A man charged with hijacking a light aircraft in British Columbia earlier this week declared himself a "messenger of Allah" sent to warn the world about climate change just one day before the hijacking, according to his social media posts.
Shaheer Cassim, 39, is now facing terrorism-related hijacking charges after allegedly seizing a small plane at Victoria International Airport and flying it to Vancouver on Tuesday.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the suspect had an "ideological motive" and threatened a flight instructor before taking control of the aircraft. NORAD scrambled F-15 fighter jets in response to the incident, which ended without injury when the plane landed safely at Vancouver International Airport.
Images of the arrest taken on YVR’s north runway show a man matching the appearance of Cassim, who is a former commercial pilot and known climate activist.
A day before the flight, Cassim posted on Facebook that he was the “messiah sent to save humanity from climate change and usher in an era of world peace.”
He also warned of “abrupt runaway global warming” that would cause human extinction in a matter of years. “The Angel Gabriel appeared before me and gave me a message from Allah,” he wrote, according to CTV News.
Cassim’s background includes work for KD Air, a small airline that operated out of Vancouver Island before it folded. He worked there from 2008 to 2010.
Former owners Lars and Diana Banke described him as a gifted pilot. “He was, I would say, a caring person,” said Lars Banke, adding that Cassim eventually left the airline after becoming “bored” and pursued medical studies.
Cassim's online activity includes a lengthy blog on Arctic climate change, featuring hundreds of technical posts dating back to 2011. His most recent entry, published on Saturday, is titled: “Will humans go extinct soon?”
He also identifies as the editor of the climate blog and claims to be an advocate for peace, science, and religious tolerance.
Cassim reportedly attended high school in Lloydminster, Alberta, and studied aviation at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. RCMP and federal investigators continue to examine possible motivations and online material related to the case.
