‘Frightening’ attacks leave Ontario Muslims shaken
As police investigate possible hate crime, Muslim women worry about future intimidation
CBC News | November 17, 2015
Muslims in Toronto say a string of potential hate crimes that have struck southern Ontario in the days following the horrific Paris attacks are unacceptable in Canada.
On Monday, Toronto police said a Muslim woman reported she was attacked from behind while picking up her children from school and beaten by two white men who called her a « terrorist. »
The attack comes after a mosque in Peterborough was badly damaged by a fire that appears to have been deliberately set. And in Kitchener, a Hindu temple’s windows were broken by rock-throwing vandals — in that case, police haven’t ruled out the possibility that the attack was a misguided retaliation for what happened in Paris.
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An online map tracking hate crimes, maintained by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), shows there have been several other hate-driven incidents in the area, including threatening graffiti and vandalism.
« Such hateful and cowardly acts are abhorrent to all Canadians who stand united in condemning xenophobia and hatred, » NCCM Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee said in a news release….