Canadian Schizophrenic Who Stabbed Servicemembers Granted Travel To Saudi Arabia, Somalia To Meet Wife

A Canadian man diagnosed with schizophrenia who is off the hook for stabbing military personnel at a Toronto recruiting center has been authorized to travel to Saudi Arabia and Somalia to meet his arranged bride.

Disregarding an assessment outlining his significant threat to public safety, Ayanle Hassan Ali, gets a free travel pass to the Middle East despite a terror-soaked criminal record, as reported by the Canadian-based National Post.

Ali entered the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre on March 14, 2016, where he immediately attacked a servicemember at the entrance, punching him repeatedly in the head before pulling a large kitchen knife out, slashing and stabbing him.

After stabbing one servicemember, Ali chased down a female sergeant and swung the knife at her, missing the back of her neck. He then turned on another individual who had slipped and fell, before Ali was tackled and disarmed. During the attack, Ali was reportedly muttering prayers while his iPod played Chapter Two of the Quran, telling authorities “Allah told me to do this.”

Ali went on to face charges, including three counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault, two counts of assault with a weapon, and possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose. In May 2018, he was cleared of his wrongs and found not criminally responsible, due to his schizophrenia diagnosis.

[Related: Admitted Jihadist Guns Down Decorated Army Veteran Professor Following Early Release On Terror Charges]

Last week, the Ontario Review Board approved a three-week travel pass authorizing Ali travel to Saudi Arabia for an Umrah pilgrimage to the Mecca in Saudi Arabia, before a quick stop in Somalia to meet a potential bride his father has arranged, indicating foreign contacts abroad.

The board said Ali’s compliance with treatment and his remorseful displays were enough to make the decision for him to travel internationally. A lawyer for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health testified in concern, saying Ali “continues to pose a significant threat to public safety.” In a hospital report that was also submitted, it describes how an individual’s risk for violence substantially increases when “absolutely discharged” like Ali, with uncertainty lying in medication adherence and reintegration concerns.

As questions swirl following the risky decision, the news in Toronto highlights vast decision-making gaps pertaining to public systems, and if these systems adequately balance rehabilitation with public safety after allowing a violent criminal associated with terrorism to travel internationally.

[Related: Somali American Received Millions In U.S. Taxpayer Dollars In MaineCare Funding While Claiming To Bankroll Jubaland Militia]