U of T prof takes the stand in defense of accused terrorist

A leading expert in Islam and University of Toronto professor says texts glorifying jihad seized from the home of one of the so-called Toronto 18 do not advocate violence against Canadians.

Mohammad Fadel, a law professor at U of T, is the final defence witness at the sentencing hearing for 22-year-old Saad Khalid.

Khalid has pleaded guilty to taking part in a domestic terror plot that involved plans to detonate bombs at a number of high-profile targets over three days.

Fadel told a Brampton, Ont., court today the five documents found on Khalid’s laptop and on a memory card in his bedroom are simply moral arguments, not legal decrees that must be followed.

Even the most "incendiary" text, one that singles out the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, only calls for Muslims to donate money to the Taliban and pray for victory.

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It’s expected final submissions at the sentencing hearing will begin Friday.

- The Canadian Press