The Hate Crimes Unit of Toronto Police is conducting an investigation after a pickup truck was seen roaming the city displaying an "anti-Islam" video.

A video posted on social media shows a promotional truck displaying a video asking, "Is this Yemen? Is this Syria? Is this Iraq?" The video then shows images of Muslims praying, followed by text stating, "Wake up, Canada, you are under siege."

Amira Ghobadi, the Federal Government's Special Representative for Combatting Islamophobia, stated during media remarks, "What this truck was advertising is an attempt to imply that Canadian Muslims and communal prayer are dangerous and risky. When it comes to the hate targeting our communities, this is just another example of why people are really concerned."

Ghobadi says the message displayed on the truck goes beyond freedom of expression and has instilled fear within the Muslim community.

She states, "We don’t want to see another massacre at a Quebec mosque or an attack on a family in London."

Ghobadi points out that there has been a 500 percent increase in anti-Islam and anti-Semitic hate speech online, content that has surged since the October 7 attacks and the beginning of the war in Gaza.

According to the U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, anti-Semitic content surged by 919 percent on X (formerly known as Twitter) and 28 percent on Facebook in the month following October 7. A London-based advocacy group states that anti-Muslim hate speech on X jumped by 422 percent in the days following the October 7 attacks.

Cities across Canada have also reported an increase in alleged hate crimes, including Toronto, where nearly 190 incidents have been reported to Toronto Police so far this year. Nearly half of these were anti-Semitic in nature.

Richard Marceau from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs told CTV News in an interview, “Let’s be clear, there is a crisis of anti-Semitism in this country. Now is the time for action. Words are not enough; it’s time for political leaders to take concrete steps to resolve this issue.”