A Saskatoon cheerleading team is not pulling out of a major competition at the West Edmonton Mall despite threats made in a propaganda video by extremist group al-Shabaab.

“From parents and from administration, we were told we can’t live in fear,” said Carolyn Parr-Hillestad, coach of the Bedford Road Collegiate cheer team.

The Saskatoon squad is one of 170 teams still set to compete in the Alberta Cheerleading Association championships, which start March 6. Twelve teams have dropped from the competition since the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group in Somalia released the video last weekend.

The video recounts the Somali terror group’s attack on the Westgate Mall in Kenya in 2013.

“If just a handful of mujahedeen fighters could bring Kenya to a complete standstill for nearly a week, then imagine what a dedicated mujahedeen in the West could do to the American- or Jewish-owned shopping centres across the world?" a man concealed by a headscarf said near the end of the video.

"What if such an attack was to occur in the Mall of America in Minnesota, or the West Edmonton Mall in Canada?"

The cheerleading championships are expected to bring 3,500 athletes to Edmonton from five provinces.

ACA Executive Director Denise Fisher said 12 clubs made the decision to pull out after careful consideration.

"We know that they've taken their decision very seriously. They've consulted with the parents and their clubs and they've made the decisions that they felt were necessary," she told CTV Edmonton.

She said the association is working with mall staff, security and police to ensure the competition is safe for all those who plan on attending. She also confirmed that the mall will be increasing the security and police presence at the event, and the ACA will be hiring extra security as well.

The Bedford Road senior cheer team won the event last year and the squad is hoping to defend the title next weekend.

“Just to be on the team has been such a big thrill for her, so to go to Edmonton with the team is such a big deal for her,” said Liz Letwiniuk, whose daughter competes on the Bedford squad.

According to the United States National Counterrorism Center website “Al-Shabaab is not centralized or monolithic in its agenda or goals.

“Al-Shabaab’s senior leaders are affiliated with al-Qa‘ida and are believed to have trained and fought in Afghanistan.”

The website also says the two groups were merged in February of 2012.

A political science professor from the University of Alberta said he believed the video was al-Shabaab’s way of getting some recognition.

“This is what terrorist groups want, is publicity and recognition,” Tom Butko told CTV News.

He advised people to be cautious but not to let it affect their activities too much.

“Take the threat seriously, be vigilant but I don’t think it should prevent people in any way from going to the mall.”

Several Saskatchewan teams are set to compete in the championship. CTV has yet to confirm if any are planning to drop out because of the al-Shabaab video.

Edmonton police and RCMP said earlier this week there was “no imminent threat” to the West Edmonton Mall.