A man has been convicted of attacking two strangers in Surrey, BC in the name of the Islamic State.Abdul Aziz Kawam was found guilty on June 30 of attempted murder for the benefit of a terrorist group and assault using a weapon for the benefit of a terrorist group.The first incident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. on April 1, 2023 at a bus stop near Fraser Highway and 148 St. While the victim was waiting for the bus, Kawam walked up and asked if they were Muslim.According to Crown prosecutor Sharon Steele, when the victim said no, Kawam "went back to the bus stop, prayed for approximately two minutes, returned, taking a large knife out of his jacket and attacked the victim, aiming a slashing motion at the victim's neck.".The victim managed to escape and called 911. Just minutes later, Kawam hopped on the 503 bus and proceeded to carry out a second attack, which left a man with life-threatening injuries."Unprovoked, with no prior discussion or interaction between the parties, Mr. Kawam attacked the victim with the knife, slashing at the victim's neck three times," Stele explained. "The victim used his body to push Mr. Kawam out of the bus."Both victims survived.Kawam went on to call 911 on himself, telling the operator that he had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and wanted the "war" between the Islamic world and the west to "end." Evidence gathered during the trial showed Kawam had recorded a video 10 days prior of him identifying as a jihadist and telling westerners to convert to Islam or pay a non-Muslim tax, known as a jizya.He is set to find out when he will be sentenced on July 10.
