Ex-pilot called himself messiah on climate-change mission, day before alleged hijack in Vancouver
The day before the suspected hijacking of a light aircraft triggered a security scare at Vancouver's airport this week, former commercial pilot Shaheer Cassim posted on social media that he was a 'messenger of Allah' sent to save humanity from climate change.
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A 39-year-old man with the same name has now been charged with hijacking, constituting terrorism, over the incident on Tuesday that saw Norad scramble F-15 fighter jets before the light plane safely landed.
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RCMP say the suspect had an 'ideological motive' and allegedly seized control of the plane at Victoria International Airport after threatening a flight instructor, before flying to Vancouver.
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Images posted on social media depicting the arrest of the Cessna's pilot on the north runway of YVR show a bearded man who resembles climate activist Cassim.
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In his Facebook post on Monday, Cassim says he's the 'messiah sent to save humanity from climate change and usher in an era of world peace.'
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He warns of 'abrupt runaway global warming' that will cause humans to go extinct within a few years.
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In 2012, Cassim held a news conference before going on a cross-country bicycle ride to raise awareness for global warming.
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His Facebook profile says he was employed from 2008 to 2010 by now-defunct KD Air, a small airline based on Vancouver Island.
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The airline's former owners, Diana and Lars Banke, said in an interview that Cassim was one of the smartest and best pilots they ever worked with, calling him a fast learner who was highly intelligent.
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But Lars Banke said Cassim left the airline after getting 'bored' and then went to medical school. He also said Cassim believed the world was coming to an end.
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Diana Banke said she was 'very surprised' to hear of Cassim's charges, saying he was quite young when he worked for them and was 'like a kid.'
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'Something would (have to) be going on that's not normal,' Lars Banke said. 'He was, I would say, a caring person.'
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Diana Banke said she remembered Cassim 'doing a really long bicycle trek,' and that he brought a dog along with him.
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Lars Banke said he recalled that Cassim was somewhat interested in environmentalism, but he was unaware of any kind of religious beliefs.
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'He never spoke religion with us,' Diana Banke said.
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Cassim's online posts include musings on religion, climate science, and advocacy for tolerance and peace, including a claim 'the Angel Gabriel appeared before me and gave me a message from Allah.'
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