Woman suspects she was disqualified from Montreal police due to estranged uncle's alleged terrorist ties
Miriam Ikhlef has always wanted to be a police officer.
"I've always been passionate about law, about justice, about helping people," she told CTV News on Thursday. "I believe I'm good at it, so I just wanted to do it."
That's why she applied to be a 911 dispatcher back in 2020.
"I got the job, I passed all the requirements -- which included a security clearance -- which I passed without any problems," said the 26-year-old.
So when a job opened up to become a police officer she applied to that, too, but was turned down because she didn't pass the security check.
Then, just a few days later, she lost her job as a dispatcher.
"I was dismissed because of the revocation of my security clearance, which I had passed."
Ikhlef believes it's possible police linked her to Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian-born man who once lived in Montreal and was arrested in 1999 for plotting to bomb an L.A. airport.
She says her uncle, Mourad Ikhlef, knew Rassam. Mourad Ikhlef was deported in 2003 because of alleged terrorist ties. He was later acquitted by an Algerian court.
But Miriam Ikhlef says she barely knows her uncle.
"I was maybe three or four years old, and I don't know anything about that. It's not my story."
Her legal team alleges that, in Superior Court last year, Montreal police (SPVM) management said they didn't know why Ikhlef failed the security check, claiming that sort of information wasn't shared with their officers.
Superior Court Justice Michel A. Pinsonnault condemned police, writing, "With respect, one wonders if the right hand knows what the left hand is doing at the SPVM."
Guylaine Dionne, president of the union representing 911 dispatchers and other white-collar workers in Montreal, told The Canadian Press her goal is to have Miriam Ikhlef reinstated with financial compensation.
"This case raises serious human rights issues that we monitor closely, including when employers fire employees without giving clear reasons under the guise of secrecy related to security investigations," she said.
Retired SPVM officer Andre Durocher says it's not always obvious why someone fails a security check.
"There is a certain onus on the police department to at least justify, but the reason may not be as transparent as we expect sometimes," he said.
Regardless, Ikhlef hopes to find out and says she still wants to be an officer one day.
Ikhlef's story is now the basis of a union grievance, and she's pursuing a lawsuit against the City of Montreal and the SPVM.
CTV News reached out to both to confirm and respond to her story but did not receive a response Thursday.
With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.