Go Ad Free

Finally, we have a verdict in the bizarre case of wannabe jihadi Waisuddin Akbari of East Gwillimbury, Ont.

Akbari is the Islamist who last year vowed that he was going to blow up Toronto synagogues and “kill as many Jews possible” when he was having a conversation with a car salesman at a BMW dealership in Aurora, Ont.

At that visit to the dealership on March, 4, 2024, Akbari also stated that Jews were akin cockroaches or cancer, and that they had to be “exterminated” or “eliminated”.

Presumably Akbari thought the car salesman was down with his plans for jihad too. But the precise opposite was true: the salesman, Cameron Ahmad, was horrified by Akbari’s remarks and he believed Akbari’s threats to be credible. As soon as Akbari left the dealership, Ahmad contacted the York Regional Police and the RCMP. Soon after, Akbari was arrested and criminally charged.

Waisuddin Akbari was convicted of 2 hate-related charges. He planned to blow up Toronto synagogues & kill Jews. Disturbing. Originally from Afghanistan, Akbari is living the Canadian dream. He owns a $1M house, a restaurant, a BMW. Yet he’s so full of hate https://t.co/iCSjJVaHoE

— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) March 31, 2025

Last November, Akbari was found guilt of uttering a threat to damage synagogues and uttering threats to kill Jews.

Finally, last Monday in a Newmarket, Ont. courtroom, Akbari was sentenced by Justice Edward Prutschi.

Akbari must now serve 60 days house arrest (the Crown was asking for four to six months jail time.)

After serving that sentence, Akbari will be put on probation for three years (the maximum allowed.)

He is also banned for 10 years from owning weapons, including anything that can cause fire. (Akbari is even forbidden from possessing a pack of matches.)

As well, Akbari cannot attend or be within 200 metres of any synagogue, place of Jewish worship, Jewish community centre, Jewish school or daycare, or any gathering organized by or for the Jewish community, except for the purposes of counselling as directed by his conditional sentence supervisor or probation officer.

Justice Prutschi also noted: “The attention his case has drawn has had a devastating impact on him and his family. In a terrible twist of irony, Mr. Akbari’s comment during the threats that he would ‘be on the news’ has come true in a way he certainly did not anticipate. He no longer feels safe to leave his home and described how he and his family have been the target of bullying and online harassment. This situation too mirrors the lack of safety felt by the Jewish community caused, in part, by Mr. Akbari’s own actions.”

Of note, while on house arrest, Akbari is allowed to leave his residence on Fridays between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to do chores (i.e., purchase gas, groceries, etc.) He is also allowed to leave the house on Friday evenings between 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. so that he can worship at a mosque.

The latter house arrest exception would seem to be a very odd one indeed given that Akbari testified last year that he was not religious. Alas, perhaps in the months following his arrest last March he has “found Mohammed.” Or maybe he is being less than truthful so that he can get out of the house on Friday nights…

Then again, Akbari’s testimony was always inconsistent at best. For example, he always denied that he made threats to blow up Toronto synagogues and kill Jews in the first place.

Yet, earlier this month his lawyer, Morgan Lipchitz, said the only reason Akbari made those threats was due to the mistaken belief that he would get a discount on a new BMW he was hoping to purchase.

So, the question arises: which is it?

What is also deeply disturbing about the Waisuddin Akbari case is his sense of entitlement. Which is to say, Akbari was born in Afghanistan and moved to Pakistan when he was eight years old. He eventually moved to Moscow and then came to Canada as a refugee in 2007. And while living in our great dominion, Akbari successfully pursued the Canadian dream.

Just consider that this man owns a $1 million+ house in East Gwillimbury; he operated a successful restaurant; he had enough disposable income to squander $500,000 on gambling; and he drives a swank Bimmer.

And yet, despite such success, this man continued to harbour hateful fantasies of genocide. What an ingrate. But now he is paying a price – such as it is – for openly espousing his death wish against the Jewish people. Akbari is equal parts vile and pathetic.

One final example of yet more perverse irony: at Akbari’s former restaurant on Davis Drive in Newmarket, there is a prominent sign still on display. It reads: “Canada’s beauty is in its diverse mix of cultures.”