'We're all feeling sad': Imam speaks out after Toronto mosque vandalized
On Monday morning, Imran Ally, the Imam of the Toronto and Region Islamic Congregation (TARIC) walked into the mosque’s foyer with a large rock in his hands.
“It would take a lot out of me to throw this rock, the way it was thrown,” Ally told CTV News Toronto.
The rock in question is estimated to be 12 to 15 pounds, but surveillance video captured by the mosque’s security cameras shows a man throwing it towards the building with one hand.
“I think from the video you can realize this person had a lot of energy. So to be in a situation where someone had that much energy is very scary and intimidating,” Ally said.
The video, which was captured just before 8:00 p.m. on Nov. 9th, shows a man walking toward the mosque and hurling the rock toward the front door, before quickly walking away. In the background, you can see the mosque’s custodian looking panicked and trying to stay clear of him.
“That’s what’s very troublesome,” said Ally. “Someone is going to come to do harm and even in the presence of others, they’re still driven to do something dangerous like that — it’s very scary, very worrying.”
Broken window at TARIC Islamic Centre (Courtesy of TARIC Islamic Centre)
Imam Ally says this isn't the first time the mosque has been vandalized. On Aug. 17, he says three windows were broken. The perpetrator remains outstanding.
Mayor John Tory visited the mosque on Sunday and tweeted, “This hatred and bigotry has absolutely no place in Toronto.”
Meanwhile, in a press release, Haroon Salamat, chairman of Islamic Centre called this an “ugly act of deliberate vandalism” and said this is the second act of vandalism to occur within four months.
Imam Ally says that, while he doesn’t yet know the motivation behind this act, the fact it occurred at a place of worship is very concerning.
“You’re watching over your shoulders. You don’t know what can happen and I feel that’s not safe for worshipers of any faith, and places of worship should not have to be vigilant for something like this.”
The Imam says the mosque’s custodian called 9-1-1 immediately after the incident and a man was arrested shortly thereafter.
Toronto police confirm that 50-year-old Jeffery Petit was charged with mischief under $5,000 and appeared in court on November the 10th.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.