Welcome back to This Week in Canada, where there are no imminent threats and yet no one is safe. But at least we can pretend—and even hope—that we will deal with it in January. This is my last newsletter of the year, so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thanks for reading.
What began as investigations of attempted abductions ended with the announcement last week of a long list of charges including terrorism against three men who allegedly were motivated by hatred toward women and Jewish Canadians. The news was even more alarming because it came just five days after the terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Australia’s Bondi Beach.
Back in May, three men tried to kidnap a woman in Toronto, pointing a gun at her and demanding that she get into their car before she screamed and they drove away, according to police. In June, three masked men chased two women who were walking in Mississauga, fleeing when someone intervened.
Police made three arrests in August, including Waleed Khan, 26, of Toronto. By last week, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had traced Khan’s connections to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), alleging that the earlier incidents were part of a conspiracy to commit murder for the benefit of the terrorist group. A search of his home turned up a loaded AR-style rifle capable of automatic fire, a handgun fitted with high-capacity magazines, and more than 110 rounds of ammunition.
