OTTAWA (Dispatches) – Canadian trade minister Mary Ng has denounced a hate-motivated Islamophobic attack at a mosque in Markham, Ontario when an individual desecrated a copy of the Holy Qur’an and attempted to ram worshipers with a vehicle.
“Deeply disturbed to hear of the violent hate crimes and racist behavior at the Islamic Society of Markham. To Muslims in Markham and Canada, I stand with you,” Ng tweeted in a post on Twitter.
“During Ramadan, mosques are places of community and peace - and everyone should feel safe in their place of worship. This violence and Islamophobia has no place in our communities or in Canada,” she added on Twitter.
According to a statement issued by the Islamic Society of Markham (ISM), which is one of the oldest and largest Muslim institutions in Markham, on Thursday an individual arrived at the ISM with his car, and upon entering the mosque he tore a copy of the Holy Qur’an, ranted racial and Islamophobic slurs, and while leaving the place of worship, attempted to run over the worshipers with his vehicle.
Thousands of congregants attend the ISM, and the center is much busier because of the sacred month of Ramadan, the ISM said.
The attack comes during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is considered the holiest month in the Islamic calendar
Canada is one of the top emerging centers of Islamophobia and hate crimes around the world, as it saw a rapid increase in the 21st century.
Canadians with Middle Eastern backgrounds have also been specifically targeted and victimized by Islamophobia in the context of the September 11 attacks.
Islamophobia has manifested itself in the vandalism of mosques and physical assaults on Muslims, including violence against Muslim women wearing hijab.