A Winnipeg mosque was attacked Wednesday, according to police, who say the hate crimes unit is investigating.
East District officers with the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) noticed “freshly broken windows” at the Rahma Islamic Centre in the 500 block of Watt Street at about 11:30 p.m. and began investigating, according to a police news release.
Police say officers determined a suspect vehicle drove by the mosque and that someone inside may have fired a gun in its direction. Investigators believe the suspected gunfire was partly responsible for the damage to the place of worship.
“Later, two suspects arrived on foot and caused additional damage by breaking additional windows with an unknown object,” the release says, adding that those suspects ran southbound on Watt Street afterwards.
Police say suspects also passed by the mosque earlier in the evening and shouted racist comments at visitors.
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No one was injured, police said.
Rahma Islamic Centre director Sheikh Faisal said members of the congregation were gathered peacefully for prayer when the incident unfolded.
“We feel shaken, disturbed as a community,” he said. “We have read many reports about Islamophobia incidents across Canada… Today, reality came directly to us.”
Faisal said one member of the congregation heard what was believed to be was gunfire outside, and thanked neighbours and police for supporting the mosque after the attack.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said the attack is the latest in what it describes as a growing wave of Islamophobic incidents across Canada.
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“Last night Muslim Canadians were reminded of how serious the scourge of Islamophobia in Canada is,” said NCCM spokesperson Fatima Abdullah in a press conference Thursday evening. “Enough is enough,” she said.
Winnipeg police say they are investigating the incident as a hate crime involving property damage and suspected gunfire at the religious site. Increased patrols are also expected at the Watt Street Islamic centre and other mosques in the area.
NCCM government affairs and public policy officer Sadaf Ahmed said the organization has documented what it describes as an escalation in anti-Muslim incidents over the past month.
“What happened is the consequence of hatred that has been allowed to go unchecked,” Ahmed said, calling for a thorough investigation into the attack.
Abdullah said the attack has left members of the community “deeply shaken” and served as a reminder of the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting, where six worshippers were killed in one of Canada’s deadliest attacks on Muslims.
Anyone with information, surveillance video or dashcam footage is asked to contact the Winnipeg Police Service.
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