Hate Incident at Islamic Centre Sparks Concern Amid Rising Islamophobia in Canada

IQNA – A suspected hate-motivated act occurred early on August 15 at a Mississauga Islamic centre, where a man used a skateboard to shatter its glass doors.

Police in Peel Region are investigating the early-morning vandalism of an Islamic centre in Mississauga, treating it as a possible hate-motivated offence. Surveillance footage shows an individual arriving on a skateboard before breaking the centre’s glass entrance.

The president of the centre told OMNI News that the suspect had previously passed by several times and even greeted people in a friendly manner prior to the incident.

The Muslim community remains uneasy, with concerns heightened by decreasing school attendance—even morning Quran classes and evening schools are being skipped out of fear.

“This is a hate crime and Islamophobia ... even the number of children not coming here ... they are afraid,” said Minhaj Quershi. 

Peel Regional Police confirmed that their hate crime unit has taken over the case, given the faith-based nature of the target. 

As Sgt. Tyler Bell explained, such investigations are complex, highlighting that while the suspect is visible on video, identifying them remains challenging. 

Police noted that the investigation’s outcome will determine appropriate charges, but “as a baseline, we’re looking at a hate-motivated mischief.” 

Islamophobia is an escalating concern in Canada, where Muslim-targeted hate crimes have been climbing in recent years and form a significant part of faith-based hate incidents.

A new report by York University’s Islamophobia Research Hub has revealed a sharp rise in hate incidents targeting Muslims, Palestinians, and Arabs across Canada since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023. The study, based on data from 16 organizations and official sources, warns of a “sharp and dangerous” escalation, with Toronto police alone recording a 1,600 percent spike in related hate crimes within six weeks of the conflict’s start.

National figures echo this surge, with Statistics Canada reporting a 94 percent rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2023 and a 52 percent increase in cases against Arabs and West Asians.

Civil society groups also documented widespread consequences, including job losses linked to pro-Palestinian expression and a wave of human rights complaints, underscoring how the fallout from the Gaza war has reshaped daily life and security for many Canadians.

 

 

Source: Agencies