Khoshnood said his phone had copies of al-Qaeda’s online Inspire Magazine, the radical Islamist publication, and videos from the Taliban, al-Qaeda and ISIS.
“These videos are public knowledge and spread on social media and other websites. It’s not illegal to have them,” he maintained. “Also, I like to study political science and see the other side and what they have to say.”
At the time, Khoshnood said, he was probably expressing his support for the Taliban.
“The war and invasion of Afghanistan was unjust,” he claimed. “Allah defeated and humiliated those that invaded Afghanistan.”
At first, Khoshnood said, the RCMP was telling him what a good guy he was and trying to convince him to turn on his friend Kevin Omar Mohamed, whom he met at the mosque after his release from prison in 2019 for participating in a terrorist group.
“When they realized I wasn’t going to work with them, they turned on me,” he complained. “That’s kind of snaky to me.”
In August 2021, Khoshnood was placed on a 10-month terrorism peace bond with conditions that he wear an ankle bracelet, agree to a driving ban and attend a “deradicalization” program.
Khoshnood said he did the program but maintains he wasn’t radicalized to start with.
His criminal record is long and includes robberies and shooting a man with a pellet gun.
“I grew up rough on the streets of Toronto and was involved with some shady people,” he admitted.
After Kingston Pen was shut down, he was shipped out to B.C. to finish his sentence and it was there that he allegedly threatened to harm the guards. Their addresses were found on his phone after his release in 2019, so he was charged with intimidating a peace officer after the expiry of his peace bond and extradited back to B.C.
“I just pled guilty to get out,” Khoshnood said.
He’s put the street life behind him, especially after converting to Islam in 2013. He follows a strict interpretation of the religion and only believes in Sharia law, rejecting Canadian “secular and fake man-made,” law.
Khoshnood believes Canada should be a Muslim country – “100%” – and homosexuality should be banned.
He also thinks women shouldn’t be allowed to be seen partying at nightclubs or out wearing anything but modest dress.
“I just can’t accept that,” Khoshnood said.
But he doesn’t believe in attacking “innocent people,” he explained.
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Asked about his feelings on Jews in Canada, Khoshnood said he puts Zionists in the same category as Israel and “we’re at war with Israel; it’s a big enemy of Islam.”
So, what exactly does that mean? Are they legitimate targets? Should jihad come to Canada?
“I’m not going to comment on that. Let’s leave it at that,” Khoshnood said.
Later, he reiterated that he’s working in construction and staying out of trouble.
“I’m not involved with violence or violent groups,” Khoshnood said.
If he doesn’t accept how Canada is run, why does he stay here?
“I would love to get deported,” Khoshnood replied enthusiastically. “I wrote the minister while I was in jail asking him to send me back to my parents’ country – my dad is from Iran. I would renounce my Canadian citizenship.”
If only.