BRAMPTON, Ont. - An accused terrorist's moral objections to an attack in Canada and the loss of innocent life were placated by a religious ruling from his father, who decreed that if civilians happen to die "then that is their destiny," court heard Tuesday.

Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, is alleged to be a member of the so-called Toronto 18 terror plot and has pleaded not guilty to participating in a terror group and intending to cause an explosion. He and 17 others were charged in a plot to wreak havoc and bomb the Toronto Stock Exchange, a CSIS building and an Ontario military base in 2006.

A former friend turned informant testified in Abdelhaleem's trial for a second day Tuesday, telling court that Abdelhaleem had qualms about carrying out a terrorist attack on Canadian soil and sought the advice of his father, Tariq Abdelhaleem, an engineer who ran an Islamic school.

Abdelhaleem's father issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, that such action would be "acceptable," Shaher Elsohemy testified.

"If civilians happen to be there then that is their destiny," Elsohemy said Abdelhaleem's father told his son.

"By obtaining this fatwa things are clear for (Abdelhaleem) now... He has no doubts about the Islamic correctness."

Abdelhaleem at times had various suggestions for the plot, such as spreading the three bombs over three days instead of detonating them all on the same day, Elsohemy said. By the fourth day, Elsohemy recalled Abdelhaleem as saying, people would be afraid to even leave their houses.

Court has heard that Abdelhaleem's alleged view of the plot differed from that of Zakaria Amara, a man who pleaded guilty to his leadership role in the plot in October, and who wanted to exact "maximum casualties."

Abdelhaleem argued the stock exchange bomb should be set off at 6 a.m., when fewer people were around, whereas Amara thought it should happen at 9 a.m., Elsohemy testified.

Elsohemy, who was paid more than $4 million by the RCMP to be an informant, told court Monday that Abdelhaleem at first challenged the "Islamic correctness" of such acts of terrorism, but became excited at the prospect of profiting financially from them.

At one point Abdelhaleem told Elsohemy that Amara wanted to add "metal chips" to the bombs, but again Abdelhaleem disagreed with this approach, the informant told court Tuesday.

"That would increase the amount of people that would die as a result of the explosion and that was not his intention," though Abdelhaleem thought it would be "good" if a small number of people died because it would show people they were "not afraid," Elsohemy testified.

Abdelhaleem also floated several other "more logical" targets if the only intention was to kill people, including: Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, Ont., a football or soccer game or poisoning food at a factory, Elsohemy said.

Elsohemy pointed to several conversations in which he said Abdelhaleem talked of obtaining materials, including chemicals and a "junk car," so they could detonate a practice bomb. Abdelhaleem suggested Sudbury in northern Ontario as a possible location and Amara suggested July 1 as a possible date, as their test would be less suspicious with fireworks going off, Elsohemy said.

Elsohemy also revealed that Abdelhaleem was worried about their conversation in a coffee shop being intercepted so he instructed Elsohemy to take the battery out of his cellphone, even though Elsohemy, working as an RCMP agent at that time, wore audio recording equipment at some of their meetings. Abdelhaleem was also concerned Amara might be working for CSIS, Elsohemy said.

Court also heard that many of the meetings at which details of the plot were allegedly discussed took place at rather benign, if not downright Canadian, locations such as: the Canadian Tire gas bar where Amara worked, Second Cup coffee shops and a Swiss Chalet restaurant.

Elsohemy continues his testimony Wednesday.