Montreal stabbing of Orthodox Jewish man may have been work-related conflict: police
WARNING: Video containing graphic violence below
A 24-year-old Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed Thursday in Montreal's Saint-Michel neighbourhood.
Montreal police (SPVM) said it's possible the stabbing was a work-related conflict, as the victim and suspect are coworkers.
In a video circulating on social media Friday, a man wearing a kippah and prayer shawl (tallit) is seen standing outside a door, with one leg resting on a knee scooter. A man dressed in black then emerges from the door and appears to stab the victim in the face or neck.
According to the SPVM, the stabbing occurred around 1:30 p.m. The victim was transported to hospital but is in stable condition.
The 21-year-old suspect, Mouloud Machouche, was arrested and appeared in court Friday. He is facing charges of assault and use or threat of using a weapon.
Jewish service organization B'nai Brith confirmed the victim is an Orthodox Jewish man. The group has spoken to police and is monitoring the file.
ANXIETY WITHIN JEWISH COMMUNITY
Marvin Rotrand is a former Montreal city councillor and the director of B'nai Brith Canada.
He said while it's unclear whether the victim was targeted because of his faith, incidents like these nevertheless instill fear in the Jewish community.
"All these things add up, and people get very, very worried."
The community is especially on edge, he said, given that hate crimes against Jews have reportedly risen in previous years.
A B'nai Birth audit found 2021 was Canada's highest year of antisemitic incidents since the organization began recording this data in 1982.
"Last year, in our own auditing, we recorded 75 violent incidents against Jews in Canada. And that was a greater number than the five years previous," said Rotrand.
To move forward, Rotrand said police and civil servants must have a "better understanding" of what antisemitism looks like.
He also called on Canada to update its laws regarding online hate by obliging platforms to remove hateful content.
"We think the tools are there, but it's going to take regulation and legislation from the government of Canada."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.