Prog Media Spins Danforth Mass Shooting

[Anonymous]

Remember when the media used to report the news as it happened instead of creating it.



https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/malcolm-media-spin-on-danforth-shooting-is-troubling?video_autoplay=true">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnis ... oplay=true">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/malcolm-media-spin-on-danforth-shooting-is-troubling?video_autoplay=true

The world learned on Wednesday morning that the Islamic State took responsibility for the Danforth shooting that left two dead and 13 injured.



Canadians could be forgiven, however, for not knowing that the deranged Islamist death cult claimed to have had a hand in the Toronto massacre. Most Canadian media outlets decided to ignore the news altogether.



When I checked the news early on Wednesday morning, the story had been covered by U.K.-based Reuters, the Jerusalem Post in Israel, the South China Morning Post and the Toronto Sun. No other Canadian mentions.



When Canadian media outlets covered this revelation hours later, they added their own editorial spin. Global News posted a distorted article about why the ISIS claims shouldn't be taken seriously.



The article quoted two academics who basically say the exact same thing — ISIS is desperate and claims responsibility for everything these days — and didn't provide the other side of the story.



Rukmini Callimachi of the New York Times, by contrast, notes that the wording of the ISIS claim implies that the Toronto shooter was "self-radicalized" but adhering to ISIS calls for violence.



"The shooter is described as "a soldier of the Islamic State" and they say he responded to "the call" to target citizens of Coalition countries," she said on Twitter.



Reports from the Sun and CBS that quote police sources suggesting the shooter had an online interest in ISIS.



Other media outlets spun this story by quoting Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders, who said "we have no evidence to support these claims" — a vague statement likely referring to an ISIS-directed attack, rather than an ISIS-inspired one.



Saunders, however, went on to say "we will continue to explore every investigative avenue including those who knew Mr. Hussain, his online activity, and looking into his experiences with mental health."



In other words, Toronto police have not ruled out jihadist extremism as the motive, hence why Toronto police are reviewing "his online activity."



This is just the latest example of the Canadian media deliberately torquing this story.



On Monday, after the police released the name of the shooter, the CBC instantly released a statement it said came from the killer's family.



But as reported by the Sun's Anthony Furey, the statement was provided by a left-wing political activist known for creating "talking points and media advocacy" around the issue of Muslims in Canada. The polished statement read like a PR stunt — because it was.



Why didn't the CBC tell Canadians the truth — that the statement claiming the shooter had a long history of mental illness was provided by an activist with a political agenda?



This, in a nutshell, is why public trust in the media is at an all time low.



Journalists in this country are deliberately spinning the news. They have their own agenda and don't want Canadians to know the truth — in this case, that police are still probing whether or not the shooter was indeed motivated by his Islamic faith.



Instead, media outlets across the country downplay ties to terrorism, while frantically pushing an unverified claim about mental illness.



A cold-hearted thug walked through a Toronto neighbourhood and opened fire at innocent civilians enjoying a warm summer evening. He murdered a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old young woman. He deserves our scorn, not our sympathy.



And yet, Canadian media outlets are going out of their way to paint him as a victim. This is an insult to all Canadians, especially the victims of this heinous crime.

[Anonymous]

Meet the Islamo Spin Doctor Behind the Hussain Family Statement



https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-meet-the-spin-doctor-behind-the-hussain-family-statement?video_autoplay=true">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnis ... oplay=true">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-meet-the-spin-doctor-behind-the-hussain-family-statement?video_autoplay=true

The man who has presented himself as the point of contact for the family of Faisal Hussain is a professional activist who has reportedly committed himself to "framing a new narrative of Muslims in Canada" and creating a "national political movement."



Shortly after the Ontario Special Investigations Unit revealed the identity of the Danforth shooter as 29-year-old Faisal Hussain, a news release was sent out to select media attributed to the "Hussain Family".



The polished statement began with the family's "deepest condolences to the families who are now suffering on account of our son's horrific actions." It then went on to explain that "our son had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life."





A statement allegedly from the family of Faisal Hussain



It was provided by Mohammed Hashim, a full-time organizer for the Toronto & York Region Labour Council. Social media accounts belonging to Hashim show him heavily involved in supporting NDP candidates both federally and provincially in Ontario. He's also described as a driving force behind the National Council of Canadian Muslims.



"His groundbreaking political advocacy, public relations and media work has been widely credited by insiders as framing a new narrative for Muslims in Canada," says a bio of Hashim connected to an appearance he made at CanRoots 2016, a left-wing activist conference.



The bio continues: "His workshop 'Progressive organizing in the Muslim communities' will demonstrate how the GTA Muslim community mobilized in the previous federal election, and laid the groundwork to start building a national political movement."



Another bio from the 2017 Muslim Awards of Excellence continues this description of Hashim as something of a spin doctor, noting that "his talking points and media advocacy are changing how Muslims are seen in the Canadian identity."



While there have been cases of high profile individuals hiring PR representatives for crisis management – such as Michael Bryant and Jian Ghomeshi – it's rare to see it happen with someone not already in the public eye.



The media-savvy Hashim has been featured in stories for a variety of his activities including in his capacity as president of the board for the Erin Mills Youth Centre and as a leader of the Muslim community group DawaNet.

[Anonymous]

Whatever His Motive, Hussain Served ISIS



https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/goldstein-whatever-his-motive-hussain-served-isis?video_autoplay=true">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnis ... oplay=true">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/goldstein-whatever-his-motive-hussain-served-isis?video_autoplay=true

Whatever caused Faisal Hussain to go on his murderous rampage in the heart of Toronto on Sunday night, gunning down innocent civilians, he served the aims of ISIS by doing so.



I'm not saying he was a terrorist.



Toronto police chief Mark Saunders on Wednesday refuted a claim by ISIS in the wake of the attack that the 29-year-old Toronto man was one of its soldiers, saying there's no evidence to support that at this stage of the investigation.



The office of Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale concurred, saying, "At this time, there is no national security nexus to the shooter." Earlier, Goodale said Hussain wasn't on any federal watch lists.



ISIS frequently makes claims, following these sorts of attacks, that the perpetrator was a member of ISIS, without providing evidence.





What none of this addresses, of course, is the more complex and nuanced question of whether Hussain was inspired by ISIS's actions and rhetoric into doing exactly what ISIS has repeatedly said it wants its "soldiers" to do, murder innocent civilians with any weapon that's available — guns, knives, vans, trucks.



We don't know if that was a factor in Hussain's killing and wounding spree, either.



Just as we don't know whether the mental illness he was said to suffer from, according to a well-written and carefully-worded statement issued on behalf of his family by a professional activist, as revealed by the Sun's Anthony Furey, was a contributing factor.



That said, for the sake of not stigmatizing the mentally ill even more than we already do, let's note that the vast majority of people who are mentally ill are not violent and are far more likely to be victims of crime, not perpetrators.



In addition, it's possible for someone who is mentally vulnerable for any number of reasons, including but not confined to mental illness, to be susceptible to the entreaties of terrorists, whether through direct or indirect contact, such as social media sites.



Finally, aren't all terrorists mentally ill by definition, in a colloquial if not a diagnostic sense, given that no sane person walks down the street shooting, reloading and shooting again at innocent people?



But while we don't know what motivated Hussain at this point, we clearly do know his last act on earth served the aims and goals of ISIS.



That's why ISIS almost always claims responsibility for these attacks, regardless of the motives of the perpetrator, because such attacks are global recruiting posters for them.



What ISIS is doing, literally, is fishing for new recruits in the wake of every massacre, either for those inspired to join their global jihad, or for so-called "lone wolves" inspired by ISIS rhetoric to carry out murderous attacks on their own, with no formal affiliation to ISIS.



All ISIS needs is for a handful of the angry, or the aggrieved, or the disturbed, out of the tens of millions of people hearing their rallying cry after each atrocity, to respond, either directly or indirectly, for the operation to be a success.



We don't know, at this point, if Hussein was inspired by terrorists, or if there were other factors, or a combination of them. What we can say with certainty is that, whatever his motive, Hussain served the aims of global terrorism, because it gave the terrorists another opportunity to sow fear, confusion and division in Canada and globally.



And because the purpose of terrorism is to terrify.

[Anonymous]

Remember when the media used to report the news as it happened instead of creating it.



https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/malcolm-media-spin-on-danforth-shooting-is-troubling?video_autoplay=true">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnis ... oplay=true">https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/malcolm-media-spin-on-danforth-shooting-is-troubling?video_autoplay=true

The world learned on Wednesday morning that the Islamic State took responsibility for the Danforth shooting that left two dead and 13 injured.



Canadians could be forgiven, however, for not knowing that the deranged Islamist death cult claimed to have had a hand in the Toronto massacre. Most Canadian media outlets decided to ignore the news altogether.



When I checked the news early on Wednesday morning, the story had been covered by U.K.-based Reuters, the Jerusalem Post in Israel, the South China Morning Post and the Toronto Sun. No other Canadian mentions.



When Canadian media outlets covered this revelation hours later, they added their own editorial spin. Global News posted a distorted article about why the ISIS claims shouldn't be taken seriously.



The article quoted two academics who basically say the exact same thing — ISIS is desperate and claims responsibility for everything these days — and didn't provide the other side of the story.



Rukmini Callimachi of the New York Times, by contrast, notes that the wording of the ISIS claim implies that the Toronto shooter was "self-radicalized" but adhering to ISIS calls for violence.



"The shooter is described as "a soldier of the Islamic State" and they say he responded to "the call" to target citizens of Coalition countries," she said on Twitter.



Reports from the Sun and CBS that quote police sources suggesting the shooter had an online interest in ISIS.



Other media outlets spun this story by quoting Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders, who said "we have no evidence to support these claims" — a vague statement likely referring to an ISIS-directed attack, rather than an ISIS-inspired one.



Saunders, however, went on to say "we will continue to explore every investigative avenue including those who knew Mr. Hussain, his online activity, and looking into his experiences with mental health."



In other words, Toronto police have not ruled out jihadist extremism as the motive, hence why Toronto police are reviewing "his online activity."



This is just the latest example of the Canadian media deliberately torquing this story.



On Monday, after the police released the name of the shooter, the CBC instantly released a statement it said came from the killer's family.



But as reported by the Sun's Anthony Furey, the statement was provided by a left-wing political activist known for creating "talking points and media advocacy" around the issue of Muslims in Canada. The polished statement read like a PR stunt — because it was.



Why didn't the CBC tell Canadians the truth — that the statement claiming the shooter had a long history of mental illness was provided by an activist with a political agenda?



This, in a nutshell, is why public trust in the media is at an all time low.



Journalists in this country are deliberately spinning the news. They have their own agenda and don't want Canadians to know the truth — in this case, that police are still probing whether or not the shooter was indeed motivated by his Islamic faith.



Instead, media outlets across the country downplay ties to terrorism, while frantically pushing an unverified claim about mental illness.



A cold-hearted thug walked through a Toronto neighbourhood and opened fire at innocent civilians enjoying a warm summer evening. He murdered a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old young woman. He deserves our scorn, not our sympathy.



And yet, Canadian media outlets are going out of their way to paint him as a victim. This is an insult to all Canadians, especially the victims of this heinous crime.

I recall shortly after it happened, a name was released of the shooter..



It was an Anglo name and the shooter was reported to be from Peterborough, Ontario.

[Bricktop]

Same as everywhere.



Leftist media pushing an agenda with deception, lies and obstruction.

[Anonymous]

Same as everywhere.



Leftist media pushing an agenda with deception, lies and obstruction.

And releasing news without verifying facts..



Like the identity of the shooter.

[Bricktop]

Leftist media is at best subversive, at worst openly manipulative.



It promotes the Left's narrative often deceptively, disguising it's propaganda as "news", when its no more than advocacy journalism, or biased editorials.

[Chuck Bronson]

I expect most media to put a leftist spin on things, but the real problem here is that the CBC is a billion dollar per year taxpayer funded 'make work' project, designed to hire people that would probably be otherwise unemployable with their 'qualifications'...

[Bricktop]

Same as our ABC.



A Bunch of Communists.

[Anonymous]

Leftist media is at best subversive, at worst openly manipulative.



It promotes the Left's narrative often deceptively, disguising it's propaganda as "news", when its no more than advocacy journalism, or biased editorials.

It's hard to argue that in this case Bricktop..



How the media has reported it and the reaction from our elected leaders is very different than other similar tragedies in this country.

[cc]

Just some point of interest that main networks are avoiding like the plague



We hear the brother is in a long term coma. He is. Cause was overdose of heroin and cocaine



Also best friend of killer and brother was and still is under suspicion for having 33 illegal guns and many millions of dollars worth of drugs in the basement of a house he either owned or rented



I saw an interview with a cop who reviewed the videos along the street and he said "almost no one can change clips while running  ... this guy changed 3 times on the run ... he had 7 very large clips on his person and used 3 1/2

He also mention the repeated shooting stance being exactly correct - he also said this guy was as good as it gets with guns

[Chuck Bronson]

Sounds like the entire family were positive contributors to Canadian society!    

[cc]

enrichers at the highest level .. now prolly decades of hospital for brother  on the taxpayer tab



Screw our sick media .. also city admin - it must have been them who held off the ID until someone wrote a letter for the family to use ... then gave the story ONLY to CBC to put out ID simultaneously with the letter

[Anonymous]

Just some point of interest that main networks are avoiding like the plague



We hear the brother is in a long term coma. He is. Cause was overdose of heroin and cocaine



Also best friend of killer and brother was and still is under suspicion for having 33 illegal guns and many millions of dollars worth of drugs in the basement of a house he either owned or rented



I saw an interview with a cop who reviewed the videos along the street and he said "almost no one can change clips while running  ... this guy changed 3 times on the run ... he had 7 very large clips on his person and used 3 1/2

He also mention the repeated shooting stance being exactly correct - he also said this guy was as good as it gets with guns

He was known to the police, but not for violent crimes was he?

[Chuck Bronson]

I saw an interview with a cop who reviewed the videos along the street and he said "almost no one can change clips while running  ... this guy changed 3 times on the run ... he had 7 very large clips on his person and used 3 1/2

He also mention the repeated shooting stance being exactly correct - he also said this guy was as good as it gets with guns

First off, they're magazines, not clips.



And it's very easy to change out a magazine, even while running.  If you can run and unscrew your Gatorade bottle and take a drink, you can run and change a magazine.



The term 'very large' handgun magazines doesn't really make much sense, as they are all around the same size physically when viewed at any distance.  However, capacity can greatly vary depending on the gun and caliber.  In Canada, handgun magazines are limited to 10 rounds each.  However, he was thought to have used his brothers illegal handgun (most likely a US smuggle), and in this case magazine capacity could easily exceed 10 rounds, especially if gun was chambered in 9mm.



Also, if the guy was 'as good as it gets' with guns, I can assure you the death count would be much greater.







TL/DR:  I doubt the cop who reviewed the videos was even a cop.  And if he was, he's a dough head that should stick to traffic duty!