Letter including anti-Muslim rhetoric accompanies recent threats
Concordia University recently garnered attention when it evacuated three of its buildings due to a bomb threat issued March 1.
The Montreal Gazette, along with several other media outlets, received a letter indicating that bombs would be set off on two of the buildings on the Concordia campus. Those two buildings, in addition to a third one that was attached to one of the targeted buildings, were evacuated shortly after in order to both aid the police search and to alleviate concern amongst their students and staff.
The police search found no explosives in any of the buildings, and they were reopened that evening.
The letter was sent by a group called the Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada. The letter included complaints about Muslim prayers on campus and stated that bombs would be set off each day from Wednesday to Friday unless the university banned “Muslim activities.”
The National Post identifies Hisham Saadi as having been arrested in connection with the bomb threats. He was arrested at his apartment building Mar. 2, with a SWAT team, canine unit, and uniformed officers evacuating residents from the building.Police said they found no explosives or incendiary materials at the apartment.
University spokesperson Chris Mota confirmed that Saadi is a PhD student in economics at Concordia, according to the Montreal Gazette.
Saadi is now facing charges of inciting fear of terrorist activities, issuing a death threat, and mischief by interrupting the students and personnel of Concordia University from their daily routines.
The Montreal Gazette also reported an email from the same Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada that was sent to the McGill University radio station CKUT on March 1.
The email said that it will “Spread our fight to McGill, too” though it did not contain any specific threats. McGill did not evacuate, but police patrols have increased around the university.
These threats occurred one month after a Québec City mosque was attacked, resulting in the deaths of six Muslim men.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and other Jewish groups in Montréal released a joint statement regarding the recent events. The release on the CIJA website quotes Rabbi Reuben Poupko, co-chair of CIJA Québec, as stating, “The wounds of Québec City have yet to be healed and this morning’s threat reminds us that the pathology of hate persists. Threats of violence from any quarter against any group need to be taken with the utmost seriousness and must be rejected in the strongest terms.”
Concordia University has since increased surveillance and Montréal police are also increasing their patrols.
Photo courtesy of Concordia University via CC BY NC SA-2.0.