Antisemitic violence in Europe, much like the mob that attacked Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam early November, used to feel as if it were both a figurative and literal ocean away. However, with increasing frequency, it has felt like the metaphorical distance separating this European chaos from Canada has been shrinking.
The illusion that Canada was immune from the antisemitism plaguing Europe’s metropoles has been dissipating for some time. After Nov. 22, when a crowd of anti-Israel radicals rioted in a downtown Montreal anti-NATO protest, the myth has been completely dispelled.
As municipal authorities lost control of the situation, masked, keffiyeh-clad demonstrators chanting violent slogans vandalized private property, set fire to cars along the street and assaulted police officers. The scenes were remarkably reminiscent of Amsterdam earlier in November, although the Montreal riot did not receive nearly as much international media attention. Canada is not Europe, but our country is experiencing similar problems. By failing to act decisively against the threat of extremism, our leaders have enabled radical maximalists to thrive.
B’nai Brith Canada has previously warned our leaders of the dangers of ignoring the rising levels of incitement and indoctrination fueling the growth of extremism. We advocated for the government to, for example, take measures to prevent radicalized individuals from entering the country and to mitigate the ease with which those residing in Canada were able to access extremist content online. Unfortunately, our leaders have repeatedly failed to heed our warnings, allowing antisemitism and other aspects of extremist ideologies to spread rampantly.
Contrary to what some Montreal officials have claimed since the riot in the city on Nov. 22, the demonstration was not hijacked by professional agitators or anarchists. Social-media accounts associated with anti-Israel organizations, including “Montreal for Palestine,” elicited support in advance of the rally. Those behind these accounts fomented the unrest, as is evidenced by their brazen online glorification of the illegal acts that transpired during the riot.
Various politicians have accurately described certain aspects of the riot as antisemitic. There is little doubt, for example, that one participant, Mai Abdulhadi, committed antisemitic acts. She appeared to direct Nazi salutes at Jewish counter-protesters and said a “final solution” was coming their way, in a clear reference to the Holocaust.
But it is worrisome that some — including the city’s mayor and police chief — cannot grasp that pathological antisemitism and ideological extremism were underlying features of the riot.
Much like the experience of our European counterparts, Canada has been unable to successfully integrate large populations of recent immigrants into the fabric of its society. Youth from within newcomer communities are especially vulnerable to the insidious influence of radical ideologies. They are taken advantage of and indoctrinated by radical ideologues who manipulate them.
Our leaders have done little to counteract those peddling extremist dogma, including Montreal’s Imam Adil Charkaoui, who escaped criminal charges after “praying” for the “extermination” of Zionists at a large rally last year. The same can be said for Sheikh Younus Kathrada, the Victoria based religious extremist who continues to operate an organization for Muslim youth despite his well-noted history of promoting hate and counseling violence.
Only days after the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, the McGill Muslim Students’ Association was permitted to host an event on campus featuring Iyad Abuhamed. Abuhamed, who has shamefully urged his followers to wage “jihad” and praised the acts of listed terrorist entities, was given the opportunity to incite and indoctrinate students.
Canada is a multicultural society, but we risk falling into a paradox of tolerance when we fail to inoculate ourselves from the threat posed by those who reject our morals and values in favour of those advanced by totalitarian regimes and religious fanatics. Like any program of inoculation, to prevent the virus of extremism from overwhelming our society, we must prioritize protecting those who are most vulnerable to infection. This means taking concrete steps to ensure that the next generation of Canadians are immune from the dangers of radical indoctrination.
National Post
Richard Robertson is the director of advocacy and research for B’nai B’rith Canada.