The London Muslim Mosque has released a statement to the media following Wednesday's incident in Strathroy.
In light of yesterday's events in Strathroy, involving an individual who was previously known to authorities, London's Muslim community expresses its appreciation to law enforcement officials for keeping our community safe.
Aaron Driver came to the attention of London Muslim Mosque over a year ago after he moved from Winnipeg as part of his peace bond. Mosque officials immediately informed the police of his presence and kept the authorities apprised of their engagement efforts.
The London Muslim community prioritizes the safety of all Canadians and efforts were made to engage Aaron with the hope that the warmth of community involvement and engagement might change his perspective. At all times, the police were updated about these efforts, in addition to their own monitoring. While he had wrong views about the world, at no time did any officials with the Mosque know or suspect that Aaron was translating those views into any kind of attack. He did not display any outward signs of aggression.
The Mosque knew of his views, and chose not to turn a blind eye to the problem of violent extremism. We engaged him with the hope of changing his views on Islam and to show him the true, peaceful nature of our religion. We constantly monitored his activities within the Mosque and did our best to keep the authorities engaged with our activities.
The London Muslim Mosque, and the London Muslim community reiterate that Islamic teachings forbid violent acts against innocent people or interfering with the sanctity of life. "With the strongest of language, as a community, we condemn any form of extremist or radical behaviour as being contrary to the teachings of Islam," states Nawaz Tahir, spokesperson for London Muslim Mosque. "Such behaviour has no place in our community, and cannot be tolerated," he added. The Mosque looks forward to further working with authorities and the community to develop new mechanisms to counter violent extremism.
Aaron Driver was killed in a confrontation with police in Strathroy Wednesday.
RCMP say they acted on "credible information" they had received about a potential terrorist threat.
Driver, originally from Winnipeg, had been under a court order since February to not associate with any terrorist organization, including the Islamic State group.
Police say a suspect was identified and the "proper course of action" was taken to ensure no danger to the public.
