Police chief's apology over offensive podcast doesn't go far enough: CIJA

Article content

OTTAWA — Deleting a problematic Toronto police podcast that saw uniformed TPS members praising the Oct. 7 terror attacks for increasing converts to Islam doesn’t go far enough to heal the rift with the city’s Jewish community, an advocacy group warns.

In a letter to Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw from Michelle Stock, Ontario VP for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA,) merely deleting the offending podcast doesn’t address why police brass approved it in the first place.

“Its creation and uploading raise important questions about the oversight and appropriateness of its content,” Stock wrote.

“Specifically, the comments made by Const. Farhan Ali and Const. Haroon Siddiqui lead us to question how such remarks were allowed to be published on an approved Toronto Police platform, with both officers in uniform, without a proper review of their potential impact.”

Ali and Siddiqui — both TPS Muslim liaison officers — made questionable comments during the podcast, including praising the Oct. 7 2023 Hamas terror attacks for an increase in converts to Islam and suggesting criticism of hateful anti-Israel protests amounts to “Islamophobia.”

“A lot of people, after Oct. 7, started learning about Islam,” Siddiqui said during the podcast.

“The amount of people reverting to Islam is unbelievable.”

Stock described Siddiqui’s words as “deeply troubling.”

“His comments suggest a positive outcome stemming from the atrocities of that day, an idea that, given the highly politicized nature of the issue and the fact that he is in police uniform, is especially concerning,” Stock said.

Hundreds of Palestinian terrorists unleashed a campaign of kidnappings, murder and sexual assault against Israeli men, women and children on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Over the past year and a half, there has been a significant increase in violence and intimidation directed at Jewish neighbourhoods and communities in Toronto, with protests marked by hateful chants, antisemitic rhetoric, and the brandishing of flags associated with Hamas, a recognized terrorist entity,” Stock said in her letter.

“Constable Ali’s comments fails to acknowledge the intimidation associated with these protests, thus misrepresenting the menacing nature of the demonstrations.”

Chief Demkiw apologized for the podcast, describing TPS’s commitment to protecting Toronto’s Jews as “unwavering.”

Stock said the pair’s comments — made in uniform and presumably while on duty — violate the Community Safety and Policing Act, and questions if their views are shared by Toronto police.

“If not, why was this podcast uploaded under the TPS banner?” Stock asked.

“Were both Constables Siddiqui and Ali off-duty while recording this TPS podcast? If so, why were they wearing their TPS uniform? If not, are they in breach of the regulation cited above? What process was applied to review this content before publishing, and was it properly followed?”

Stock called on Demkiw to launch a formal investigation, and to further clarify what further actions TPS is taking to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume