EDITORIAL: Time to restore the rule of law

Published Jan 04, 2025  •  Last updated 6 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Shawn Westbrook prays at a memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. Photo by George Walker IV /AP Photo

The New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans has shaken the U.S. and should be a wake-up call for this country that Islamist terror is still a threat. We should take immediate measures to ensure the safety of our communities.

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The FBI has said Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran born and raised in Texas, posted videos ahead of the attack in which he proclaimed his support for ISIS. There are reports an ISIS flag was found in the rented truck used to slam into revellers, killing 14.

Officials in this country should heed the warning signs. Last year, two newcomers to this country, Ahmed Eldidi and his son, Mostafa, were arrested when they were allegedly “in the advanced stages” of an ISIS-inspired attack, according to police. Both came here as refugees. Ahmed was granted citizenship last year. He’s since been charged with war crimes after video evidence emerged allegedly depicting him dismembering a prisoner.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, who came to Canada from Pakistan on a student visa, was allegedly planning an attack on a New York Jewish target on behalf of ISIS when he was arrested in Quebec last September.

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It’s time for politicians and police to take these threats seriously and to crack down on the ever-more menacing street demonstrations in support of terror groups such as Hamas. Such demonstrations often cross the boundaries of what’s acceptable protest. They frequently target Jewish homes, Jewish businesses and Jewish institutions. A Jewish girls’ school has been shot up three times in Toronto.

In Toronto on New Year’s Eve, a handful of demonstrators tried to disrupt that city’s peaceful celebrations by taking over Union Station. It was not only hateful but downright dangerous and could have caused panic in a crowded transit hub. It’s a tactic employed by ISIS and Hamas supporters around the globe: Target innocent people celebrating joy in the world, whether it’s a Taylor Swift concert in Austria or New Year’s Day in New Orleans.

It’s time for weak-kneed politicians and police chiefs to put a stop to this. We don’t need new laws. Enforce the laws we have now that prohibit inciting hatred and forbid groups from shutting down vital arteries.

This country once followed the rule of law. It’s time to reclaim it.

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