Fahim Ahmad

Fahim Ahmad has been described by law enforcement and the police as the primary ringleader in the plot and a spiritual leader among the men. His original "second in command" was Zakaria Amara; however he apparently grew disenchanted with Ahmad’s lack of action and broke away. Ahmad’s group became the Scarborough group and Amara’s became the Mississauga group. The widely reported goal of "beheading politicians" originated with Ahmad’s group.

Ahmad was tried simultaneously with Steven Chand and Asad Ansari, and all pleaded not guilty at the beginning of the trial. The jury heard that he had been a ringleader in a group having held two training camps in 2005. The idea of attacking parliament and beheading politicians was attributed to Ahmad. The court also accused him of plotting to attack nuclear stations and power grids. Police agent Mubin Shaikh testified as to the extremist content of the camps and Ahmad's intent and leadership. On May 10, 2010, in mid-trial, jurors learned that Ahmad had changed his plea to guilty.

On October 25, 2010, Ahmad was sentenced to 16 years in prison, with double credit for the four years he had already spent in custody. This was the first terrorism case in Canada to be decided by a jury.

Ahmad was arrested on June 2, 2006. He was charged with receiving and providing terrorist training, and intent to harm or kill with explosives. He was represented by attorney Dennis Edney.

In March 2005, Americans Ehsanul Sadequee and Syed Haris Ahmed traveled to Toronto together aboard a Greyhound bus, to meet with Ahmad, Jahmaal James and another youth, whom they had spoken to online about their mutual interpretations of Islam and jihad. While the group discussed hypothetical scenarios in which North America was attacked, the government noted there was "no imminent danger".

Ahmad organized a training camp in December 2005 and held a second camp the following spring. He also sought a safe house in northern Ontario to use as a hideout. Ahmad claimed to have ordered a shipment of weaponry from Mexico.

In 2004, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) noticed that he had joined Clearguidance.com a year earlier, an "anti-Western" website on which he logged 754 posts.

Ahmad had been under surveillance since 2002, when the 17-year old's internet usage demonstrated that he was in contact with "jihadists in Alberta."

Fahim Ahmad was born in Afghanistan and immigrated to Canada at age 10. He attended Meadowvale Secondary School with fellow suspects Saad Khalid and Zakaria Amara. Friends suggest that he made statements supporting the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Fahim Ahmad (born August 10, 1984) is one of 11 people convicted in the 2006 Toronto terrorism case. He was a ringleader in the group. He was 21 years old at the time of arrest, and married with two children.