Police are investigating an east-Toronto Islamic school following a complaint it had been teaching its young students that Jews are “treacherous” and comparable to Nazis.
The East End Madrassah (EEM), a Sunday school for Muslim children that rents space from an east-end public school to teach its courses, had by early Monday removed from its website the controversial Lesson 8 of its curriculum.
The a 160-page tutorial referred to Jews as “treacherous” and “crafty,” compared them to Nazis, and alleged they plotted to kill the Prophet Muhammad.
“We do have a complaint we are investigating,” said York Regional Police spokesman Rebecca Boyd.
The EEM is a subsidiary of the Thornhill-based Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Toronto and has a permit from the Toronto District School Board to teach its lessons on Sundays out of David and Mary Thompson Collegiate Institute.
Under Canada’s Criminal Code, it is against the law to publicly and “willfully” promote hatred against any identifiable group.
David Spiro, co-chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Greater Toronto, said such teachings are against “Canadian values” of tolerance and cultural bridge building.
“It was clearly hatred, and that hate was directed toward the Jewish community,” insisted Spiro.
Spiro also took aim at the TDSB, saying such teachings should not take place within its facilities, and that the publicly-funded school board should more carefully scrutinize the groups it rents space to.
“We would like the TDSB to take a close look what is being taught on (its) property, and to make sure that (its) properties are not being used ... for the dissemination of hatred and intolerance,” he said.
A spokesman for the TDSB said in an e-mail the outcome of the police investigation could affect the EEM’s permit.
As of late Monday afternoon, the EEM website was inaccessible, and calls to its principal, vice principal, secretary and guidance councillors were not returned.
The TDSB faced heated criticism last summer after it was discovered one of its schools — Valley Park Middle School — had been handing over its cafeteria to an Islamic Imam to give Friday prayer sessions to the North York school’s Muslim students.