TORONTO

The Toronto Police Service's new Muslim chaplain has come under fire in recent days for his seemingly misogynist views on women and marriage.

But the city's top cop says he'll give Musleh Khan a chance to explain himself before deciding if the controversial views he espoused in a 2013 webinar were misguided or simply misunderstood.

"What I want to do is I want to sift through and find out exactly what's going on," Chief Mark Saunders said Friday. "I know that there are some issues with translation from Arabic to English."

Although Khan was vetted by police prior to his recent appointment -- a volunteer position that serves to improve relations between cops and Toronto's Muslim community, while also providing support to the service's Muslim officers -- a video posted on the YouTube page for a Muslim dating site surfaced this week that raised more than a few eyebrows.

In the video, which has now been removed, Khan states a woman should always be "obedient" to her husband and not withhold intimacy without "a valid reason" such as illness or fasting.

Khan, a marriage counsellor for Muslim couples, also stated a woman should always get permission from her husband before leaving the house because the man is "the main decision-maker of the home."

The new chaplain has since defended his views in the media, acknowledging his use of the word "obedient" might seem inappropriate if used out of context, while explaining the Arabic word typically translated as obedience actually means loyalty, devotion and love.

Saunders planned to meet with Khan on Friday.

"We at the service, we have core values that we stand by, that we believe in, that we live by," the chief said. "And so it's important that there's an opportunity for Mr. Khan to explain himself.

"I know I'm certainly going to give him that opportunity and listen to what he has to say when I meet with him," Saunders said, adding he hopes Torontonians will also hear Khan out before making any judgment.

The service currently has 19 chaplains, including Khan, who represent 15 different faiths.

cdoucette@postmedia.com