The National Council of Canadian Muslims says an attack on a Winnipeg mosque is a stark reminder that Islamophobia remains a serious threat in Canada.
Shots fired at Rahma Islamic Centre
Fatema Abdalla, senior government affairs and public policy officer at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, says two individuals drove by the Rahma Islamic Centre at 574 Watt St. at around 11:30 p.m.and fired shots at the centre from a vehicle before attacking the premises with another weapon that broke glass.
Winnipeg police say they also learned that suspects had attended earlier in the evening and shouted racist comments towards patrons.
“Thankfully they were unable to enter the premises, and no one was injured,” said Abdalla at a press conference Thursday evening. “However, the windows and walls of the mosque sustained significant damage.”
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The incident was reported to the Winnipeg Police Service, and they are treating the incident as a potential hate-motivated crime involving both property damage and the reported discharge of a firearm at a mosque.
“Sadly, this is not the first incident of its kind. It was not too long ago that a Palestinian restaurant was vandalized, or when a muslim family praying in a local park was accosted, or when a mosque on the west end of the city was vandalized,” said Abdalla. “Enough is enough. If we don’t work today to combat Islamophobia, Muslims will continue to suffer tomorrow. So our collective message today is simple. This incident cannot go unaddressed. Islamophobia is real and has the potential to kill.”
Police increase patrols around Winnipeg mosques
In light of this incident, the Winnipeg Police Service intends to increase its presence and patrols in and around the Rahma Islamic Centre and other area mosques.
The Hate Crimes Unit continues to investigate the incident. Anyone with information, including video, including dash cam video, is asked to contact the Major Crimes Unit at 204-986-6219 or anonymously at Crime Stoppers 204-786-TIPS or winnipegcrimestoppers.org.