RAIR Foundation
A man accused of killing four members of a Canadian Muslim family by running them over in his pickup truck reportedly targeted them in an attack motivated by “hate”. However, those close to 20-year-old Nathaniel Veltman contradict the anti-Muslim hate crime narrative being pushed worldwide by politicians and media.
One of his friends – who is from the Middle East himself – insists that “he never heard Veltman say a bad thing about the Middle East or Muslims.” Further, a colleague stated that “Veltman was having trouble with the steering of his new truck.”
But Yellow Taxi London president Hassan Savehilaghi said that a witness and taxi driver (who was too traumatized to speak) observed Veltman “laughing” as he was arrested. The witness also said – through the Yellow Taxi London president – that Veltman was wearing what “appeared to be a bullet-proof vest, a military-style helmet and clothing that perhaps had swastikas on it”.
Veltman reportedly became enraged with anti-Muslim hate, prompting him to jump a curb, killing four members of a Muslim family. A fifth family member, a 9-year-old boy, was injured. The attack happened at an intersection in London, Ontario.
Salman Afzal, 46; his wife Madiha Afzal, 44; their daughter Yumna Afzal, 15; and a 74-year-old grandmother whose name has not been released all perished. Fayez, 9, is in the hospital.
As with other similar incidents, the facts are bogged down in political preaching about Islamophobia. While the media is salivating to denounce all of society as “Islamophobic” in the wake of the horrific event, Veltman’s friends tell a different tale.
‘Nate is not a radical terrorist. He is nothing like that. He is not an Islamophobe. That’s not who this kid is,’ said one friend.
The friend, who hails from the Middle East, said he never heard Veltman say a bad thing about the Middle East or Muslims. ‘Nate was a very close friend and never said anything bad to me,’ the man said.
Another friend said Veltman ‘never said anything hateful’ about any groups.
‘He’s Christian and has a great relationship with God. . . . He was always pretty calm towards other people,’ that friend said.
London police Det.-Insp. Paul Waight stated: “There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act and that the family was targeted because of their Muslim faith,” during a press briefing this week. He did not elaborate. Justin Trudeau vowed to fight Islamophobia.
“This killing was no accident. This was a terrorist attack,” Trudeau said in a speech in the House of Commons.
As mentioned above, one of Veltman’s colleagues stated that he “was having trouble with the steering of his new truck:”
This past Thursday – three days before the fatal attack – Veltman was having trouble with the steering of his new truck, the co-worker said. “I actually drove with him on Thursday.”
He said on Friday, Veltman asked him to finish his work for him because a family member, maybe his grandmother or great-grandmother, had died, the man said.
“He seemed broken up over it on Friday. That’s the last time I saw him.”
Another co-worker explained that Veltman had a 4pm to midnight shift. He was described as “mainly a gentle introvert.” Veltman’s co-workers were “shocked” to hear about what happened.
He wasn’t an extreme Christian. He never seemed to hate people, He never said anything hateful. It seems completely out of his character.”
Other co-workers were shocked Monday to learn of the arrest, the man said. ‘He’s not a violent guy. He’s a bit high-strung sometimes, but other than that, he’s a good guy. He gets along with everybody at work.’
It took several days to release Veltman’s identity. He evidently had no social media presence or more likely – his social media was scrubbed. The police claim that there is evidence of anti-Muslim bias, but they are not being specific. If they have evidence, why can’t they say what it is?
Exploiting the Crisis to Promote an Agenda
The left-wing and Islamic leaders are seizing this horrific incident in order to promote their agenda:
- Pakistan leader Imran Khan decried the “condemnable act of terrorism,” which he claimed “reveals the growing Islamophobia in Western countries.” Khan continued to say that Islamophobia “needs to be countered holistically by the international community.”
- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he is “appalled” and declared: “We must stand united against Islamophobia now more than ever.”
- London Ontario Mayor Ed Holder spoke about the incident in a video, referring to it as “an act of mass murder” and released a written statement decrying Islamophobia:
- Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar declared:
This is a cruel reminder that anti-Muslim hate is deadly and alive in the West. We must all speak out against it. And prosecute these violent hate crimes against Muslims vigorously.
- Melita Gabrič, the ambassador of the European Union delegation to Canada, also denounced the attack, saying she is “shocked” at the Islamophobic violence. “We condemn Islamophobia & any form of hate crime,” she tweeted.
- New York Congressman Jamal Bowman said: “We must end Islamophobia once and for all.”
- Turkish politician Mahir Ünal ominously warned: “The dream of ‘freedom’ will come to an end for those who embrace this barbaric order, which is tried to be built on the basis of hatred to Islam.”
- Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan Asad Qaiser tweeted: “This horrific incident of terrorism depicts rising #Islamophobia that needs to be eradicated collectively by Muslim Ummah [Muslim community].”
- The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims released a statement blaming Islamophobia. In a tweet, they declared: “The consequences of ignoring Islamophobia are far too serious!”
As observed at RAIR,
Like all such allegations of ‘rising’ hate crimes, outliers are used to condemn the entire population, taking away responsibility from the comparatively minute number of individuals who engage in biased criminal activity.”
Until the left and their Islamic supremacist allies stop vilifying society for every outlier, they cannot and should not be taken seriously. Nathaniel Veltman does not have a chance for a fair trial under these intense political conditions.
Amy Mek
When the cops arrested him, he was laughing. That isn’t a normal reaction. When I saw his photo, I thought ‘autism’ or some type of mental disorder.
As to the victims, they look more like Hindus than Muslims. I don’t see any Islamic identifier in their clothing and certainly no hijabs.
Not so, To be blatantly accused of murder when you are totally aware that it was an accident beyond your control, no matter who died, is enough to bring out a contemptuous or disbelieving laugh in many people. I look at some videos and laugh inappropriately often , NOT because it is funny or that I do not care, but in DISBELIEF. No matter how you respond to an act tor accident there will always be those who twist it for their own purposes.
The mosque bacon sandwich guy, the 3 “bad” books owner and now this guy are all being politically crucified by the usual suspects and with the 2 tier legal system we all know that it is foreordained that he will spend his life in gaol, that is UNLESS he is made to mix there with muslims in which case it will be a very short stay.
Funny i NEVER Heard of Muslim Outrage and Condemnation of the Danforth Islamic Attack, 9/11, Nice, France Attack, The MANY Truck Jihads in Europe, etc, i Wonder WHY?
Just go the website Religion of Peace to see how much carnage is taking place in the world at the hands of Muslims.
New truck? New truck may have an all electronic Power Steering motor that could possibly have been compromised remotely.
Trudeau’s ‘Trusted Media’ and his henchmen will paint this story as they are known to do…….Yet, when Christians are killed in mass slayings…..these same perfidious actors are predictably………silent…….