Death threats target nine Muslim schools across Canada
Canadian police have launched multiple investigations after nine Muslim schools received an email threatening mass violence against Muslims, prompting increased security around schools and mosques in several cities.
The Muslim Association of Canada, which operates the targeted private schools, reported the threats to local police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after the same message was sent to schools in different parts of the country.
The email contained explicitly anti-Muslim rhetoric and threatened Muslims with deportation or killing. The sender identified themselves as “Jehu, Citizen Vigilante” and claimed that large numbers of Canadians were prepared to take up arms.
The message also referred to an upcoming referendum in Alberta and threatened that Muslims would be “deported or slaughtered” regardless of the outcome.
Hate crime units investigate
Peel Regional Police increased patrols around mosques and schools in the Greater Toronto Area while its hate crime unit investigates. Enhanced police presence is expected to continue through the weekend.
Police in London, Ontario, are investigating a threat received by a local Muslim school and working with other law enforcement agencies to determine whether the incidents are connected.
Waterloo Regional Police have also opened a hate crime investigation and carried out safety planning at an affected school. Ottawa police increased visibility around religious institutions and the school involved in its investigation.
Ottawa authorities said there was no information indicating a specific or imminent threat to religious or educational institutions in the city.
Investigators are examining potential offenses including uttering threats, criminal harassment and inciting hatred.
Schools tighten security
At Abraar Elementary School in Ottawa, police officers were deployed outside as families arrived and departed.
Mohammed Saleem, the school's principal, told CBC News that the explicit threats against children came as a shock. The school informed parents, prepared teachers to address the incident with students and consulted police about additional security measures.
Nabil Sultan, a spokesperson for the Muslim Association of Canada, said the organization had previously received hateful messages but had never faced a single threat targeting so many of its schools.
The incident has renewed concerns about anti-Muslim violence in Canada, including memories of the 2021 killing of four members of the Afzaal family in London, Ontario. A Canadian judge later ruled that the deliberate truck attack against the Muslim family was an act of terrorism.
Hate crimes rise across Canada
The threats come amid a broader increase in reported hate crimes in Canada.
According to Statistics Canada figures cited by CBC News, police-recorded hate crimes rose from 1,817 cases in 2018 to 4,882 in 2024. Reported anti-Muslim incidents increased from 84 to 229 over the same period.
Hate crimes targeting Jewish people also rose sharply, from 331 reported incidents in 2020 to 920 in 2024.
Former Canadian special representative on combating Islamophobia Amira Elghawaby said authorities must ensure religious minorities receive adequate protection and support.
The latest threats also came shortly after a shooting near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario. Authorities have described that incident as a deliberate hate-motivated attack targeting the Jewish community.
Police investigations into the threats against Muslim schools remain ongoing as authorities assess the credibility and possible connections between the messages sent across the country.
Source:DailySabah
