Investigators assume the incident in Mississauga, Ontario, was an remoted act and are contemplating hate as a doable motive.
Worshippers at daybreak prayer in a suburb of Toronto tackled and subdued a 24-year-old man who allegedly entered their mosque and attacked individuals with bear spray on Saturday, in accordance with native police.
Peel Regional Police stated the person walked into the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, and allegedly “discharged bear spray in the direction of individuals within the mosque whereas brandishing a hatchet″ simply earlier than 7am.
Talking on behalf of the mosque, Nadia Hasan of the Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims stated a gaggle of about 20 males was praying when the person sprayed them.
“A few of the males circled they usually very bravely determined that they weren’t going to let him assault them,″ she stated. ”They tackled him to the bottom and apprehended him till the police confirmed up.″
Mohammad Moiz Oma from the suburb of Mississauga has been arrested. Police say they’re contemplating “all doable motivations″ for the incident, and expenses are pending.
Police stated the congregants acquired minor accidents on account of the bear spray.
“Individuals are clearly fairly shaken up and are recovering,″ Hasan stated. ”For probably the most half, of us are nonetheless processing what’s occurred and try to form of see how they will be certain that their communities stay safe.″
At this level, investigators assume the incident was an remoted act and are contemplating hate as a doable motive, police stated in an announcement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put out a tweet condemning the assault as “extremely disturbing”.
“I strongly condemn this violence – which has no place in Canada – and I’m holding the neighborhood in my ideas at the moment,” Trudeau wrote.
The assault on congregants on the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre is extremely disturbing. I strongly condemn this violence – which has no place in Canada – and I’m holding the neighborhood in my ideas at the moment. I additionally need to applaud the braveness of those that had been there this morning.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 19, 2022
Different public figures joined within the refrain of condemnation, together with the mayor of Toronto and the Ontario provincial prime minister.
Premier Doug Ford, in the meantime, stated on Twitter, “There may be NO place in our province for such evil and hateful acts. We should guarantee these accountable are delivered to justice.″
The imam of the mosque, Ibrahim Hindy, praised the braveness of the worshippers who subdued the attacker.
“Our neighborhood won’t ever be damaged and we refuse to be intimidated,” he tweeted.
In June in Ontario, a person driving a pick-up truck intentionally ran over a Canadian household of Pakistani origin, killing 4 individuals. Police stated it was a case of Islamophobia.
In 2017, six worshippers had been shot lifeless and a dozen extra had been injured after a gunman opened hearth on worshippers at a mosque in Quebec.
The capturing, which Trudeau denounced as a “terrorist assault”, on the time provoked a debate on Islamophobia within the nation.