- The Toronto Police Department removed an episode of its Project Olive Branch podcast after two Muslim liaison officers made remarks about people reverting to Islam following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The officers were discussing an uptick in people researching the religion of Islam to find out why it is “so hated.”
- However, the officers’ comments upset the Jewish community.
- The police department apologized, reaffirming its commitment to protecting all communities.
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The Toronto Police Department has removed an episode of its podcast, Project Olive Branch, after two Muslim liaison officers discussed the number of people reverting to Islam following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
In Islam, a revert refers to someone returning to the Islamic faith after leaving it. Adherents believe all people are born Muslim but are raised in other religions—hence the term “reverting” rather than “converting.”
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“It’s funny you say this because through social media, a lot of people after Oct. 7 started learning about Islam,” Constable Haroon Siddiqui said. “And they said, ‘Well okay, what is it with the religion that, why is it so hated?’ You know what I mean? ‘Why are they being attacked all the time?’ So people say, ‘You know what? Let me learn about Islam,’ and there’ve been a lot of reverts,” Siddiqui said. “The amount of people that are reverting to Islam is unbelievable.”
Hamas killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7 and kidnapped more than 200 others, including Americans, some of whom are still being held hostage.
Shortly after the attack, Israel launched a full-scale war against Hamas in Gaza, killing more than 46,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 109,000 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The officers’ comments upset the Jewish community in Toronto.
Michelle Stock of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs spoke to the Toronto Sun and said, “Jews don’t feel safe in Toronto and have repeatedly questioned why the police aren’t doing more to protect our communities and stop the open glorification of terror on our streets. Is this why? Are we witnessing a two-tier policing system that leaves parts of our city vulnerable to hate and extremism?”
The Toronto Police Department responded in a post on X, saying:
“We acknowledge that a recent episode of our podcast, Project Olive Branch, has caused significant upset and concern in the Jewish community and beyond. That was not our intention, and we apologize. The podcast has been removed.”
The police chief added, “We recognize the Jewish community’s profound pain and anguish as a result of October 7 and the ensuing rise of anti-Semitism. I have personally heard from the community about the impact of this podcast, and I’m truly sorry. Our commitment to protecting our Jewish communities remains unwavering.”
