A business owner is offering a hefty reward to find the individuals behind an advertising truck with Islamophobic messaging spotted on Toronto roads.
In a post on X, Mohamad Fakih, the CEO of Middle Eastern eatery Paramount Fine Foods, said he’ll be offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the individuals who paid for, designed, or in any way facilitated the hateful campaign.
“We won’t stand for this nonsense here in Toronto,” Fakih said on X, while urging anyone with information to contact Toronto Police.
The reward comes two days after a video of the truck went viral. The advertising truck was shown to be driving in Toronto, with video screens saying Canada is “under siege” by Muslims.
The screens read: “Is this Yemen? Is this Syria? Is this Iraq?”
The video then shows Muslims kneeling in prayer, then reads “No. This is Canada. Wake up Canada. You are under siege.”
On Thursday afternoon, Rebel News Network claimed responsibility for the truck in a post on X by owner Ezra Levant.
The truck has caught the attention of Muslim organizations, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).
The organization condemned the truck’s hateful messaging, calling it “extremely dangerous” and said it should not be condoned.
“We have seen Islamophobic hate kill in Canada, including in Ontario,” the NCCM posted on X. “This needs to stop now.”
Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobic, called out the truck’s message in a social media post, saying that she has a message of her own.
“Your attempts to divide and hate won’t work. Canadians will recognize and reject it for the hate that it is,” Elghawaby posted.
She also says she’s been speaking with Toronto Police Muslim liaison officers to relay the multiple concerned reports from residents related to the truck display. She describes the truck’s incitement to hate Muslims as “deeply worrisome,” especially given the ongoing physical violence against the community across Canada.
“We do not want to see another Quebec mosque massacre, or Our London Family attack. We have already lost too many of our community members to deadly Islamophobic hate,” she wrote.
Toronto Police Services says it is aware of the truck and said the matter is currently under investigation by the Hate Crime Unit.
