Police Investigate Threatening Email Sent to Eight Islamic Schools Across Canada
Canadian police forces, including the RCMP and several Ontario regional services, are investigating an anonymous email sent to eight Islamic schools that threatened violence against Muslims in connection with the upcoming Alberta referendum. The Muslim Association of Canada described the coordinated nature of the threat as unprecedented, while officials have increased security presence around affected institutions.
Police forces across Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and municipal services in Vancouver and Montreal, are investigating a threatening email sent to eight private Islamic schools operated by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC). Regional police forces in Ontario have also launched hate crime investigations into the incident.
The anonymous email was time-stamped Sunday, Sept. 20, and sent from an account titled 'exposingNWO@protonmail.com' by a party identifying themselves as 'Jehu, Citizen Vigilante.' The message threatened to kill Muslims unless they were deported, specifically alluding to the upcoming Alberta referendum on secession. It stated that Muslims would be "deported or slaughtered" once "Alberta becomes its own nation."
In response to the threats, law enforcement agencies have taken immediate action. London Police Service is investigating a threat to a local school, citing potential criminal code offences such as uttering threats, criminal harassment, or inciting willful hatred. Peel Regional Police’s hate crime unit is actively investigating the threat and has increased officer presence near local mosques and schools. Similarly, Waterloo Regional Police and Ottawa Police Service confirmed they are investigating the emailed threats and have heightened visibility around religious and educational institutions.
Nabil Sultan, a spokesperson for the Muslim Association of Canada, noted that while the organization has received hate comments in the past, receiving a single note targeting many schools simultaneously is something they have never experienced before.
The incident has sparked renewed debate regarding federal anti-hate measures. Mohammed Saleem, principal of Abraar Elementary in Ottawa, criticized the federal government for scrapping offices focused on combating Islamophobia and antisemitism earlier in the year. This criticism comes amid rising statistics: Statistics Canada reported that police-reported hate crimes in Canada more than doubled between 2018 and 2024, rising from 1,817 to 4,882 incidents. Specifically, incidents involving Islamophobia nearly tripled during this period, growing from 84 reported crimes to 229.