Cambridge mosque vandalized in ‘act of hate’
Multiple police units assigned to investigate incident
The vandalism inside the Baitul Kareem Mosque on Wednesday afternoon shocked and saddened the local Muslim community, and left many wondering what motivated a crime police are calling “hateful” and “destructive.”
“It looks to be very targeted, with intent,” said Asif Khan, the national spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, the Islamic organization behind the mosque.
Islamic literature was scattered around the floor, kitchen appliances were destroyed, tables were overturned and a large TV was stolen from the premises.
Khan said the organization sees this incident as an act of hate, but the motive isn’t clear. “We just hope it’s not xenophobia-related.”
Waterloo Regional Police have assigned multiple units to investigate the incident, including the hate crime unit. In a virtual news conference on Thursday, police said officers were still working to determine the motive.
The equity, diversity and inclusion unit have reached out to the mosque and other members of the local Muslim community, Const. Andre Johnson said. There will be increased patrols in the area and officers will be canvassing nearby, looking for information.
“We do take this very seriously,” he said, adding “significant resources” have been deployed to work on this investigation.
At around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Imam Fatir Ahmad arrived to the Elliot Street building in Galt and heard loud banging from inside. At first he thought it might be renovations underway, but when he unlocked the door and saw a bike in the front entranceway, he decided not to explore further.
He alerted the chapter president and asked him to call police. Officers arrived within minutes of that
call, he said.
The damage caused to the building is estimated to be more than $10,000. The side door was entered and boxes and tables were overturned. The stove had been moved out from the wall, unplugged and destroyed.
In surveying the damage, Ahmad said he believed the attack was “planned” and done “with intent,” but he didn’t go so far as calling this a hate crime against Muslims. He said there was no message left and the Islamic literature was scattered but none was destroyed. He said the perpetrators made off with a TV and also a hard-drive that contained all of the security footage captured around the property. The drive was removed from a locked metal box kept in an upstairs office and it’s unclear how the culprits knew to look there or how they were able to open it.
Ahmad said he could understand why some people in the community were looking at this vandalism as a possible hate-motivated act. He said it makes sense one might think this way after a Muslim family was hit and killed by a vehicle in London last month, and two Muslim women were targeted in what Hamilton police are calling a hate crime on Monday.
He said the message he’ll be sharing with his community following this incident is the same as he always shares: “love for all, hatred for none.” This is how the community will move forward from this.
“We’ve never had an issue like this before,” said Mutaal Minhas. The 26-year-old who has attended the mosque since the community purchased the site in the mid 2000s. He said he doesn’t know what to make of the vandalism.
“We’re just shocked and saddened by this, especially considering all the other incidents that have happened in Canada recently.”
“It definitely makes me feel sad and disappointed in the country. I was born and raised in Canada. For me, I don’t remember it being like this.
“My family … they fled their homeland in Pakistan to get away from the religious persecution that was happening there,” he said. “Now all that’s happening here, and that’s very sad for us.”
He said for the most part, the Muslim community has felt very welcome in the city. Neighbours reached out to show support after the London attack and Minhas anticipates they will again after Wednesday’s vandalism.
“This incident was perpetrated by a few individuals who have hate, but I feel like for the most part, the majority of Canadians are very accepting.”
We need to promote the message of peace among all the religions, regardless of what motivated this attack, and then move on from it, he said.
Regional police Chief Bryan Larkin called the act of vandalism “deeply disturbing,” describing it as a “destructive and hateful crime.”
“Places of worship are sacred, and this criminal act cannot and will not be tolerated in Waterloo Region.”
The Coalition of Muslim Women of Kitchener Waterloo condemned the “hate attack” and offered support to members of the community who have been impacted.