Toronto Muslim School Teaches Jews Are ‘Crafty’
A Toronto Islamic school being investigated following a complaint that it is teaching its students that Jews are “treacherous” and comparing them to Nazis has apologized to the Jewish community.
The curriculum at the East End Madrassah, a Sunday school for Muslim children that rents space from a public school, taught boys to exercise so they are “ready for jihad,” refers to “crafty” and “treacherous” Jews and Jewish “plots,” and contrasts Islam with “the Jews and the Nazis.”
By early this week, the school had removed from its website the controversial portion of its curriculum. Later the same day, its website went offline.
The complaint was launched by Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies in Toronto.
The school on Tuesday reportedly apologized to the Jeiwsh community and to revise its teaching materials after a careful review.
“We unreservedly apologize to the Jewish community for the unintentional offence that the item has caused,” the school said in a statement. “Our team of scholars has already undertaken to review all texts and material being used in the curriculum to ensure that our teachings are conveying the right message.”
Canada’s Criminal Code makes it unlawful to publicly and “willfully” promote hatred against any identifiable group.
The Toronto District School Board, from which the madrassah rents space, said it is cooperating with police and noted it has the authority to revoke agreements with any associated school if it is found to be promoting hatred.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
