Canadians Scrub Hate Messages off Mosque
The vandalism included that phrase, which was spray painted above the front door of the place of worship for Muslims.
The mosque’s windows were also smashed.
Mosque board director Mahmoud El-Kadri says there haven’t been any previous acts of vandalism during the four years the mosque has been at its location.
El-Kadri doesn’t know if the vandalism somehow relates to the recent attacks on Canadian soldiers in Quebec and Ottawa.
Mayor Craig Copeland calls the act “extremely disappointing.”
“Just what’s spray painted on the mosque, I mean, ‘go home’… The Muslim community here is at home here in Cold Lake,” said Copeland.
“It by no means represents Cold Lake. Some individuals took it upon themselves to do this.”
As soon as he heard about the vandalism, Copeland drove up to the mosque to speak to the members.
“They’re just disappointed,” he explained.
The mayor described the mosque as part of the fabric of life in Cold Lake.
“All of Cold Lake is rallying around the mosque and the Muslim community,” he said.
“So many people from Cold Lake were coming up to them and apologizing and saying this by no means represents Cold Lake… There were actually several people in tears.”
Soon after the news broke, residents showed up at the mosque to help clean and repair it.
Nikki Williams, a Cold Lake resident, came out to help.
“I just came to help these guys get it off the building and bring them supplies, a ladder, graffiti remover,” she said. “Just trying to get it off.”
“I think it’s a terrible thing,” Williams added.
“I think it shows just how ignorant people are about the whole situation.”
“The people who go to this mosque, I’ve been born and raised with since I was a little kid. This is their home.”
“We don’t condone this at all. We’re a very tight community – the Muslims along with every other religion in this town – Cold Lake is their home.”
Kelly Ross, a long-time Cold Lake resident who works at a business next to the mosque, recalls how quickly people rallied to help.
“People were coming off the street [asking] ‘can I donate money to help fix the window?’ ‘Can I donate my services?'”
“And once we go the buckets, everyone just started coming. We didn’t even ask. We didn’t even have to ask.”
The vandalism was discovered at 6 a.m. Friday when El-Kadri arrived for morning prayer.
He was overwhelmed by the support offered Friday afternoon.
“I want to thank everybody,” he said. “I am in my country, my home, but they assured for me that I am in my country, in my home.”
“I had calls from all over Canada, from Vancouver, from Ottawa… Toronto… Edmonton,” shared El-Kadri.
“When I came this morning and I felt the support of Cold Lake, I really forgot what happened.”
“I forgot the windows, I forget about the writing… It made me feel like I am one of the Cold Lake people.”
Some of the residents helping out even started to sing the National Anthem.
Source: Global News
