How a random bus stabbing followed by a pledge to ISIS led to a 15-year terrorism sentence
Abdul Aziz Kawam’s violent knife attack in 2023 prosecuted under rarely used Criminal Code offence
October 29, 2026
There is an inherent irony or risk of fear-mongering in criminal justice journalism in that the more extreme an incident the more newsworthy it is, which then can give the public a distorted sense of safety.
Part of that comes from a cognitive bias known as frequency illusion, whereby a person becomes more aware of a behaviour or a situation after witnessing or experiencing it.
This can range from buying a white car and seeing white cars everywhere up to hearing about a murder in a public place and becoming fearful in public places.
All that is to say that while terrorism-related charges are very rare in Canada, a man who stabbed a stranger on a bus in Surrey in 2023 was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday (Oct. 29, 2026).
Abdul Aziz Kawam was convicted in B.C. Supreme court in June 2026 to attempting to commit murder for a terrorist organization and assault with a weapon for a terrorist organization.
The incident happened on April 1, 2023, when Metro Vancouver Transit Police and Surrey RCMP officers responded to a report of a knife attack at a bus stop in Surrey. Kawam had approached a male at a bus stop, threatened him and chased him with a knife. That potential victim was able to escape, however, Kawam then boarded a Coast Mountain transit bus and seriously injured another person.
Someone managed to push Kawam off the bus, which is when he stated that he pledged allegiance to Abu Al-Hussaini Al-Quraishi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) at the time. (Incidentally, Abu al-Hussaini died in Syria that same month by detonating a suicide vest on April 29, 2023).)
Back to Surrey on April 1, 2023, Kawam was still holding the bloody knife when he was arrested by frontline officers. Transit police began an investigation, which was transferred to the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team.
In addition to the sentence of 15 years in prison for the attempted murder he received 20 months for assault with a weapon.
“Incidents of this nature have a profound impact on the individuals involved and the whole community,” according to Cpl. Parmbir Kahlon of the RCMP’s Federal Policing Pacific Region. “As the court process concludes, we hope this outcome provides a measure of reassurance to those affected and our commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
Rare but serious
Incidents involving terrorism do have a profound impact, but they are exceedingly rare in Canada.
According to 2025 data from the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, just 39 people had been convicted and sentenced for terrorism-related offences nationwide since Canada's modern anti-terrorism legislation came into force in 2001.
That amounts to fewer than two people a year across the country. The conviction of Kawam for the 2023 Surrey transit bus attack is particularly unusual because it involved a violent attack on members of the public carried out in association with a terrorist organization.
Uncommon as they are, there was another verdict in a terrorism-related offence also on Thursday, Oct. 29. Several years ago, Kimberly Polman met an ISIS fighter online and married him. By 2021 she had separated from him and denounced the group, according to her sister in a Canadian Press interview.
In 2024, the 51-year-old Polman was charged with leaving the country to participate in the activity of a terrorist group and one charge of participating in the activity of a terrorist group. She pleaded guilty to leaving the country to join ISIS on Oct. 29.
She remains out of custody and is awaiting a sentencing date
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Paul J. Henderson
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