Mosque attack
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned an attack on a mosque in Mississauga, Ontario, as a hate crime, expressing strong disapproval of Islamophobia. The incident, where rocks were thrown through the mosque’s window, occurred on the eve of the anniversary of a 2017 mosque attack in Quebec that claimed six lives.
Trudeau, in a statement on Twitter, called the attack cowardly and unacceptable, emphasizing that Islamophobia has no place in communities.
“Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities,” Justin Trudeau said on X.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims labeled the incident as part of a concerning increase in Islamophobic hate in the country. Reports indicate a rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in Toronto, especially since the start of the Gaza conflict. Globally, there has been noted increased antisemitism and Islamophobia following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
“The recent attack on a Mississauga mosque, occurring on the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia, is condemned by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as cowardly, disturbing, and unacceptable. The National Council of Canadian Muslims associates this incident with a concerning increase in Islamophobic hate nationwide. In November, Toronto authorities reported a significant spike in antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in Canada’s largest city since the beginning of the Gaza conflict.
Rights advocates observe a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia globally since October 7, coinciding with Hamas’s attack on Israel. The conflict has led to heightened tensions, with reports of hate crimes increasing. British MP Naz Shah criticized the government for not effectively addressing the growing Islamophobia issue.
Trudeau and other advocates have strongly condemned such acts of discrimination and violence, emphasizing the need for unity and tolerance in communities.
