Terror train plot: Chiheb Esseghaier's Qur'an demand reveals law/religion collision Chiheb Esseghaier's extreme demand to be judged by the Qur'an, not the criminal code, reflects a tension that often arises in multicultural societies.
He sat silently at first, the camera beaming his image — thick dark beard, wire-rim glasses, an orange prison jumper — from a tiny jailhouse room into a cramped Old City Hall court.
But Chiheb Esseghaier, accused of being part of a terrorist plot, is not one to keep quiet in court. As the Crown attorney and Justice of the Peace discussed his failed attempts to find a lawyer last week, Esseghaier's voice rose above the rest, making clear he would not accept just anyone.
"I cannot take a lawyer who is not able to fulfill my need," he said.