A second hate crimes investigation has been launched against former UTM student Salman Hossain for his writings on a website called Filthy Jewish Terrorist.
Police are probing Hossain’s postings on the Arizona-based site on which he insults Jews, Christians, and moderate Canadian Muslims.
The Bangladeshi-Canadian blogger claimed that “terrorism is typical Jewish behavior.” He blamed Jews for attacks such as the Toronto 18 bomb conspiracy (which was planned by Islamic extremists), and used terms such as “diseased and filthy,” “the scum of the earth,” “psychotic” and “mass murderers” to describe the Jewish people as a whole. Hossain also wrote that “a genocide should be perpetrated against the Jewish populations of North America and Europe” and urged for this to be done soon.
Hossain first came under investigation in 2008, when he wrote that “Canadian soldiers on Canadian soil who are training to go to Afghanistan or Iraq are legitimate targets to be killed […] If we could have enough of our soldiers killed, then we’d be forced to withdraw from Afghanistan.” According to police, Hossain also claimed he worshipped at a Mississauga mosque with the ringleader of the Toronto 18 terrorist group, reported The National Post newspaper last Wednesday.
Charges were laid against Hossain, but Ontario officials decided not charge him with hate crimes partly because he was undergoing rehabilitation, said the same National Post article.
Hossain’s 2008 call for the death of Canadian soldiers caused quite a stir at UTM, where students clamoured for his dismissal from UTM and formed a Facebook group to that effect. A panel composed of UTMSU members, UTM professors and officials and UTM students met to address the controversial writings and the issue of free speech.
Hossain is now a student at York University, a place he describes as having “tons of Jews.” York University announced last week it was taking steps that could result in Hossain’s suspension.
Canada’s hate crimes law prohibits supporting or promoting genocide, as well as the communication of statements—other than in private conversation—that willfully promote hatred against an identifiable group.
