Toronto Mosques Attacked 6 Times in 3 Months

TEHRAN (IQNA) – The windows of a mosque in downtown Toronto were smashed earlier this week, in what a national association says is the sixth act of vandalism in three months targeting the city's Islamic houses of worship.

The latest attack happened on August 16 at Masjid Toronto on Adelaide Street, according to the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC). It is the third time in three weeks that the windows at this location have had to be repaired, the organization said.

"These incidents are now occurring at a frightening rate and we cannot accept to wait any longer for police action," the organization said in a news release on Monday. "MAC condemns these acts of hate that threaten the safety of our community."

Masjid Toronto, which is part of MAC, has two locations in the city's downtown area. Both locations have been vandalized three times in the last three months, according to MAC. The attacks have involved break-in attempts, broken windows and offensive graffiti, the organization said.

Toronto police told CNN in an email that they were aware of "several reports of damage and mischief since June 1, 2020" at the two mosques.

The department said there were six investigations surrounding the incidents and that two arrests had been made. They added that police members had met with mosque-goers and would continue to work with them.

MAC said in a statement that police arrested a suspect in the fifth attack and "determined it as mischief," a characterization the organization disputes. The previous four incidents have not yet been resolved, MAC said.

Toronto Mayor John Tory condemned the acts of vandalism and called on anyone with information to contact police, in a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday.

"Sadly, I was made aware of a third act of vandalism in a short period of time at the Masjid Toronto mosque, located on Adelaide Street," the statement read.

"Any form of harm towards a place of worship and those who visit these places is very concerning to me," Tory said. "People who frequent places of worship, such as the Masjid, gather for prayer and in peace. Stroking fear through acts of destruction are contrary to our city's values and beliefs and can have lasting impacts on the communities that rely on them."