MARKHAM, Ont. — An 47-year-old man is facing criminal charges after a suspected hate-motivated incident at a mosque in Markham, Ont., the second such event in the area in recent days.
York Regional Police say a man blocked the entrance to a mosque in the area of Bayview Avenue and Proctor Avenue on Sunday night.
Police say the suspect exited his car and yelled derogatory slurs at worshippers and assaulted several people who gathered in the area before driving away.
They say the suspect from Richmond Hill was arrested on Monday and was charged with three counts of assault and one count of mischief.
Police say investigators do not believe the incident is connected to another incident at a different mosque in Markham that occured on Thursday.
President of the Islamic Society of Markham Qaisar Nasir Khan has said the suspect in the Thursday incident brought his car to the mosque around dawn prayer, uttered Islamophobic slurs, made threats to burn down the place of worship and tried to run over congregants.
York Regional Police have said a 28-year-old male suspect was detained and charged with one count each of assault with a weapon, uttering threats and dangerous driving after the Thursday incident.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2023.
