The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war unleashed by Israel after the bloody Hamas attack has had an impact as far away as Montreal, where police have recorded 36 hate crimes and incidents since October 7th.
From the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel to October 18, 16 hate crimes were reported to Montreal police, four against Arab Muslim communities and 12 against Jewish communities.
Of these, one hate crime occurred during a demonstration.
According to the police definition, a hate crime occurs when a person is physically attacked or threatened because of their skin color or religious belief. Vandalism of an apartment or place of worship through hateful graffiti is also considered a criminal offense.
On Friday afternoon, the Canadian Muslim Forum released a video showing hateful graffiti near the Badr Islamic Center in Saint-Léonard.
A swastika with the inscription “Kill all bastard Muslims” and a drawing of a hanged man were clearly visible.
The forum called on the political class to condemn this criminal act.
Twenty hate incidents were reported to the SPVM, seven against Arab communities and 13 against Jewish communities, for a total of 20.
The hate incident is not a criminal offense but may impact the sense of security of an identifiable individual or group. The distribution of offensive material against a group constitutes a hate incident, the police explain on their website.
The SPVM has not released details of the 16 hate crimes reported in recent days, nor whether any individuals have been charged.
Nevertheless, the SPVM calls on the population to be vigilant.
“We have taken measures and in particular have drawn up a visibility plan around places of worship and other points of interest. Neighborhood Stations (PDQ), in collaboration with different SPVM units, ensure a constant presence in different sectors: Bicycle Brigade, Community Consultation and Rallying Team (ECCR), Cavalry, Support and Specialized Interventions, etc. Hateful gestures are unacceptable and we take them very seriously,” the SPVM told TVA Nouvelles via email.
Anyone who is a victim or witness of such crimes is asked to report the situation by calling 911 or going to a local police station.
– With Hadi Hassin