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
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.