Toronto: Three Young Muslim Boys Arrested for ‘Terrorism,’ But We Have Questions.

Toronto Police are renowned for their effectiveness, and the RCMP is equally respected. As Canadians, we take comfort in knowing that our security is in capable hands. However, the aim of this report is not to criticise the recent actions of the police and RCMP in arresting three young Muslim boys on terrorism-related charges. Instead, we aim to present the information clearly for better understanding, while also addressing three important questions we are grappling with.

Question 1: Why is a Muslim immediately labelled a ‘terrorist’ for legal infractions, while non-Muslims face a higher threshold for the same label? Are authorities too quick to apply these labels due to a post-9/11 mindset that associates any crime by a Muslim with terrorism? Or is it easier to imprison a Muslim without bail if they can be charged with terrorism? More troublingly, has this become the default charge whenever a Muslim is involved?

We ask these questions because, before any established link to terrorism or ISIS, the three accused—26-year-old Waleed Khan, 19-year-old Fahad Sadaat, and 18-year-old Osman Azizov—were under investigation for attempting to kidnap a young woman on May 31. This investigation began way before the ISIS-related Bondi attack in Australia. The kidnapping attempt failed when a passing motorist intervened. Although the act is undeniably criminal, we must question why three supposed ‘fully-armed‘ ISIS terrorists would attempt to kidnap a woman in public and run away when challenged? The nature of the incident suggests more of a boy gang playing at being criminals rather than a professional ISIS operation.

Additionally, the same three boys later attempted to “lure” two young women into a waiting Audi SUV on June 24. The women escaped again, aided by passersby. Were these boys common criminals looking for female companionship, or were they serious terrorists? There is a significant difference between the two. We await further information from the police and the Crown as the case progresses, but currently, these troubling questions linger.

Question 2: Why were these arrests perceived as a simple kidnapping incident before the Bondi event, yet later characterised as a full-blown ISIS operation? Is this an effort by the police to reassure specific segments of the population about their commitment to safety? Alternatively, could it be a strategy by vested interests to keep the Canadian Jewish community feeling unsafe and distracted from the realities of the violence being conducted under their name thousands of miles away? We remember the recent mezuzah incident, where decorative items belonging to a few Jewish seniors in North York were stolen. The press had a field day characterising the incident as a major hate crime. Strangely, the culprits were never identified. Perhaps, there were no cameras in the building. Or the entire street. It’s possible, you see.

Or, is this, perhaps, an instance of the good old Hasbara in action—an effort to shift the narrative from the genocide in Gaza to the ‘plight’ of a ‘threatened’ Jewish community living in Canada, scared for their lives? We have all seen this before, right?

Question 3: Waleed Khan was arrested for the kidnapping incident on August 18, at which time he was already on probation for previous offences, including weapons charges. No connection to ISIS was mentioned initially; why is it now? Was he previously associated with ISIS, or did that association develop later? Furthermore, what about the other two boys? They had no weapons charges or prior offences reported. Why are they being grouped with Khan as ‘ISIS-related’? Or are they being charged with lesser crimes?

We hope that as this case progresses, the public will receive more clarity. But for now, I have to be content with my 66-year-old French-Canadian neighbour’s quip: “Don’t call me a conspiracy guy, but when you put up the Palestinian flag on your city hall, and that Chow lady goes around calling the Gaza genocide a genocide, you are poking the mama bear, saying that you are not afraid. Well, you should be. That mama bear has a lot of little bears everywhere. They will make sure they put that fear right back in you.”

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