Excerpt:
The room fills up slowly. The 20 or so participants hesitate before entering the basement of Anatolia Islamic Centre in Mississauga. Most of them come to the mosque every day for prayer. This is the first time they are joined by national security officers from the RCMP.
But the meeting today isn't "nefarious," as one officer calls it. Rather, it is the start of six weeks of dialogue between the Mounties and the Muslim community, a small effort to rebuild a relationship that has become strained.
Corporal Steve James starts off the session with a joke. "I want to welcome you and introduce you to the RCMP officers here today," says James. "Don't worry, none of them are here to arrest you."
There is some nervous laughter and a few smiles. This is the first time many here have ever spoken to the police in Canada. Where they are from, police normally don't have a sense of humour.