Man pleads guilty to 3 charges in connection with Mississauga mosque attack

The man accused of an attack at the Mississauga Islamic Centre in March of 2022 has pleaded guilty to three charges, court documents show.

An agreed statement of facts, obtained by Global News, shows that Mohammad Moiz Omar pleaded guilty on Wednesday to administering bear spray, assault with a weapon and mischief to religious property with the motivation of bias, prejudice or hate based on religion.

Peel Regional Police said officers were called to the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre in the McAdam Road and Matheson Boulevard Area at around 7 a.m. on March 19, 2022, after receiving a report of an assault.

Officers said a man walked into the centre and sprayed bear spray at members of the mosque, while “brandishing a hatchet.”

According to police, members of the mosque “quickly subdued the man until police arrived.”

Speaking on behalf of the mosque, Nadia Hasan of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), said a group of about 20 men were in the middle of a dawn prayer, called Fajr, when the incident occurred.

According to police, 24-year-old Omar from Mississauga was arrested and charged.

Months after the incident, in June, police said “the Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Service of Canada and the Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Ministry of the Attorney General consented to the commencement of terrorism proceedings against Mohammad Moiz Omar.”

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Police said Omar faced seven charges in connection with offences which “constitute terrorist activity” under the Criminal Code of Canada.

The charges include two counts of assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public and mischief to religious property.

The agreed statement of facts suggests that no one was seriously injured as a result of the incident, however, “multiple congregants suffered side-effects from the bear spray,” and cleaning costs were over $16,000.

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The agreed statement of facts also said police found a large knife, a cleaver, a hammer, rope, drill bits, safety goggles, fire extinguishers, an unknown chemical and an iPhone in Omar’s vehicle. Several of the items had been recently purchased at a Canadian tire, the document said.

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The document also suggests Omar said his attack was “provoked by an intolerant and violent religion that promotes the murder of those who do not subscribe to its tenets.”

The agreed statement of facts also shows Omar attempted to acquire a firearm and had considered making a bomb.

The document also suggests the police investigation revealed Omar had “intended to perpetrate a mass casualty event when he attacked the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre,” and had planned the attack for about a year.

“The attack was also aimed at intimidating a segment of the public (Muslims) with regard to their security,” the agreed statement of facts read.

“Given the above facts, we are beyond horrified,” said Steven Zhou, a spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, in a statement Wednesday.

“This individual deserves to see a significant custodial sentence,” the statement read. “Just as importantly, we need to see action from all levels of government taken so that we ensure that this kind of violence never happens again.”

Counsel for Omar told Global News the other four charges are expected to be dealt with when the matter returns to court. Omar is set to appear in court on July 24.