A woman leaves the Al-Huda madrassa, or Islamic religious school, in Mississauga, Ont., on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015. The Canadian branch of an Islamic foundation distanced itself Monday from the woman who carried out last week's mass shooting in California following reports she had attended one of the group's schools in Pakistan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank GunnThe Canadian Press
An Islamic organization based in the Toronto area says it has called for police support and closed its doors for a day amid fears of potential "backlash."
The Al Huda Institute Canada announced Tuesday it took these measures following media reports alleging that some of its past students had developed ties to violent extremists.
The Canadian branch, based in Mississauga, and its parent organization in Pakistan host study groups about ultraconservative Islam that have been designed mostly for women.
There is no allegation that Al Huda's leaders ever espouse violence. The group's organizers say they are shocked by reports that some former students have gone in that direction.
Reports emerged Monday that one of the San Bernardino shooters, Tashfeen Malik, had once attended the courses offered by the Al Huda Institute in Pakistan. The married mother of a six-month-old baby was gunned down by police last week, after serving as part of a husband-and-wife shooter team who massacred 14 people in California.
Later Monday, CBC reported that several young Canadian women who had briefly studied at the Al Huda Canada branch have tried to join Islamic State extremists in Syria.
Organizers at the school say they do not know this to be true. They insist that they should not be blamed for the actions of extremists who may have once passed through the school.
"Al Huda Institute Canada would like to be clear that law-enforcement authorities have never brought forward any allegations that four girls associated with the institute travelled to join terrorist organizations, as alleged," reads a statement circulated Tuesday by Imran Haq, the operations manager.
"In addition, the institute has no knowledge as to the identity of these individuals and, as such, cannot confirm whether or not they were enrolled."
The school was temporarily closed on Wednesday, with Mr. Haq saying that media coverage "has put the institute, its staff and students at risk of backlash."
His statement says Peel Regional Police are responding to such concerns.
CBC has said that its reporters learned that "at least" four former Al Huda Canada students have tried to join the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria.
A sister of one such 23-year-old woman told CBC months ago that her sister had taken a few months of courses at Al Huda Canada before travelling to Syria to join extremists there.
Three other young women alleged to be past students were said to be teenagers from Brampton, Ont., who were reportedly intercepted overseas en route to the Turkey-Syria border. Authorities arranged to have them sent back to Canada, according to the CBC.
This aligns with an account that former RCMP Superintendent Doug Best told the National Post last April. At that time, he said his force had made such an intervention to redirect a 15-year-old and two sisters, aged 18 and 19, after their parents filed a missing-persons report with Peel Regional Police.
"Really, there are many that would say that we probably saved the lives of these three young women," said Supt. Best at the time, adding that his force would not be pressing charges.
The CBC further reported that Al Huda Canada school officials relayed to its reporters that the RCMP had once asked them about two other alleged former students suspected of having joined Islamic State.
No identities of any of the young women from Canada have been revealed.
Colin Freeze