Ontario – After what they described as a “hate-motivated incident” at a mosque in the Canadian province of Ontario on Thursday, where a male suspect allegedly drove towards a worshipper and yelled threats and religious slurs, police confirmed on Sunday that they had detained and charged the suspect.
The assault happened in Markham, but the suspect, Sharan Karunakaran, 28, was later detained in Toronto, according to a statement from the York Regional Police.
Mary Ng, the minister of trade for Canada, denounced the act as a hate crime and said it had no place in Canadian society.
The Islamic Society of Markham (ISM) said that on Thursday, a person entered the mosque in Markham, which is located 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) north of Toronto, and appeared to have destroyed a copy of the Qur’an while yelling at attendees. The torn Qur’an was not mentioned in the police statement that was made public on Sunday.
The tragedy occurs during Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims, when mosques are packed with people. Numerous individuals frequent the mosque in Markham.
Police stated that they had accused the man of threatening behavior, armed assault, and reckless driving. On Tuesday, he is set to appear at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket.
The local member of parliament for Canada’s commerce minister responded to the incident by saying, “This violence and Islamophobia has no place in our communities.”
