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Alleged terrorist not that 'type of guy,' say schoolmates Jeffrey Hawkins / CanWest News Service; National Post | June 8 2006 TORONTO - Students at Stephen Leacock Collegiate in Toronto were on edge Tuesday as reporters continued to search for information about a former student and two alleged terrorists. Speaking on condition of anonymity, some students said they were ''completely shocked'' by the allegations against Amin Mohamed Durrani. ''He's just not the type of guy that the media says he is,'' said a student, who said he was a close friend of Durrani. Most students declined to speak to reporters as per the instructions of watchful school officials. However, those who did said the allegations against Durrani, 19, ''just don't make sense.'' He has been charged with training and recruiting for a terrorist group. ''I never heard him talking about 9/11 or anything like that,'' said another student. However, those who said they know Durrani recalled the topic of terrorism and American politics came up in casual conversations since the terrorist attacks. ''But I don't remember Amin talking,'' said one female student. ''If people started talking about 9/11, it would come from someone else and he would just stay quiet.'' Other students recall the conversations as being very anti-American when Durrani was surrounded by a small group of teenage Muslims. Two members of this group, described by students as ''a grade or two'' behind Durrani, are also in custody facing terrorism-related charges. Fellow classmates say they noticed a change in Durrani towards the end of 2005 when he ''stopped looking like the rest of us'' and started hanging out with this close group of friends. Preferring to wear more traditional Muslim garments, Durrani also started to skip class to pray with his friends at a nearby musalla, an informal place of worship, called Musalla-E-Namira. ''But I don't think that was a bad thing'' said one of his former classmates. ''I think he just wanted to be around people that he was starting to identify with.'' Calls placed to the musalla were not returned. The entrance to the musalla was locked Tuesday with a hand-written note attached to the door stating: ''Evening classes will be cancelled this week.'' ---------------------------------------------------
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