Toronto cops, silent for months, rush to investigate van

Article content

After more than eight months of hateful protests against Jews in our streets, Toronto police were quick to act on Wednesday.

Article content

They announced they were examining a truck carrying a message about Muslims praying in public spaces in Canada.

Forget all the cries of “from the river to the sea” or “only one solution, the Intifada revolution”, the real hatred is that of someone who points out that it is not normal to take over the streets and the public places to pray in Canada.

We have had months of pro-Hamas marches throughout the city since the October 7 terrorist attacks and the Toronto Police Service (TPS) has stood by and watched. There have been Jewish schools destroyed, Jewish businesses attacked, and synagogues vandalized, but what really pushes TPS into action is a van with a political message.

“We recognize the community’s concern regarding a truck displaying Islamophobic messages in Toronto. The TPS Hate Crimes Unit is investigating,” police said online.

Article content

Article content

OK, mind you, calling for death and violence against Jews during a march in the streets of Toronto or during its installation at the University of Toronto’s Tentifada is a good thing. Questioning the practice of Muslims invading public spaces – without permission – to engage in prayer is a hate crime that deserves investigation.

We all see where this is going, Chief Demkiw, you and your force are not enforcing the law equally and are instead seeking to appease the larger demographic.

This isn’t law enforcement, it’s political pandering and, frankly, it’s disgusting.

The truck discussed on social media, which TPS seems to care more about than what is actually happening on our streets, was a combination of words and videos. He asks a series of questions while playing a video before asking people to wake up.

Article content

“Is this Yemen? » asks the message. “Is this Syria? Is it Iraq?

The ad then shows what appears to be Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, filled with hundreds of Muslims bowing down in prayer.

“No. This is Canada. Wake up Canada. You are under siege,” the ad reads.

It has been called racist, bigoted, anti-Islam, an example of Islamophobia and much more. First of all, Islam is not a race, so this cannot be racist and at best we might call it rude.

There is no need for the Hate Crimes Unit to investigate this incident.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play video

If Catholics suddenly began to invade public squares or major intersections without permission for the Angelus, to pray the Rosary or to say mass, you can be sure there would be complaints from the public. Those who complain would not be accused of racism, bigotry or Christophobia, they would be defended in the pages of the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail as defending the separation of church and state.

Article content

Apparently, neither now nor in the future do we need a separation of mosque and state.

You don’t have to agree with the message from the van driving around Toronto to see the problem with TPS and take action on that front. Pro-Hamas protesters drove around a similar vehicle, equating Zionism with terrorism, downplaying Hamas’ role in starting this war, and blaming Israel for all the problems in the Middle East.

They didn’t immediately say the Hate Crimes Unit was investigating, in fact they didn’t say anything.

This is what TPS has been doing for most of the last eight months, nothing. They took people like me, who generally support the police, and made me wonder if defunding them was such a bad idea after all.

It is high time the police did their job without fear or favor.

[email protected]

Article content