Muslim leader raises alarm after ‘hate incident’ at Canada mosque

World
By William

Muslims in Canada “have reason to be afraid,” says a local leader, after a man was charged in an incident near the Ontario mosque.

A leader of a Muslim community in Canada has expressed concern over the spread of Islamophobic hatred in the country after a man made threats and attempted to run over congregants outside a mosque in Ontario province.

Qasir Nasir Khan, president of the Islamic Society of Markham, told reporters Monday that a man had committed “a number of Islamophobic acts” outside the mosque, about 30 km north of downtown Toronto.

Police said on Sunday that a 28-year-old man from Toronto was charged with what was called a “suspected hate-motivated incident” at the mosque just before 7am local time (11:00 GMT) last Thursday.

“He threatened to set fire to our mosque. He slandered the Prophet [Muhammad]Khan said at a press conference. “The most concerning thing was that he tried to ram our congregants with his vehicle.”

He added that in light of this and other recent Islamophobic incidents in Canada, “our congregation and Muslims across the country have reason to be concerned.”

“Whether we look at the mosque massacre in Quebec City, or the attack in London where one person hit an entire family with his truck, our communities have reasons to be afraid,” Khan said. “Make no mistake, we could have been at a funeral today.”

The incident – which takes place during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan – is the latest in what Muslim leaders in Canada say has seen an increase in harassment and sometimes deadly acts of violence against their communities.

In 2017, a gunman killed six Muslim men as they prayed at a mosque in Quebec City.

A mosque guard was also killed in the Toronto area in 2020, while in June 2021, four members of a Muslim family were killed – and a fifth family member, a young boy, seriously injured – when a man hit them with his truck in London, Ontario .

The latest attack prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to hold a national summit on Islamophobia, and in January this year Canada appointed its first Special Representative to combat Islamophobia.

“Diversity is truly one of Canada’s greatest strengths, but Islamophobia is all too familiar to many Muslims,” ​​Trudeau said in a statement welcoming the new envoy, Amira Elghawaby, to her post.

“We have to change that. No one in our country should experience hatred for their faith,” Trudeau said.

Commenting on the Markham incident, Elghawaby said in a tweet on Sunday that “we must do everything we can to counter the hatred that threatens our rights and freedoms and hold perpetrators accountable”.

The head of Ontario’s opposition New Democratic Party also expressed solidarity with the Muslim community in Markham and pledged to fight violence and Islamophobia.

“The violent hate crime that took place at this mosque in Markham [mosque] is deeply disturbing, especially so close to the anniversary of the London attack + during Ramadan,” Marit Stiles wrote on Twitter.

“It is incredibly sad that our community continues to face violent #Islamophobic acts during what many perceive as a very sacred time,” the National Council of Canadian Muslims advocacy group also tweeted, referring to Ramadan.

“What happened in #Markham could have been worse. But hate must be fought with united determination.”

Police said the suspect faces three charges – making threats, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving – and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday. “Investigators are concerned that there may be other victims and police are encouraging them to come forward,” they also said.

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