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By Peter Rakobowchuk

Adil Charkaoui said Muslims in Quebec are targets of a “witch hunt” as he blasted a decision by two Montreal CEGEPs to suspend leases granted to his Arabic schools.

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The Moroccan-born Montreal educator who was once accused by Ottawa of being a terrorist and spent several years living under tight restrictions, said Friday his schools were unfairly tied to a group that left the country for Turkey and may have joined jihadist groups in the Middle East.

Collège de Maisonneuve and Collège de Rosemont suspended Charkaoui’s contracts Thursday in the wake of reports that six young Quebecers left the country in mid-January. It recently emerged one of the young men had attended a handful of classes taught by Charkaoui last fall.

Charkaoui said it’s just the latest example of mosques, schools and community centres being targeted.

“In Quebec, right now there is a new form of McCarthyism — a witch hunt led by certain media and it’s the Muslim community that’s taking the rap,” he said, referring to the act of making unfair allegations, without supported proof.