Winnipeg Islamic centre was shot at, police say

WINNIPEG — Officers are investigating damage done to the Rahma Islamic Centre on Watt Street Wednesday night that members of the city’s Muslim community say was a drive-by shooting in which no one was injured.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said several windows at the building located at 574 Watt St. were shattered shortly after 11:30 p.m., causing an estimated $3,000 in damage.

Chancy made no mention of shots being fired, and no suspects have been identified.

He said there had also been a report that earlier Wednesday evening, the occupants of a vehicle that drove past the centre had shouted slurs at people outside.

Later Thursday, police issued a news release that said a firearm had potentially been discharged in the direction of the mosque.

“The WPS is treating the incident as a potential hate-motivated crime involving both property damage and the reported discharge of a firearm at a mosque,” its statement said.

Police said patrols would be increased in the area as well as at other area mosques.

Fighting back tears, Islamic Centre director and Imam Feisal Adem told an evening news conference that the community’s sense of safety and security, has been “deeply shaken.”

“We often believe that incidents like this will not happen to us, but the sense of comfort, security quickly becomes an illusion,” he said.

However, he said community support gives him hope.

“When you see, at late night, the neighbourhood come from home, and they stood with us outside, that gives me hope that we, Manitobans and Winnipeggers, can stand together.”

Culture Minister Nellie Kennedy attended the news conference to condemn the attack and said the province will cover the cost of repairs to the mosque.

Kennedy, who has described herself as a proud Lebanese-Canadian who grew up in a Muslim home, was asked why taxpayers should foot the bill in this case when it didn’t after incidents of vandalism involving other houses of worship or businesses.

She said the gesture will show that the Muslim community is valued and “that they belong here, they’re welcomed here.”

“They should know that their provincial government is here to help protect them and keep them safe,” she said, stressing the repairs are important because “these places are sanctuary for people.”

“We’re here to talk about this incident of vandalism and we’re here to support the Muslims,” she said.

The Manitoba Islamic Association called the incident “deeply troubling,” and said all Winnipeggers have a role to play in ensuring sites of worship remain “safe places where people can gather in peace without fear of hatred or violence.”

“The MIA condemns all acts of hate and intimidation and calls upon our Winnipeg community to stand together against racism, Islamophobia and every other form of religious hatred,” the association said in a statement.

Steven Zhou, spokesman for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, condemned the attack and said it’s part of an uptick in instances of Islamophobia in the last four to six weeks across Canada.

“There have been almost one a day of similar kinds of incidents, threats and attacks,” he said. “We are now at a crisis moment.”

The council has called for a strategy to address an “unchecked pattern” of anti-Muslim sentiment in Canada, Zhou said.

“We’ve been sounding the alarm for some time now,” he said.

Security camera footage shows what appears to be two people walking up to the building a short time after the shooting is alleged to have happened, one of them striking it with a blunt object, Zhou said.

He said he’s pleased the police are investigating the incident as a hate crime, and referenced anti-Muslim attacks in London, Ont., in 2021 and in Quebec City in 2017 that killed a combined 10 people.

“It has to be taken seriously, because we know what the end point of this looks like,” he said. “All communities, whatever your faith or non-faith background, if we stand up to these kinds of problems, we can all solve them. Hate diminishes only in the face of a public showing of force calling for justice, for peace.”

Elhadji Kane, a board member, said he was at the centre with his children for prayers at about 6 p.m. on Wednesday. He said he was wearing Muslim attire and was called a racial slur.

“I’m feeling very sad at still having ignorant people in our community,” he said.

“I know it’s not really the Canadian behaviour. It’s some people trying to really seed hatred (and) division in our community.”

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the provincial government is fully behind the centre and the Muslim community.

“Our government has their backs and we are doing absolutely everything we can to stop deplorable crimes like this from happening in Manitoba,” said Wiebe.

He said justice staff have been in contact with officials from the centre.

“I want Manitobans across the province to know, and certainly those as part of this faith community, that we are going to find the person who did this and we want to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

» Winnipeg Free Press

He said when it comes to establishing a national strategy to address this type of hate, Manitoba is a leader in Canada because it appointed a top Crown prosecutor who specializes in hate crimes, established a fund to protect places of worship and offered anti-Islamophobia education tool kits in Manitoba schools.

“This is the kind of work that will have long-term benefits, and we certainly would welcome any additional support from the federal government in this work,” Wiebe said.

» Winnipeg Free Press