World upside down indeed. No doubt to have filed charges in this instance would have been “Islamophobic.”
It is widely understood among Muslims that Islamic law forbids photography, and so in this case Toronto Police were essentially enforcing Sharia. “Yonge-Dundas smackdown: Punched in the face, but fat chance charges will be laid,” by David Menzies in the Toronto Sun, August 2:
What constitutes a physical assault in Toronto these days?
This would appear to be straightforward. If, for example, one individual punches another, surely that’s assault. Especially if the punch in question was witnessed. And photographed.
But as I learned firsthand on Sunday, a fist in the face doesn’t necessarily constitute assault in our increasingly culturally sensitive Toronto.
The details: I was at Yonge-Dundas Square with my nine-year-old son. We ate pizza. We drank bubble tea. And I used my new Canon camera to take photos of this neon shrine.
Suddenly, a woman wearing a hijab ran toward me. She was part of a group that included two women wearing full face-covering burkas. She was screaming: “We are Muslim! You do not take pictures of us!” (Odd. I can’t find the “no photos” rule in the Qur’an.)
I informed the lady I was in a public square in a democracy. I can actually take pictures of whomever I please.
And then: Ka-pow! Her fist collided with my face. Worse, she almost knocked my new camera from my hands.
My son and I were then surrounded by a mob of about 20 people, many of whom were speaking Arabic. One kept demanding I surrender my camera to him.
It was surreal. Was I in Toronto “” or Riyadh?
I spotted a group of bicycle-mounted police officers. I burst through the mob with my son and made a beeline towards them. I told a Toronto Police officer what had happened and I wanted to press assault charges.
Better yet, a man and a woman came forward as eyewitnesses.
The 50-something couple, originally from Syria, told the police they had observed the entire affair and my allegations were true. The couple said they understood Arabic and knew what the mob was saying. […]
The cop walked back to me. No charges would be laid, he said, because he believed the woman’s story “” namely, she was merely trying to knock the camera out of my hands. […]
The fact we have Islamists living amongst us who despise western values isn’t news. But surely you can’t just sock someone in the mouth.
Well, apparently you can “” as long as the intent of the aggressor was merely to inflict property damage.
World’s upside-down. Just thought you should know.
Oh, I know.
For more on this enforcement of Sharia by Toronto police, see Blazing Cat Fur and Closet Conservative.