— Feature, Musings —01.08.2024 12:25 PM
My latest: it’s terror.
It’s terrorism.
The firebombing of a Jewish business in Toronto last week, that is. The attack on International Delicatessen Foods (IDF) – and the FREE PALESTINE scrawled on its exterior wall by the firebomber(s) – literally meets every available definition of terrorism.
The Canadian Department of Justice defines terrorism in this way: “Section 83.01 of the Criminal Code defines terrorism as an act committed ‘in whole or in part for a political, religious or ideological purpose, objective or cause’ with the intention of intimidating the public ‘…with regard to its security’.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines terrorism similarly: “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations.”
Police were called to IDF, located on Steeles Avenue near Keele Street, at 6 a.m. last Wednesday. The inside of the deli was ablaze. No one was inside the delicatessen at the time – thankfully.
Some media downplayed the significance of the crime. The CBC’s headline read: “North York fire being investigated, no injuries reported.” Well, no. It was a bit more than that, CBC. Ask City Councillor Mike Colle, who was the first to bring the attack to the attention of many, on social media.
Said Colle in an interview: “This crosses the threshold. This is a terrorist act.”
And it is, by any accepted definition (see above).
Toronto police – like the CBC – have had a tendency to treat these criminal attacks as mere cases of mischief. That, for example, is how police initially treated the November 10 attack on a Bloor Street Indigo bookstore owned by a Jewish businesswomen, Heather Reisman. “Mischief.”
Only later did police and prosecutors elevate the charges against the 11 accused, to criminal harassment, a more serious charge. But the minimizing – the shrugging – about actual terrorism continues, with police and some media.
On Monday morning, for example, the Toronto Star ran a dishonest three-byline front-page story about the bookstore attack, headlining that it was mere “vandalism,” and extensively quoting an academic who whinged that charging the 11 “indicates a particular hostility and intolerance for these methods when they are done in support of Palestinian human rights.”
Mike Colle, for one, is fed up with the minimizers. He’s fed up with the shrugs. What happened at IDF is terrorism, he says. Call it by its right name.
“If we don’t treat this as an act of terror,” he says, “we’re going to have more of these vile acts taking place.”
So, Colle and fellow Councillor James Pasternak are having a press conference at IDF this afternoon – to demand that police treat the attack as terrorism. And to hammer the provincial and federal governments for not doing enough to combat surging anti-Semitic crime.
“Where are the province and the feds?” Colle thunders. “They’re completely missing in action!”
And they are. So, increasingly, are the police who are paid to enforce the laws that are passed by Ottawa and Queen’s Park. They’re missing in action, too – except, perhaps, to serve coffee and doughnuts to pro-Hamas types blocking access to and from the 401. An event that caused headlines around the world, and will forever bring shame on the Toronto Police Service.
The minimizing, the shrugging, continued on the weekend: police permitted pro-Palestinian thugs to break up the mayor’s skating party, and scream curses at an elderly couple, there simply for a skate. No charges. No arrests.
We need more politicians like Mike Colle and James Pasternak, who know what is really happening, and what to call it.
Which is terrorism.
Leftist leaders don’t want to call it terrorism. They prefer to send out for coffee and donuts.
Today Justin Trudeau and his team are in Toronto. The PM’s schedule says, “The Prime Minister will deliver remarks at an event to commemorate the Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 tragedy.”
Apparently to Justin it wasn’t a terrorist act, it was just a tragedy. No word if they’ll be serving coffee and donuts.
Will Justin declare IRGC a terrorist group? Or does he admire Iran’s basic theocracy?
Today Justin Vacillator Trudeau did what he does best; spout some word salad and then do nothing.
“We will continue our work, including continuing to look for ways to responsibly list the IRGC as a terrorist organization.”
Who’s working on this? McKinsey?
This is what happens when Leftists are in charge. Yeah, I said it.
Having said that, I am very disappointed in Premier Ford…..I would have expected better of him.
But I suppose he follows the votes…..same for M. Trudeau, Mr. Dhaliwal, Mr. Eby, Olivia Chow, et al.
Many Leftists were all for keeping us out of the fight against fascism in WW II…..It was only when their sacrosanct Soviet Union was attacked by the Nazis, did they wholeheartedly get on board.
I see history repeating itself with a certain other kind of fascism raising it ugly head in Canada and around the globe.
Those on the Left should remember the history of the Iranian revolution. Leftists supported the Ayatollah Khomeini in his bid to remove the Shah. When this was accomplished, he turned on his would be allies, and eliminated them all.
Leftists will continue to look the other way, while these acts of terror continue, until it is themselves who are under attack.
I note that Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler, thus paving the way for Hitler to invade Poland in 1 Sept 1939. Stalin invaded Poland on 17 Sep 1939.
I am sickened by what is happening right now. To put things in perspective: would the apologists be minimizing these incidents if the targets were Blacks and the perpetrators were the Ku Klux Klan? Imagine: a Black-owned business was firebombed by the KKK and the police dismissed it as “mere mischief”. Or a group of KKK members blocked an overpass near a predominantly Black neighbourhood and police officers brought them coffee and donuts. I never thought I would say this but right now, I’m ashamed to be Canadian.
Great article in the National Post on the weekend about this very thing – and the direct connection to the Trudeau government’s messaging in the post-national vein.
As noted in the NP article, Canada is not a country that should be proud of itself. Instead, it is a country that needs to be in a perpetual state of shame and apologizing. We proclaim loudly that Canada is full of racism, and our founders were all racists (thus necessitating re-naming of countless streets and universities), and we have committed “genocide”, and so on and so on. With that, how can anyone feel they should abide by the laws or moral direction of our apparently-horrific country?
The concluding statement of the NP article is worth heeding: Newcomers and Canadian-born citizens alike need a national — not post-national — identity to unite around. If Canadian pluralism is to survive, our culture needs to do more than celebrate empty notions of diversity and relentlessly litigate racial grievances.
Warren,
Chow should be smart enough to figure out that her inaction is the precursor to all of one-term. The average Joe and Jane are becoming increasingly impatient and pissed. Hence, the TPS apology for playing caterer to terrorist sympathizers.
They issued an apology?….I’ll have to find that.
I will admit that I was so angry with the TPS that evening I phoned their non-emergency line and put in a request for Chinese food to be delivered.
The receptionist wasn’t exactly pleased, but I thought I had made my point.
Of course Ms. Chow made no mention of Hamas cheerleaders harassing skater’s at the Mayor’s skate party on the weekend. Her silence is telling, and as you say, it may come back to bite her in the behind. I for one, hope it does.