Latest news with #MuslimAssociation
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Montreal police investigating after a mosque was defaced with hateful graffiti
WARNING: This story contains language and an image that is offensive. The Montreal police hate crimes unit is investigating after a mosque in the city's downtown was defaced with anti-Palestinian graffiti earlier this week. The words "F--k Gaza" were painted multiple times on the exterior walls of The Canadian Institute of Islamic Civilization, at the intersection of Belmont Street and Union Avenue, Tuesday evening. The organization that manages the mosque, the Muslim Association of Canada, said no one was injured, and that the incident isn't an isolated one. It's calling on officials to bring awareness to the growing convergence of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism given heightened tensions due to the situation in Gaza. "It reflects a dangerous national climate in which mosques, Muslims, Palestinians, and Canadians who speak out for Gaza are increasingly targeted and vilified," it said in a statement. Montreal police say they are looking at surveillance footage and no arrests have been made. The number of reported hate crimes and incidents in Montreal rose in 2024 with most of them targeting ethnicity, national origin, skin colour and religion, police said in its annual review report.
CBC
14-06-2025
- CBC
Montreal police investigating after a mosque was defaced with hateful graffiti
WARNING: This story contains language and an image that is offensive. The Montreal police hate crimes unit is investigating after a mosque in the city's downtown was defaced with anti-Palestinian graffiti earlier this week. The words "F--k Gaza" were painted multiple times on the exterior walls of The Canadian Institute of Islamic Civilization, at the intersection of Belmont Street and Union Avenue, Tuesday evening. The organization that manages the mosque, the Muslim Association of Canada, said no one was injured, and that the incident isn't an isolated one. It's calling on officials to bring awareness to the growing convergence of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism given heightened tensions due to the situation in Gaza. "It reflects a dangerous national climate in which mosques, Muslims, Palestinians, and Canadians who speak out for Gaza are increasingly targeted and vilified," it said in a statement. Montreal police say they are looking at surveillance footage and no arrests have been made.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Police hate crime unit investigating vandalism at downtown Montreal mosque
Police are investigating after a downtown Montreal mosque was vandalized with the words 'F--- Gaza' in blue spray paint. (Source: Muslim Association of Canada) Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating after a downtown mosque was vandalized on Tuesday. The Canadian Institute of Islamic Civilization (CIIC) on Belmont Street, near the intersection of René-Lévesque and Robert-Bourassa boulevards, was vandalized with graffiti, the force confirmed. The words 'F--- Gaza' were written with blue spray paint on the building in three locations. Montreal police said they were called to the building on Wednesday and that the hate crime unit is leading the investigation into the incident, which they say is linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. No arrests have been made. mosque montreal vandalism Police are investigating after a downtown Montreal mosque was vandalized with the words 'F--- Gaza' in blue spray paint. (Source: Muslim Association of Canada) The vandalism was condemned by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), a national charitable organization, which called it a 'vile act' and not an isolated incident. 'It reflects a dangerous national climate in which mosques, Muslims, Palestinians and Canadians who speak out for Gaza are increasingly targeted and vilified,' the group said in a statement earlier this week. 'CIIC and other MAC mosques across the country have received a steady stream of hate in recent months — from threats to online abuse — particularly in response to the genocide in Gaza," the statement reads. 'This convergence of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism is growing, unchecked.' The association also called on provincial and federal officials to condemn the vandalism and for all levels of government to 'take urgent action to protect Muslim and pro-Palestinian communities and to recognize anti-Palestinian racism as a systemic issue.' Last week, Montreal police released their annual report for 2024, which showed that residents reported 375 hate crimes (an increase of 6.2 per cent from the previous year) and 202 hate incidents (an increase of 18.1 per cent) last year. More than half of the reports were based on ethnicity, national origin, or skin colour. Montreal police define a hate crime as a crime 'motivated or suspected of being motivated by hatred of race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression or any other similar factor.' Examples include making a Nazi symbol or threatening or physically attacking someone because of their religion. A hate incident is a non-criminal act, 'which could affect the feeling of security of a person or an identifiable group of people whom, given the context may be perceived as such because of race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression or a disability in particular.' A hate incident would include distributing offensive material targeting an ethnic group or committing 'vexatious' acts against a person due to their sexual orientation. Similar acts of vandalism, as well as violent acts like arson and shootings, have also targeted Jewish places of worship in Montreal in the last several months.
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Carney reflects on murders of Muslim family on fourth anniversary of deaths
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at the Muslim Association of Canada Eid Festival in Ottawa on Friday, June 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney today marked the fourth anniversary of a hate-motivated vehicle attack that took the lives of four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., in 2021. Carney called the deadly truck attack on the Afzaal family a 'heinous act of terrorism' during a speech at an Eid al-Adha celebration hosted by the Muslim Association of Canada in Ottawa. The man who killed them was convicted of terrorism, four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in 2023. Carney also remarked in his speech on the values of Eid, such as community, sacrifice and generosity. He acknowledged this year's Eid celebrations are happening in the shadow of the brutal conflict in Gaza. A handful of people in attendance chanted 'free Palestine' before Carney started to speak, although his speech went on uninterrupted. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025 The Canadian Press
