A native of Toronto, Shaikh is former jihadist extremist who now helps disengage young people caught up in extremism. His journey into extremism began in Canada and eventually brought him to Pakistan. After the 9/11 attacks challenged his extremist worldview, he studied Arabic and Islamic Studies in Syria and deradicalized. Back in Canada, he was recruited by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to participate in several undercover counter-terror investigations. An internationally-recognized expert in violent extremism, he serves as a Professor of Public Safety at Seneca College is the subject of a permanent exhibit at Washington D.C.’s New International Spy Museum.