Police in Peel Region are investigating an alleged hate-motivated incident after a Mississauga Islamic centre was vandalized.
Surveillance video shows a man using his skateboard in the early hours of August 15 to break the glass doors of the Mississauga chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America.
The president of the centre tells OMNI News the man in the video had been seen passing by the location several times and waving at them in a friendly manner prior to the incident.
“They told us that they saw this person a number of times here on his skates, and even some people said they said hello to them,” said Minhaj Quershi, who adds the Muslim community remains concerned for their safety in the wake of the attack.
“This is a hate crime and Islamophobia, because we had nothing before this. After this, the community feels very harassed …even the number of children not coming here for evening schools, for the morning Quran classes, they are afraid.”
Peel Regional Police tell OMNI News that its hate crime unit is part of the investigation due to the fact that an Islamic centre was targeted.
“These investigations are certainly difficult and complex, and following someone on camera is not actually an easy task. It does take a lot of work, a lot of effort to canvas and find those cameras,” explained Sgt. Tyler Bell, who notes that while the footage shows the suspect, it doesn’t tell police who he is.
“The outcome of the investigation is going to determine additional charges that are relevant here, but as a baseline, we’re looking at a hate-motivated mischief.”
Police tell OMNI News that while there has been an increase in hate crimes, there’s also been an increase in reporting them.
