Mosque in Peterborough deliberately set on fire, police say
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
November 15, 2015
Just a half hour before their mosque was set ablaze on Saturday, members of the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association were in the building celebrating the birth of a baby, said the president of the association, Kenzu Abdella.
Shortly after the party left, a neighbour noticed smoke and called 911.
The fire was set deliberately around 11 p.m., police confirmed Sunday. Abdella said the group left at 10:30 p.m.
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« We call on authorities to investigate this arson as a hate crime so a clear message is sent that these acts have no place in our communities, » Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said in a statement late Sunday.
« This attack is very disturbing. The mosque is regularly attended by families with young children. We are relieved no one was injured as this incident could have been much worse, » Gardee said.
The Peterborough fire department has pegged damages to the mosque at $80,000, though the building’s exterior is relatively unscathed…