Religion played no major role in life of man charged in Edmonton attacks, says human rights activist

One of the few people to have contact with the man charged in last weekend's Edmonton attacks says the accused claims he rarely attends a mosque and religion does not play a major role in his life.

On Wednesday, Edmonton human rights activistMahamadAccord got his first glimpse ofAbdulahiSharif, the man charged with repeatedly stabbing a police officer and hitting four pedestrians with a U-Haul truck.

They spoke via closed-circuit television. Sharifwas in the Edmonton Remand Centre and Accord was at the Elizabeth Fry Centre, run by a charitable organization thatprovides programs and services to people in the legal system.

"There is no mosque he attended regularly," Accord, who runs an advocacy organization called the Taccalusa Institute,said in an interview with CBC News.

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On the screen, Accord said he only had a view of Sharif'sright temple, showing a bruise on his forehead and cheek, injuries police told a news conference had occurred when the truck rolled during a police chase.

Accord, who does not personally knowSharif.said he spoke with him for about 30 minutes, not enough time to ask all the questions he had hopedabout the Somali refugee accused in Saturday's attacks.

"We couldn't find the intent of terrorism," Accord said. "But that's up to the court to prove that."

No terror-related charges

On Saturday night, Const. MikeChernykwas hit by a Chevrolet Malibu outside Commonwealth Stadium, sending theEdmonton police officer flying. The officer was thenrepeatedly stabbed. Hours later, during a police chase downtown, four pedestrians were hit by a U-Haul truck.

Just hours after the attacks, Edmonton police announced they were investigating the incidents as "acts of terrorism," suggesting they believed a flag found in the car that struckChernyk was an "ISIS flag." No terror-related charges have yet been laid.

Sharif, 30, facesfive counts of attempted murder, four counts of criminal flight causing bodily harm, and one count each of dangerous driving and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Police have alleged in a news release that Sharif struck pedestrians intentionally during a vehicle chase but have provided no evidence of that.

Terror experts have saidthat motivation for the attacks will be difficult to prove. But some media outlets and politicians continue to refer toSharifdirectly as a terrorist.In 2015, the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team launched an investigation after receiving a complaint about Sharif's extremist views butconcluded he was not a threat, said RCMP.

A senior government source with knowledge of the investigation says Sharif lived in an Edmonton neighbourhood that is home to several young men who have been radicalized. So far, investigators have no evidence Sharif had any contact with those individuals.

Investigators are now focusing on what kind of world Sharif lived in, and whether he became radicalized. They are extensively searching Sharif's electronic devices for any clues.

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Sharif currently has legal assistance. But Accord said he hopes to securelegal-aid funding for the accused.

"I want to be there to make sure that he receives the support that he needs for his legal defence and for his human rights,"Accord said.

"We live in Canada. Despite the horrendous act he's been accused of, he's been accused, it's not proven in court."

'He's been tried and convicted'

Added Accord: "He's been tried and convicted in the media."

Accord confirmed what others have already suggested, thatSharifdoes not appear to have friends or interactions with the local Somali community. It's a community that has again become the target for a torrent of hate messages on social media due to the actions of one man who shares their ethnicity.

Several representatives of the Somali community swiftly expressed condemnation of the attacks and voiced support for the Edmonton Police Service.

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According to Accord,Sharifis "trying to comprehend the situation he is in" and worried about the toll it might be having on his mother in Kenya. He also has a brother in Toronto. He wanted his relativesto know he wasnot in danger, Accord said.

Sharif has been placed on what appears to be suicide watch. While Accord doesn't think the man is suicidal, he raised concerns about Sharif'smental health and said he hopes the accused will be assessed soon.

Expressed concerns about family, belongings

During their conversation, Accord said, Sharif expressed concerns about his family, belongings and apartment but didn't seem to understand the gravity of the charges he faces.

"What we observed from him is that he has no grasp of reality," said Accord. "We want to know why he never (sought) help. How come someone like him fell through the cracks?"

In September 2014, Accord sent a letter to the prime minister asking for support to prevent theradicalizationof youth. His actions drew criticism from many representatives of Somali community organizations, but four months later a CBC investigation revealed three young men had left Edmonton to join ISIS.

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Revelations about Sharif'spersonal circumstances come alongside new details of the long and arduous journey that eventually led him to Canada.

Sharifcrossed the border into the United States on July 12, 2011, and was almost immediately turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On Sept. 22, 2011, an immigration judge orderedSharifremoved to Somalia, though officials say he had no known criminal history at the time.

ButSharifdidn't check in with the ICE enforcement and removal operations centre in January 2012. He crossed the border into Canada that same year, arriving through a regular port of entry, and obtainedrefugee status, according to Public Safety Minister RalphGoodale.

TheTrudeaugovernment has been attacked for allowing Sharif into the country. But at the timeSharifcame to Canada,StephenHarper's Conservative government was in power and United Conservative Party leadership candidate JasonKenneywas immigration minister. Kenneyhas saidhe tried tightening security screening at the bordersbut was thwarted by the Obama administration.

Accord said, as a Somali refugee, Sharifis likely carrying the trauma of the war-torn nation he fled.

"Physically they're fine but the damage is still there mentally," he said. "That's not something we address."

andrea.huncar@cbc.ca @andreahuncar