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Daily News Analysis

Another mosque attacked in Canada and Imam assaulted

Crescent International

In the early morning of December 12, an intruder attempted to disrupt the Fajr Salat by attacking the Imam at the Islamic Foundation of Toronto.

A person walked in with his shoes inside the prayer area while the Imam was leading the prayer at the mosque located in the city’s east end.

The intruder jumped over the congregants to reach the Imam and not only shouted obscenities at him but also pulled his beard several times.

Two members of the congregation grabbed the assailant and held him until the police arrived.

After preliminary investigation, the police took the assailant away but said no charges would be laid.

He was allowed to drive away in his own car.

While it is fortunate that nobody was hurt, the Imam was clearly shaken.

According to eyewitnesses, the Imam was shivering after the attack.

“No charges have been laid and the alleged attacker was not taken into custody, [police] media officer Shannon Eames told CBC News.

“Police do not consider it a hate-motivated crime and the individual left the scene after it happened, Eames added.

“In a statement Monday afternoon, the mosque said ‘our hearts are deeply troubled and we know that many in our community are deeply concerned.’

“We simply do not have enough information to assess what led to this incident,” the statement went on, calling on police to keep “all avenues of investigation open, including potential hate motivation.”

Some reports have suggested that the assailant is ‘mentally disturbed’.

It has become common to declare any assailant who attacks Muslims or their places of worship as ‘mentally deranged’.

If a Muslim is involved in such activity, he is not only immediately branded a “terrorist” but the entire Muslim community is vilified.

Today’s attack on the Islamic Foundation is the latest in a string of attacks on mosques across Canada.

In September 2020, 58-year-old Mohamed-Aslim Zafis was stabbed and killed outside a mosque in Rexdale.

Zafis was a volunteer caretaker who was checking to ensure congregants wore a mask before entering the prayer facility.

His assailant, Guilherme Von Neutegem, 34, attacked Zafis and slit his throat with a knife.

On January 29, 2017, six members of the Quebec City Mosque were murdered in cold blood and another 19 injured.

The assailant, 28-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette entered the mosque while the Muslims were offering night prayers.

He was armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle as well as a pistol.

Mercifully, the children were playing downstairs in the basement otherwise many of them too would have fallen victim to the terrorist’s anti-Muslim rage.

An equally-horrific attack occurred in London, Ontario on June 6, 2021.

Three generations of the Afzaal family were crushed to death by Nathaniel Veltman who drove his van over them repeatedly.

While the latest attack on the Islamic Foundation of Toronto mercifully did not result in any injuries, it would be wrong to assume that such attacks won’t occur in the future.

Unfortunately, it is open season on Muslims in Canada.


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